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Home » Recipes » Seafood

Southwest Air Fryer salmon

By: Kathryn Doherty | Last Updated: Mar 10, 2025 | Published: Sep 14, 2020
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Southwest Air Fryer salmon is just 3 simple ingredients and comes out perfectly tender and flaky in less than 15 minutes. This makes a delicious easy healthy salmon dinner any night of the week.A seasoned piece of wild salmon in an Air Fryer tray after being cooked

And it's Monday again.

Despite the wackiness that is 2020, we did have a pretty fun weekend at least! There were movie nights, card games, fort building, playhouse painting, reading and of course, plenty of cooking and kitchen fun. Nothing exciting, maybe, but I do really love lazy weekends at home with my crew.

But let's move on to the food.

Today I’m excited to share with you this super quick and easy southwest Air Fryer salmon.

Cause I love salmon — it’s my favorite fish for both the flavor and how healthy it is — and I love super easy fish recipes that I can make with on-hand ingredients.

I’ve shared my easy BBQ salmon, bourbon salmon, honey lime salmon and honey Dijon salmon.

And recently, I’ve been using my Air Fryer a lot more (thanks to the ongoing broken oven saga in my house) so this has become a new favorite way to cook salmon.

And it’s also some of our favorite flavors.

A large filet of salmon in an Air Fryer with olive oil and seasoning sprinkled on, before being cooked A cooked, seasoned piece of salmon in an Air Fryer tray

I’ve shared southwest baked salmon and earlier this month, southwest Air Fryer shrimp. Yup, there’s a pattern here.

Today, salmon is taking center stage and it gets coated with a flavorful mix of southwestern style spices and cooked to tender, flaky perfection in the Air Fryer.

No need to heat up the oven or the grill, just fire up the Air Fryer and let it do the work.

And with just a couple minutes to prep and 10 minutes to cook, we are ready to eat in record time. Love that!

Now, I’ve got some notes and substitutions coming up on how to make Air Fryer salmon. Just tryin’ to be helpful.

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

Notes on making southwest Air Fryer salmon:

  • I prefer wild salmon because it has more flavor and is a tad healthier than farmed salmon, but either will work. Just make sure your salmon is completely thawed if it’s been frozen.
  • This recipe calls for ½ pound of salmon and makes enough for 2 people. That’s about the size that will fit in the Air Fryer at once. If you are looking to cook more, work in batches and then add all of the salmon to the Air Fryer at the end (stacked up) for an additional 1 minute of cook time, to get it warmed through.
  • Also, while we are using a homemade southwest seasoning mix, you could certainly substitute a store-bought mix if you prefer.

And honestly, you can use this basic recipe - and timing - and substitute any of your favorite seasoning mixes to make other types of Air Fryer salmon.

A seasoned salmon filet served alongside steamed rice on a white plate with fresh parsley sprinkled over top

Also, because I know this is your main question…

How long do you cook salmon in an Air Fryer?

- A fresh salmon filet with an average thickness of 1-inch will take about 10 minutes in the Air Fryer at 400 degrees F.

- If you have an especially thick piece, you may need to add an extra couple of minutes of cook time.

- Alternatively, if your piece is on the thin side, such as ½ inch thick or so, you can reduce the cook time to 8 minutes.

No Air Fryer? You can also roast this salmon in the oven. Cook it at 400 for about 10 minutes per inch of thickness.

I do love mine though. I have this Air Fryer model and it’s been fantastic. (It’s really easy to clean too, which is a nice bonus.)

OK, let’s get ready to eat!

A piece of salmon served alongside steamed brown rice on a white plate with green napkins and a fork alongside

Serving ideas for Air Fryer salmon:

- This salmon goes great with steamed brown or white rice and a steamed vegetable. You can even make it into a rice bowl and add your favorite toppings.

- Other grains like farro or quinoa would be great pairings too. Or use cauliflower rice to keep this a low-carb recipe.

- Or serve this with roasted potatoes and a big salad.

- You can use this roasted salmon for tacos! After it rests for a few minutes, flake it with a fork and pile it into some soft tacos or tortillas, add some coleslaw and dig in!

And depending on how you serve it, you may want to add some flavor-boosting toppings to your salmon.

A fork taking a flaky piece of cooked wild salmon from a dinner plate

Here are a few ideas to get you thinking.

Topping ideas for southwestern salmon:

  • Pico de gallo or fresh salsa
  • Sliced avocado or a dollop of guacamole
  • Dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream
  • Sliced green onions
  • Fresh chopped cilantro
  • Hot sauce, sriracha or pickled jalapeños for a spicy kick
  • Squeeze of fresh lime juice

I hope this will be a new easy way to enjoy salmon any night of the week.

Happy cooking!

XO,

Kathryn

A salmon filet served alongside steamed rice on a white plate with fresh parsley sprinkled over top
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Southwest Air Fryer salmon

Southwest Air Fryer salmon is just 3 simple ingredients and comes out perfectly tender and flaky in less than 15 minutes. This makes a delicious easy healthy salmon dinner any night of the week.
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time10 minutes mins
Total Time15 minutes mins
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

  • ½ lb. salmon (cut into pieces that will fit in Air Fryer)
  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon southwest seasoning

Instructions

  • Preheat the Air Fryer to 400 (if it requires preheating).
  • Drizzle olive oil over the top of the salmon and sprinkle with southwest seasoning.
  • Place the salmon, skin side down (and seasoned side up) in the tray of the Air Fryer.
  • Cook at 400 for 10 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and is cooked through.

Notes

This homemade southwest seasoning is what I use and recommend. It takes just minutes to mix together and has really great flavor. You could also substitute a store-bought southwest seasoning.
I prefer wild salmon because it has more flavor and is a tad healthier than farmed salmon, but either will work. Just make sure your salmon is completely thawed if it’s been frozen.
This recipe calls for ½ pound of salmon and makes enough for 2 people. That’s about the size that will fit in the Air Fryer at once. If you are looking to cook more, work in batches and then add all of the salmon to the Air Fryer at the end for an additional 1 minute of cook time, to get it warmed through.
Cook time: If you have an especially thick piece of salmon, you may need to add an extra couple of minutes of cook time. Alternatively, if your piece is ½ inch thick or so, you can reduce the cook time to 8 minutes.
No Air Fryer? You can also roast this salmon in the oven. Cook it at 400 for about 10 minutes per inch of thickness.
Topping ideas for southwestern salmon:
  • Pico de gallo or fresh salsa
  • Sliced avocado or a dollop of guacamole
  • Dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream
  • Sliced green onions
  • Fresh chopped cilantro
  • Hot sauce, sriracha or pickled jalapeños for a spicy kick
  • Squeeze of fresh lime juice

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 255kcal | Protein: 25g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 829mg
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or follow me on Instagram @familyfoodonthetable and tag me in your photo!
A seasoned piece of wild salmon in an Air Fryer tray after being cooked with a text box layered on top of the photo

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dennis Yannakos

    September 14, 2020 at 11:17 am

    So yum! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Kathryn Doherty

      September 15, 2020 at 1:12 pm

      I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply

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Meet Kathryn

Hi there! I’m Kathryn Doherty, a cookbook author, mom of two, and devoted food and home cooking nut. I’ve got lots of easy recipes to help you get delicious food on the table for your family!

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