Perfectly cooked salmon with crispy skin in 10 minutes. The air fryer renders the fat under the skin while crisping it from above — no flipping needed.
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🧂 Ingredients
- 2
- 1 tbsp
- 0.5 tsp
- 0.25 tsp
- 1
📝 Instructions
Step 1
Pat salmon dry. Rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
💡 Dry the skin side especially well for maximum crispiness.
Step 2
Place skin-side down in air fryer basket.
Step 3
Cook at 200°C (400°F) for 8-10 minutes. No flipping needed.
Step 4
Squeeze lemon over top. Serve immediately.
🔬 The Science
Salmon skin contains a layer of fat between the skin and flesh. In the air fryer, the hot circulating air renders this fat while simultaneously dehydrating the skin from above. The result is a crispy skin with perfectly medium-cooked flesh underneath. No flipping is needed because the hot basket crisps the bottom while the air cooks the top.
FAQ
❓ How do I know when it's done?
The flesh should flake easily with a fork and be opaque on the outside but still slightly translucent in the center for medium doneness.
❓ Skinless salmon?
Works too, but reduce cook time by 1-2 minutes and spray the basket with oil to prevent sticking.