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Weeknight meal inspiration coming in hottttt. These air fryer salmon bites are crispy on the outside, flaky on the inside, slightly sweet and absolutely perfect when drizzled with spicy mayo. Serve as a protein-rich appetizer or make it a main dish with a bed of fluffy rice and tangy quick-pickled cucumbers.

jasmine rice topped with cubes of crispy lightly breaded salmon, green onions and cucumbers

If you’re anything like me, your salmon game needs a lil refresh. Salmon is a fabulous source of protein, heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and micronutrients like the B vitamins, selenium and Vitamin E and I like to include it in the dinner rotation at least once a week. And as much as I love a roasted salmon fillet, I want it in crispy bite-sized nuggets occasionally ya know!?

Enter: crispy salmon bites. Made in the air fryer in less than 10 minutes.

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE THESE AIR FRYER SALMON BITES:

Salmon: skinless if you can swing it, but removing the skin is fairy simple if you have a skin-on fillet. I like to get wild caught Alaskan salmon.

Marinade: honey, soy sauce, sriracha, garlic and avocado oil come together to provide a flavorful base for the salmon

Coating: lightly breading the salmon cubes in panko and giving them a light spray with avocado oil or a similar cooking spray makes for a delightful crunch and texture

Spicy Sauce: sriracha, mayo and a squeeze of lime make the perfect sauce for dunking or drizzling

Finishing touch: finish everything off with a drizzle of honey and squeeze of lemon or lime!

Equipment you will need:

Air Fryer: an air fryer makes these crispy without having to use much oil. I have this air fryer and absolutely love it!

Sharp Chef’s Knife: you will need a sharp chef’s knife to remove the salmon skin and cut the fillet into equal sized cubes

crispy lightly breaded salmon cubes in an air fryer basket

HOW TO MAKE IT

First, remove the skin of the salmon and cut the fillet into equal sized cubes. Pat the salmon dry with some paper towels.

Next, whisk together your marinade and add the salmon cubes tossing to get them really evenly coated. Let marinate for 10 minutes or up to 24 hours, depending on how much time you have!

Spray your air fryer basket with nonstick spray.

Place panko breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and season them with salt and pepper. The honey in the marinade will help the crumbs stick to the salmon. Toss the chunks of salmon in the crumbs until well coated, shaking off the excess.

Place salmon in an even layer in the air fryer, making sure not to crowd the basket. You will likely need to work in 2-3 batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.

Spray the outside of the salmon with another spritz of oil.

Air fry for 5 minutes at 400 degrees. Shake the basket and air fry another 3-4 minutes. If your cubes are about 1 inch squares they should take about 6-9 minutes total to cook.

While the salmon is cooking, toss together a fresh cucumber salad, cook up some rice and whisk together your spicy mayo!

And that my friends, is how seriously simple ingredients turn into a wildly delicious and easy weeknight dinner.

VARIATIONS TO THIS RECIPE:

Gluten-free: you could absolutely make these without the breadcrumbs, they just won’t be quite as crispy and nugget-y, ya know?

As an appetizer: air-fry these little nuggets and serve them up with a few dipping sauces like sriracha mayo, sweet chili sauce and BBQ sauce for an amazingly tasty and healthy appetizer.

Time-saver: if you’re crunched for time, use a good quality teriyaki sauce to sub in for the marinade.

What should I serve with these salmon bites?

I love to round out the meal with quick pickled cucumbers, fluffy jasmine rice, green onions, a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of creamy sriracha sauce!

bowl of rice with thinly sliced cucumbers and cubes of marinated and breaded salmon

If you love this meal you will also love these other delicious salmon recipes:

Chipotle Salmon Rice Bowls with Mango Pico de Gallo

Teriyaki Salmon Rice Bowls

Hot Honey Salmon

FAQs:

Can I make these in the oven?

Yup! Place the salmon bites on a lined baking sheet, spray with cooking oil spray or drizzle with oil and broil for 3 minutes. Flip and broil another 2-3 minutes until the cubes are browned with crispy edges.

Can I make this gluten free?

Absolutely, either omit the breadcrumbs or use a gluten-free breadcrumb alternative. Use coconut aminos, tamari or liquid aminos in place of soy sauce.

Could I make these with a different type of fish?

I have not recipe-tested these with any other type of fish but I would imagine that other sturdy, fatty fish like trout or sea bass would work well.

Prefer to watch? Check out how quickly and easy this tasty dinner comes together!

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Crispy nuggets of salmon sit on top of white rice with some green onions and sliced cucumbers

Honey Garlic Crispy Air Fryer Salmon Bites

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 9 reviews
  • Author: Erica
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Air Fryer
  • Cuisine: Fish and Seafood
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Description

Little bit sweet, little bit spicy, these crispy air fryer salmon bites make a fabulous protein-rich appetizer or a simple weeknight dinner!

Ingredients

Units Scale

SALMON

  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
  • salt and pepper
  • 1lb salmon fillet
  • avocado oil spray

OTHER STUFF

  • jasmine rice or grain of choice
  • thinly sliced cucumbers (about 1 whole english cucumber) tossed with 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • green onions
  • spicy mayo (see notes)
  • finishing touches: spritz of lemon and drizzle of honey

Instructions

First, remove the skin of the salmon and cut the fillet into equal sized cubes. Pat the salmon dry with some paper towels.

Whisk together your marinade and add the salmon cubes tossing to get them really evenly coated. Let marinate for 10 minutes or up to 24 hours, depending on how much time you have!

Spray your air fryer basket with cooking oil spray.

Place panko breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and season them with salt and pepper. Toss the chunks of salmon in the crumbs until well coated, shaking off the excess. The honey in the marinade will help the crumbs stick to the salmon. 

Place salmon in an even layer in the air fryer, making sure not to crowd the basket. You will likely need to work in 2-3 batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.

Spray the outside of the salmon with another spritz of oil.

Air fry for 4 minutes at 400 degrees. Shake the basket. Air fry for another 2-4 minutes. The cooking time will vary slightly based on your air fryer. Start conservatively and check for doneness at the 6 minute mark, you don’t want to overcook!

While the salmon is cooking, toss together your cucumber salad, make the rice, whisk together the spicy mayo and chop the green onions.

Assemble: rice, salmon, cucumber, green onions, drizzle of spicy mayo and honey, spritz of lemon and muah! Dinner perfection.

Notes

For the spicy mayo combine 5 tablespoons mayo, 2 teaspoon sriracha and juice of 1/2 lime or lemon.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/4 recipe (nutrition for salmon only, not extras)
  • Calories: 297
  • Sugar: 14.7 g
  • Sodium: 537.6 mg
  • Fat: 9.6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 25.6 g
  • Protein: 28.3 g
  • Cholesterol: 57.9 mg