Air Fryer Salmon bites with Spicy Mayo

We made air fryer salmon bites, deliciously seasoned with soy, honey and chili flakes, and they turned out to be one of the quickest, most delicious salmon dishes we’ve ever made.

We have to be honest, we’ve never jumped fully into the world of air fryer cooking. We were gifted one a few years ago, and to be honest, we mostly ignored it. We have a small toaster/convection oven in addition to our main oven, and have used one or the other to get pretty much all of our cooking done. And we really don’t have unlimited counter space to keep another large appliance to hand. We’d occasionally pull the air fryer up from basement storage and use it to crisp up frozen spring rolls or tater tots, but that was really it.

check out the video for this recipe

But when we started thinking about a different way to cook salmon, using an air fryer began to make a lot of sense. We often cook (skin-on) salmon fillets in a skillet and yes, the skin gets delightfully crispy, but it’s a very hands-on project. The fish has to be watched very carefully to ensure that the skin doesn’t burn and without an instant-read thermometer, it can be hard to gauge how done the fish is. It’s easy to over-cook any fish.

When we’re considering cutting the salmon into cubes to serve with rice, we realized cooking in a skillet would be challenging to get the salmon beautifully golden and keep them tender. It’s possible, but we wanted this recipe to be an easy weeknight dinner, where you can pop the fish in and walk away.

And that’s where the air fryer comes in. Blasting the fish for just a few minutes with convection heat, without the direct contact that could over-cook it, results in salmon bites that are tender and buttery. It’s hard not to eat them all before they even make it to the plate.

We seasoned the raw salmon very simply, with just a little soy sauce, honey, garlic powder and spicy chili flakes. We used Korean Gochugaru, but you could use Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes something to impart just a little spicy heat. But there’s a little trick to helping the seasonings stick, which we’ll share below. (see our Asian Pantry Page, if you want to know more about these ingredients)

These air fryer salmon bites cook so quickly, I literally hadn’t even finished slicing up some cucumbers to go with them, and they were already done.

Note: If you don’t want to use an air fryer, see the recipe notes below for oven and skillet directions.

our secret to making the best air fryer salmon is…

Mayonnaise. It might sound odd, but rather than use oil, we coat the salmon pieces with a scant teaspoon or two of mayonnaise.

Mayo, with its oil and egg emulsion, is beneficial in several ways: it acts as a non-stick coating, a marinade, and a binder, while also helping the salmon retain moisture and develop a golden-brown crust. And a little goes a long way.

We like using Japanese-style mayonnaise (like Kewpie), which is thicker and richer than the American style, but use whatever you have in your fridge.

If you don’t want to use mayo, a teaspoon or two of vegetable oil will also work, though not as effectively.

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SIZE MATTERS (SORRY)

We like to cut the salmon onto large bite-size pieces, about 1 1/2 inches or so. The exact size is less important than making sure all the pieces are close to the same size, so that they cook evenly.

We found that with our air fryer set to 375ºF, the salmon needed about 4 to 5 minutes total, though your timing may vary slightly depending on the size of your pieces and how well you like your fish cooked. We like salmon around medium-rare to medium, which is about 130ºF on an instant read thermometer.

Note: it’s not necessary to flip the fish mid-way through since the convection heats it all over.

simple seasonings, complex flavor

Along with mayonnaise, we season the salmon with soy sauce, honey, garlic powder and chili flakes. A scant teaspoon of cornstarch also helps the seasonings stick and helps form the crust (though it’s fine to leave it out). The honey adds a bit of sweetness, obviously, but it’s also an invert sugar, so it helps the salmon brown very quickly.

We don’t use garlic powder all that often, but with this short cooking time, fresh garlic wouldn’t have the chance to mellow and would be a little harsh.

For the spicy element, we used Korean gochugaru. It’s made from dried ground Korean red chilies, and has a flavor that is spicy, smoky and slightly sweet. You could use any chili flakes you like, including another favorite of ours, Aleppo pepper. Crushed red pepper flakes would also work here.

With so few ingredients, it’s incredible how flavorful these salmon bites get. A little savory, a little sweet, a little spicy. You can air-fry the salmon bites as soon as they’re coated, or store them in the refrigerator for up to a day.

spicy mayo is the best dipping sauce

Don’t @ us. We absolutely love Homemade Ranch. We’re gaga for Green Goddess. But when push comes to shove, this Spicy Mayo dressing / dipping sauce is what we make most often.

Similar to Yum Yum Sauce, this 5-ingredient sauce takes only a couple of minutes to put together.

It couldn’t be easier. We mix a little mayo (Japanese-style if you have it), with some chili garlic paste (though Sambal Oelek, sriracha, or even gochujang would be fine substitutes). We thin it out with a splash of (unseasoned) rice vinegar, a pinch of sugar for balance, and a little toasted sesame oil, for that complex, nutty flavor.

The Spicy Mayo can be made up to 3 days ahead, stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

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how to assemble a spicy salmon rice bowl

Add some rice or your favorite grain to a bowl. Add a few air fryer salmon bites and sprinkle them with toasted sesame seeds and a little extra chili flakes, if you want more spice.

Add some garnishes to the bowl. Our favorites are: