Air Fryer Honey Garlic Salmon Recipe

Ben Carraoli

Air Fryer Honey Garlic Salmon Recipe

I just made this air fryer honey garlic salmon, and wow—it turned out so beautifully caramelized and flavorful. I couldn’t wait to share how simple it was—in just minutes, I had sticky, sweet, garlicky salmon that tastes restaurant-worthy.

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 8

Servings: 2

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

2 salmon fillets 5–8 oz each: Choose fresh (not frozen) salmon for better texture and flavor. If your fillets are thicker than 1 inch, they may need an extra minute or two in the air fryer.
2 tablespoons honey: The natural sugars in honey caramelize nicely under heat giving that glossy sticky finish.
1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce: Using low sodium helps keep the sauce from becoming overly salty when reduced.
¼ teaspoon garlic powder or 1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic: Garlic powder works in a pinch and distributes easily, but fresh garlic gives a brighter bite.
Optional garnishes: black or white sesame seeds sliced green onions.

Method

In a bowl, whisk honey, soy sauce, and garlic (powder or fresh). Reserve half of the mixture for drizzling later. Use the rest to coat both sides of your salmon fillets, then let them sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes so the flavors penetrate.
Preheat your air fryer to 400 °F (≈ 200 °C). Place the marinated salmon fillets skin-side down (if they have skin), then spoon or brush some of the reserved sauce over the tops just before cooking begins.
Cook the salmon for about 7–8 minutes, depending on thickness. When it’s done, the salmon should no longer be translucent and should flake easily with a fork. Remove it carefully and drizzle over any remaining sauce before serving.

Notes

Don’t overcrowd the basket — leaving space lets the air circulate for crisp edges.
Use room-temperature salmon (not straight from the fridge) so it cooks more evenly.
Midway through cooking, I like to quickly brush more sauce to boost depth.
If your glaze is thickening too fast or looks like it might burn, lower temperature by 10–15 °F or reduce cook time slightly.
Always rest the cooked fish for a minute—juices settle, and it slices cleaner.