The Best Air Fryer Salmon with Panko Crust Recipe
Searching for the perfect salmon recipe that has a tender, flaky center and a crispy panko crust? Look no further. This recipe has been tried and tested by Cook Smarts members for nearly a decade, and they have declared it their all-time favorite salmon recipe. Best of all, it’s ready in under 20 minutes and the air fryer makes it a healthier option.
Panko-crusted salmon is an all-time favorite among our Cook Smarts community — and for good reason! Delicate salmon with a flavorful topping that beautifully blends tangy, sweet, and crunchy elements? That’s really hard not to love.
While home cooks enjoy making this dish on the stove top, it’s also a great contender for an air fryer. Why? Because the fryer’s hot air circulation gives panko crust an extra level of crunch and cooks the salmon to tender perfection.
Our air fryer salmon recipe is fast, simple, and always delivers a superb level of flavor and texture. With less than 15 minutes to cook, this dish is about to revolutionize how you do fish.
But before we get into the recipe, we want to note a couple important things to keep in mind when making this recipe…
Tips for Making the Best Air Fryer Salmon
First, while our recipe serves two, you can definitely double or quadruple it to accommodate extra dinner guest or to have a ready-to-go protein for topping lunch salads the next day.
Yet, if you do decide to increase the recipe, make sure you only cook two fillets at a time. In most air fryers, there isn’t enough space between 4 pieces of fish for hot air to circulate properly, which means you won’t get that crispy, flakey result you’re craving. So, just do multiple batches if you’re feeding more people!
Second, make sure to cook your salmon for 5 minutes in the air fryer before adding the panko topping. This will prevent the crust from burning or getting too dried out. Giving the fish a 5-minute head start will help the salmon finish cooking at the exact same time as the panko turns crisp and golden.
How to Cook Salmon in the Air Fryer
Now that your mouth is probably watering just at the thought of biting into flawlessly cooked salmon that’s crunchy on the outside and flakey on the inside, let’s get to that recipe!
Prepping Smarts
- You’ll want to learn how to rinse and dry your salmon with quick efficiency with this short video. A super convenient part of our meal plan service is how we imbed short how-to video links into all our recipes.
How to Rinse and Dry Fish
See how easy it is to quickly get fish ready for cooking.
Equipment Smarts
- If you don’t have an air fryer in your kitchen yet, now is the time for one! This machine is simple to use and can propel you into the most quick, convenient, and healthy cooking of your life.
For more kitchen and equipment and tool smarts, visit our Essential Kitchen Cookware and Tools
Ingredients
- Salmon - 2 filets, about ¼ lb each
- Butter - 2 Tbsp
- Dijon mustard - 1 Tbsp
- Maple syrup - 1 Tbsp
- Soy sauce, low-sodium - 1 tsp
- Panko breadcrumbs - ¼ cup
- Parsley - 2 tsp, chopped
Instructions
Prep
- Rinse salmon filets and spread them out on a sheet pan or cutting board and pat dry. Season filets lightly with some salt and pepper.
Make
- Preheat the air fryer to 350F / 190C. (It should take about 5 minutes for the air fryer to heat up.)
- Transfer salmon to the basket of the air fryer.
- Cook salmon for 5 minutes to get it started cooking.
- While salmon is cooking, melt butter in the microwave, ~1 minute. Mix butter with mustard, maple syrup, soy sauce, panko, and parsley.
- Working carefully (the basket of the air fryer will be hot), spoon panko crust over the top of the salmon.
- Keep cooking salmon until it flakes easily with a fork and the crust is golden brown, 4 to 10 minutes more (depending on thickness).
- Serve immediately.
Now, if you love this recipe and want more ideas for your air fryer, check out our 13 Best Air-Fried Foods article and get our Air Fryer Cooking Cheat Sheet for dozens of different foods. Also, consider joining our meal plan members who love getting exciting, healthy, and smart menus delivered to their inbox every week!
