Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon

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Transform your weeknight dinners with this quick and delicious air fryer teriyaki salmon recipe, perfectly cooked for a tender, flavorful meal in minutes.

Two air fryer teriyaki salmon filets in bowls with rice and cooked shelled edamame.

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Lunchtime is a struggle for me. I’m usually so busy in my mad dash to mark off my to-do list before I have to go pick up kids from school that I often either forget to eat lunch or I eat the first thing I can find that I can heat up quickly — oftentimes it’s not the healthiest option.

This year, I’ve really tried to carve out some time on the weekend to do lunch prep for the week. It helps me out a TON to have something ready to go in the fridge that I can throw in the air fryer for a few minutes. I don’t have to deal with making decisions about what I should eat and I feel good about myself that I made a healthy food choice. However, I don’t just reserve my air fryer salmon teriyaki recipe just for quick lunches. It’s also awesome as a quick weeknight dinner.

Table of Contents hide

1 Ingredients and tools you will need

2 Make the teriyaki sauce and marinate the salmon

3 Bake the salmon

4 Oven instructions

5 Storage, freezing, and reheating instructions

6 Frequently asked questions

7 More air fryer recipes

8 Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon

Ingredients and tools you will need

Store-bought teriyaki sauce will work in a pinch, but I find it tastes weird. They are usually too salty and have a strange, almost fake, quality to them. My flavorful homemade teriyaki sauce has a clean, bright tang that really makes the taste of creamy salmon fillets pop. It consists of several Asian-inspired ingredients, most of which should be available in the ethnic food aisle of your grocery store. To make this easy air fryer teriyaki salmon recipe, you will need.

¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce – Chili garlic sauce is a spicy Asian condiment made from chili peppers, garlic, vinegar, and sometimes a bit of sugar and salt.
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon oyster sauce – Oyster sauce is a thick, savory condiment commonly used in Asian cuisine. It is made from oyster extract, sugar, salt, water, and soy sauce. Despite its name, the flavor is not overwhelmingly fishy. Your dish will not taste like oysters.
4 salmon filets about 1 ½ – 2 inches thick
Sesame seeds, optional, for garnish
Sliced green onions, optional, for garnish
Air fryer

Collage of ingredients needed to make air fryer teriyaki salmon.

Make the teriyaki sauce and marinate the salmon

In a small mixing bowl, combine the vegetable oil, soy sauce, ketchup, rice wine vinegar, ground black pepper, minced garlic, chili garlic sauce, brown sugar, and oyster sauce.
Whisk everything together until the teriyaki sauce ingredients are evenly combined.
Place four 8-ounce salmon fillets in a large resealable plastic bag.
Pour half of the teriyaki sauce over the salmon.
Seal the bag and gently toss to coat the fillets with the sauce.
Allow the filets to marinate in the extra teriyaki sauce for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Vegetable oil and soy sauce in a small mixing bowl.

Bake the salmon

Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
Arrange the marinated salmon skin side down in the air fryer. Discard any teriyaki marinade left in the bag.
Bake the salmon at 350 degrees F for 8-12 minutes until the fish flakes easily with a fork. The USDA recommends cooking salmon to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F on a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the salmon to ensure it’s safe to eat and fully cooked.
Drizzle the cooked salmon with the leftover teriyaki sauce or serve it as a dipping sauce on the side.

Serve the salmon with a serving of white rice or brown rice for a well-balance, healthy meal.

Spraying the air fryer basket with cooking spray.

Oven instructions

Don’t have an air fryer? That’s okay! This recipe can also be prepared in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Arrange the fillets on a lined baking sheet. Discard the sauce used for the marinade.
Bake the filets for 20 minutes or until the center of the filet reaches 145 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.

Storage, freezing, and reheating instructions

Storage. Transfer the leftover salmon to an airtight container within two hours. Store the fillets in the refrigerator and consume them within 3-4 days.

Freezing. This air fryer salmon recipe can be frozen baked or unbaked. Place unbaked salmon in a plastic freezer bag. Pour half the marinade over the top. Carefully squeeze out any excess air. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw completely before baking.

Wrap individual fillets of leftover baked salmon in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze and consume within three months. Thaw completely before reheating.

Reheating. To reheat the salmon in the air fryer, preheat the air fryer to 350°F. Let the salmon sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes. Place the salmon in the air fryer basket, skin-side down. Cook for 3–5 minutes until the salmon is heated through.

To reheat in the oven, preheat to around 275°F. Place the salmon on a baking sheet, loosely cover with foil, and reheat for about 15 minutes, or until heated through, ensuring the internal temperature reaches 125°F to 130°F.

Frequently asked questions

Can I cook the salmon from frozen?

I don’t recommend trying to cook or reheat the salmon from frozen. It will cook unevenly. The outside of the filet could end up overcooked while the center is still undercooked.

Can I use skinless filets?

Yes! As long as the fillets are roughly 4 ounces each, you can use skinless fillets without changing the recipe.

Can I use trout instead of salmon?

Yes, but trout is thinner so you will need to adjust the cooking time. Check the trout after 10 minutes.

Can I marinate this in the morning to cook over later in the day?

Yes. Don’t marinate the fish for longer than 12 hours.

Can I use sriracha sauce instead of chili garlic sauce?

Yes. Chili garlic sauce and sriracha are both spicy, savory Asian condiments with similar flavors and spice levels. However, sriracha has a smooth texture, while chili garlic sauce contains bits of peppers and seeds.

More air fryer recipes