Our Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon is a deliciously simple meal that's full of flavor. The air fryer creates a slightly crispy teriyaki glazed salmon that's ready in less than 20 minutes!
Why You'll Love This Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon Recipe
Whether you're new to the world of air frying or just looking for some fresh ideas for dinner, come along and join us as we explore this delicious Asian inspired teriyaki glazed salmon!
- Restaurant-Quality at Home: Enjoy the rich taste of teriyaki glazed salmon, comparable to what you'd find in a restaurant, made simply in your kitchen.
- Big Flavor, Minimal Effort: This recipe packs a lot of flavor without requiring extensive time or complicated steps.
- Quick Cooking: The air fryer cooks salmon fast, meaning you can have a satisfying meal on the table in no time.
- Easy Cleanup: Cooking in the air fryer often means less mess compared to traditional frying or baking methods.
Ingredients Overview
To make this teriyaki salmon, you'll need fresh salmon fillets and ingredients for a homemade teriyaki sauce. This sauce is prepared from soy sauce, ground ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, honey, water, and cornstarch, creating a perfectly balanced flavor.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Teriyaki Glazed Salmon
With an air fryer, it's possible to whip up this teriyaki glazed salmon and have it taste just like it came off a grill or hibachi. If you love simple yet flavorful dishes that can be enjoyed by everyone, then this Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon recipe is for you!
Step 1: Pour the soy sauce into a saucepan. Add the ground ginger, garlic powder, honey, olive oil, and rice vinegar and stir. Reduce heat to low.
Step 2: Make a slurry with the water and cornstarch, then whisk into the saucepan. Increase heat to medium and whisk while it thickens, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
Step 3: Whether you use salmon filets or steaks, rinse and pat dry. The skin can stay on, it's easier to remove after cooking. Using a basting brush, cover the tops and sides of the salmon with the cooled teriyaki sauce.
Cooking Times Vary
Depending on thickness of your salmon, and how your air fryer cooks, cooking time may vary 1 to 3 minutes.
Step 4: Place the salmon in the air fryer basket. Cook on the Fish mode (or 320°F or 160°C) for 7 minutes.
Step 5: Remove the air fryer basket after 7 minutes cook time. Brush the salmon a second time with the teriyaki sauce. Push the basket back in the air fryer and cook for an additional 3 - 4 minutes.
Step 6: Using tongs or a pancake turner, carefully remove the teriyaki glazed salmon pieces onto a serving platter.
Step 7: Brush lightly a third time with some teriyaki sauce and sprinkle sesame seeds on top as garnish. Serve immediately.
Oven Method
Step 1: In case you don't have an air fryer, or you need to cook more than 4 pieces of salmon, consider the oven to cook everything at once. You'll need to preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) for 7 minutes.
Step 2: Remove the sheet or pan of salmon after 7 minutes cook time. Brush the salmon a second time with the teriyaki sauce. Return the salmon back to the hot oven and cook for an additional 7 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Teriyaki salmon is usually served with steamed white rice and a simple vegetable on the side. It works well with dishes like sautéed bok choy, edamame, or a fresh cucumber salad. For a more complete meal, you can add a side of noodles or a light soup and a salad with hibatchi style ginger carrot salad dressing to round things out.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few delicious variations or substitutions when making this recipe.
- Sweetener Swap: Instead of honey, you can use maple syrup or brown sugar in your homemade teriyaki sauce for a slightly different sweetness profile.
- Spice It Up: For a touch of heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a small amount of sriracha to the teriyaki sauce.
- Garnish Options: Beyond a sprinkle of sesame seeds, consider garnishing your cooked salmon with sliced green onions or fresh cilantro for added freshness and color.
Tips for Success
Here are a few tips for making this recipe:
- Pat Salmon Dry: Before applying the teriyaki sauce, pat your salmon fillets thoroughly dry with paper towels. This helps the sauce adhere better and promotes a crispier exterior.
- Don't Overcrowd the Basket: Arrange the salmon in a single layer in your air fryer basket, ensuring there's space around each piece for air circulation. Cook in batches if necessary to avoid steaming the fish.
- Monitor Cooking Time: Air fryer cooking times can vary by model and salmon thickness. Start checking for doneness a few minutes before the recommended time to prevent overcooking, which can lead to dry fish. Salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork.
- Brush with Extra Glaze: For an even richer flavor and a beautiful sheen, brush the cooked salmon with a little extra warmed teriyaki glaze just before serving.
- Oven Baking Alternative: If you don't have an air fryer, you can bake this salmon in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 12-18 minutes, or until cooked through, flipping halfway.
