Air Fryer Salmon Bites with Garlic Cream Sauce

These air fryer salmon bites with garlic cream sauce are seasoned, air fried and served with a delicious creamy garlic sauce. This dish is ready in only fifteen minutes, and you can pair it with some rice, mashed potatoes, veggies, or eat it as a delectably easy snack. It’s so good, and so simple, that it’s a guaranteed hit!

Easy Air Fryer Salmon Bites

Salmon is such a great fish to cook with. Its delicate flavor, buttery texture, and beautiful color really make it stand out on the plate. When you pair that with the convenience and ease of use of an air fryer, is it any wonder we love these air fryer salmon bites so much?

This dinner is easy to make, packed with flavor, and it’s pretty good for you, too. Salmon is naturally pretty high in protein and healthy fats, making it a great meal choice for those trying to stay healthy.

This quick and easy way to prepare salmon is absolutely perfect for those weeknights when you’re a little short on time. Simply preparing the salmon, seasoning it, and letting the air fryer do the rest is the name of the game. To top it off, we’re making a creamy Parmesan based sauce to take the salmon bites to the next level. We’ll be making enough sauce to drizzle over your choice of carb and veggie accompaniment, too!

Air Fryer Salmon Bite Highlights

• This recipe is super simple and super speedy. You’re seasoning the salmon and letting the air fryer do the work for you. It just doesn’t get any easier than that.
• This is way better than takeout. With a creamy homemade garlic sauce that goes great with Mashed Potatoes, Yellow Rice or vegetables like Air Fryer Asparagus, and of course our salmon bites, it’s a great meal that’s ready in the time it would take to get to your local takeout place.
• This is an easy meal that the whole family can enjoy.

Ingredient Notes

• Salmon: We’ll be using skinless salmon fillets for this recipe. You can easily cut them into small one-inch pieces. Often, wild salmon comes with the skin still on. You can either remove the skin yourself or air fry your fish with the skin on, removing it after cooking. You could also eat the skin if you like.
• Garlic: We’ll be using fresh garlic for this recipe.
• Oil: We love tossing the salmon in olive oil together with seasonings, garlic and lemon juice before air frying. This gives it a little extra lubrication to prevent the pieces sticking to one another.
• Butter: We’re using some unsalted butter to start off our creamy sauce. This is to sauté the garlic. We like unsalted butter for this recipe because we’re adding Parmesan cheese to the sauce, which means there’s plenty of salty flavor (and sodium) in the recipe already.
• We’re using heavy cream and chicken broth for the creamy sauce. You can use milk, thickened with cornstarch, if you don’t like to use heavy cream.
• Lemon juice: With your lemon juice, it’s always best to use freshly squeezed. You don’t need much to add some tang and zest to your sauce.
• As for the parsley, we can’t recommend freshly chopped parsley enough. It’s so aromatic and a little bit adds a lot of flavor.

How To Make Salmon Bites in the Air Fryer

• The first task is to prepare the salmon. First, pat the salmon dry with a paper towel, ensuring that it gets nice and crispy in the air fryer. Then toss the salmon pieces in olive oil, lemon juice, smoked paprika, garlic, salt and pepper.
• The next step is to air fry the salmon! Put your salmon bites in the air fryer basket, cooking for 8 minutes at 390 F| 199 C. Flip them over halfway through, or shake the basket at the halfway mark if the basket isn’t too crowded.

• While your salmon is cooking, it’s time to make the creamy garlic sauce. Prepare the sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add your garlic, sauteeing for 30 seconds until aromatic. Add your chicken broth, cooking for 2 minutes or until the broth has reduced.
• To finish the sauce, we’re going to reduce the heat to a low medium. From there, add cream to your saucepan, bringing it to a simmer while occasionally stirring. Season with salt and pepper. Once your sauce is simmering, add the parmesan cheese, stirring until the cheese has melted through the sauce. This should thicken the sauce. As the sauce thickens, remove from the heat and add your lemon juice and parsley, stirring as you do so. If you want a thicker sauce, you can add a teaspoon or two of cornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons of water.
• Finally, it’s time to plate and serve. Serve your salmon bites with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies, drizzling your creamy sauce over the top.

How to Know When Salmon is Done?

The easiest method for testing the doneness of your salmon is to press it gently with a fork or your finger. If it flakes easily, and is opaque in color, your salmon is done! Overcooked salmon can be dry and tough when you eat it. The most accurate method of testing the doneness of your salmon is to use a meat thermometer, but doing that for a lot of little salmon bites is time consuming in this instance. When testing the internal temperature of a salmon fillet, it will be done at a temperature between 110 F and 145 F.

How Can I Cook These Salmon Bites Without an Air Fryer?

You can pretty easily make this recipe in a skillet or the oven. Here’s how.

Stovetop

Add a little oil to  a non-stick skillet, over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add your seasoned salmon pieces. Cook for two minutes before flipping, then another two minutes once flipped. You’ll probably have to work in batches if your salmon pieces won’t all fit in the skillet at once.

Oven

To make these bites in the oven, preheat to 400 F| 200 C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place your salmon bites on the sheet in a single layer, taking care not to overcrowd them. Bake for 7-8 minutes.

Storage and Reheat

Place any leftovers in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. To reheat, air fry for 1-2 minutes at 390 F|199 C.

More Salmon Recipes to Try!!!

Easy Salmon Marinades

What Temperature to Cook Salmon

Creamy Dill Sauce For Salmon

Miso Glazed Salmon

Sheet Pan Salmon and Broccoli

Baked Pineapple Salmon

Air Fryer Bang Bang Salmon

Salmon Lettuce Wraps

Air Fryer Salmon Burgers

Teriyaki Salmon

Air Fryer Salmon

If you make this recipe be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐! I will be happy to hear from you!

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