Blackened Air Fryer Salmon Bites with Garlic Honey Butter

Tossed in a smokey, spicy, and garlicky seasoning, these easy air fryer salmon bites are a 30-minute weekday lunch or dinner that hits all the right notes. Served with honey butter on the side, each bite of this simple salmon recipe is bursting with flavor!

Easy Air Fryer Salmon Bites

Drizzled with honey butter, these air fryer salmon bites are everything you want your weekday lunches and dinners to be. Perfectly cooked in the air fryer, they’re as juicy and tender as possible without any fuss. It’s a toss-and-cook recipe!

Smokey, spicy, and garlicky from a homemade blackened seasoning, this salmon recipe is bursting with flavor. The cooked salmon is brightened up with a bit of lemon juice, then served with a simple honey butter that is totally irresistible.

Why You’ll Love This Simple Salmon Recipe

• Quick & Easy. With only a few minutes of prep you’ll be digging into tender and flakey salmon bites in a snap! Your air fryer does most of the work for you.
• Healthy & Satisfying. Salmon is a healthy source of protein and other nutrients that will keep you feeling full. This is the kind of healthy meal you need to fuel your day.
• Flavorful. Every morsel is backed with flavor thanks to the homemade blackened seasoning and a simple honey butter dip.

What You’ll Need

Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need to make this salmon bites recipe. Check the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full amounts for these air fryer salmon bites.

For the Salmon

• Salmon filets
• Smoked paprika – Your favorite kind of paprika will work.
• Garlic powder – 3 finely chopped garlic cloves are a great swap.
• Salt
• Onion powder – Feel free to swap this for more garlic powder.
• Oregano
• Dried parsley
• Black pepper
• Cayenne pepper

For the Honey Butter

• Unsalted butter – If you use salted butter, skip the rest of the salt in the honey butter.
• Honey – Raw honey is best. Don’t use maple syrup.
• Garlic – Don’t use garlic powder for this.
• Thyme
• Salt

How to Make Blackened Air Fryer Salmon Bites

Making the perfect air fryer salmon bites comes down to completely coating them in blackened seasoning. That’s it!

• Preheat the air fryer. Set the air fryer to 400°F and let it preheat for 5-10 minutes. If your air fryer doesn’t need to be preheated, you can skip this step.

• Whisk the seasoning. Mix the smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, oregano, parsley, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Set it aside.
• Toss the salmon. Add the diced salmon to a large bowl. Sprinkle in the seasoning and toss until the salmon is completely coated. Generously spray it with cooking spray.

• Arrange it. Place the salmon in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Don’t add too many pieces. Try to leave a bit of room between the salmon bites for even cooking.
• Air fry it. Cook for 7-9 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove it from the air fryer and repeat for all the salmon.

• Make the honey butter. Add the butter, honey, garlic, thyme, and salt to a small bowl. Mix well. Melting the butter is fine too.
• Serve. Place the salmon bites on a plate with garlic honey butter on the side. Garnish with parsley and a lemon wedge.

Tips for the Best Blackened Salmon Bites

From getting rid of the fishy flavor to adding some tang, these tips will help you make the best air fryer salmon bites.

• Buy premade blackened seasoning. If you don’t have enough time to measure out the spices or don’t have them all, you can always buy blackened seasoning instead.
• Swap the seasoning. Cajun seasoning is a yummy alternative for this easy recipe.
• Brine it. To prevent white albumin from forming (a milky, white protein that salmon releases as it cooks), soak it in 1 cup of water with 2 teaspoons of salt for 20 minutes before cooking. Rinse it and begin with the recipe as usual.
• Use milk. To remove some of the fishiness from the salmon, soak it in milk for 20-30 minutes before cooking. Rinse it and then begin with the recipe as usual.
• Add lemon. Sprinkle the salmon with a bit of lemon juice to taste right before serving to add a bit of tang.
• Line the basket. Use foil to line the basket, just make sure to spray it with lots of cooking spray. This helps with cleaning up once you’re finished cooking.

Frequently Asked Questions

The answer to these questions will hopefully clear up any doubts you have about what blackened salmon is and how long to cook it for.

How long should you cook salmon in the air fryer?

For this recipe, you only need 7-9 minutes at 400 F. However, the cooking time will always depend on how thick the salmon is and the temperature it’s cooked at. You should always cook salmon until it reaches an internal temperature of 125 F.

Is blackened salmon just burnt?

Not at all! “Blackened” anything actually refers to the use of a special seasoning that darkens (or blackens) once it hits the pan. You should never think blackened salmon is burnt, it’s just extra flavorful.

What to Serve with Honey Garlic Salmon Bites

Since these air fryer salmon bites are so light and easy, I like to keep the rest of the meal equally simple. For salad ideas, I love my Broccoli Salad With Bacon, Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad, or Green Goddess Salad.

If I need a starter, try my Avocado Bruschetta. Otherwise, my Air Fryer Asparagus, Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes, and Garlic Parmesan Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts are amazing veggie sides.

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

Once fully cooled, store these air fryer salmon bites in a container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

These are your options for reheating, choose your favorite:

• Microwave. Sprinkle the salmon bites with 1/2-1 teaspoon of water. Pop them into the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until warm.
• Air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 350 F. Cook them for 4-5 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through the cooking time.
• Oven. Sprinkle the salmon bites with 1/2-1 teaspoon of water. Set them on a baking tray. Bake at 275 F for 10-15 minutes or until warm.

More Easy Salmon Recipes

• Baked Salmon with Spice Rub
• Caribbean Grilled Salmon Kabobs
• Citrus Baked Salmon in Foil with Asparagus
• Maple Dijon Air Fryer Salmon
• 20 Minute Air Fryer Pesto Salmon

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