Storage Options
Some recommended storage options for this recipe are:
- Refrigeration: Once completely cooled, place any leftover salmon in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: To freeze, allow the salmon to cool completely. You can freeze individual portions by wrapping each piece tightly in plastic wrap, then placing them in a freezer-safe bag or container. It will keep well for up to 2-3 months.
- Reheating: Place salmon on a microwave-safe plate. Cover loosely with a damp paper towel to help retain moisture. Heat on medium power for 1-2 minutes, or until warmed through. Be careful not to overheat, as this can dry out the salmon.
Related Recipes
- Air Fryer Salmon Bites
- Chicken Karaage
- Orange Teriyaki Sauce
- Japanese Yum Yum Sauce
- Teppanyaki Sauce
Frequently Asked Questions
Fillets with skin on are often preferred as the skin helps keep the flesh moist and can get wonderfully crispy in the air fryer. However, skinless fillets work well too.
This usually happens if the basket wasn't adequately greased or if the salmon wasn't patted dry enough. Make sure to spray the basket with a high-heat cooking spray or brush it lightly with oil before adding the fish.
Absolutely! While this recipe uses a homemade sauce, a good quality store-bought teriyaki sauce works perfectly if you're looking for an even quicker option.
More Seafood Recipes
Get The Recipe!
Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 3 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 4 salmon steaks about 6 oz each
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Pour the soy sauce into a saucepan. Add the ground ginger, garlic powder, honey, olive oil, and rice vinegar and stir. Reduce heat to low.½ cup soy sauce, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- Make a slurry with the water and cornstarch, then whisk into the saucepan. Increase heat to medium and whisk while it thickens, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.1 teaspoon corn starch, 3 tablespoon water
- Whether you use salmon filets or steaks, rinse and pat dry. The skin can stay on, it's easier to remove after cooking. Using a basting brush, cover the tops and sides of the salmon with the cooled teriyaki sauce.4 salmon steaks
- Air Fryer Method - Place the salmon in the air fryer basket. Cook on the Fish mode (or 320 F or 160 C) for 7 minutes.Regular Oven Method - In case you don't have an air fryer, or you need to cook more than 4 pieces of salmon, consider the oven to cook everything at once. You'll need to preheat the oven to 320 to 325 F (160 C) and bake for 7 minutes.
- Air Fryer Method - Remove the air fryer basket after 7 minutes cook time. Brush the salmon a second time with the teriyaki sauce. Push the basket back in the air fryer and cook for an additional 3 - 4 minutes.Regular Oven Method - Remove the sheet or pan of salmon after 7 minutes cook time. Brush the salmon a second time with the teriyaki sauce. Return the salmon back to the hot oven and cook for an additional 3 - 4 minutes.
- Using tongs or a pancake turner, carefully remove the teriyaki glazed salmon pieces onto a serving platter. Brush lightly a third time with some teriyaki sauce and sprinkle sesame seeds on top as garnish. Serve immediately.1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Notes
- Pat Salmon Dry: Before applying the teriyaki sauce, pat your salmon fillets thoroughly dry with paper towels. This helps the sauce adhere better and promotes a crispier exterior.
- Don't Overcrowd the Basket: Arrange the salmon in a single layer in your air fryer basket, ensuring there's space around each piece for air circulation. Cook in batches if necessary to avoid steaming the fish.
- Monitor Cooking Time: Air fryer cooking times can vary by model and salmon thickness. Start checking for doneness a few minutes before the recommended time to prevent overcooking, which can lead to dry fish. Salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork.
- Brush with Extra Glaze: For an even richer flavor and a beautiful sheen, brush the cooked salmon with a little extra warmed teriyaki glaze just before serving.
- Store Bought Teriyaki Sauce: You can also use a good quality store bought Teriyaki glaze in lieu of making one for an even quicker meal.
- Oven Baking Alternative: If you don't have an air fryer, you can bake this salmon in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 12-18 minutes, or until cooked through, flipping halfway.
Sherry says
I made this recipe. Twice because it was so good. Since then I've used the sauce on chicken and am looking forward to using it on white fish. Pork will be next.
It's incredibly handy to keep a small jar in the fridge to liven things up. It's a very easy recipe to pull together and it goes a long way.
Kelly Bloom says
I love using the air fryer for small one and two person size meals!
Sherry says
I live in the land of salmon so we eat a lot of it. I don't have an air fryer but the teriyaki sauce will do a lovely job in the oven. I'll make the full recipe, cook two portions and save the remainder of the sauce in my fridge for next week. Like money in the bank, but tastier. Thanks for the recipe.