Easy Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon Bites in 15 Minutes

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This air fryer salmon bites recipe uses teriyaki sauce for marinade, leaving the fish juicy and delicious with a delicate umami flavor. You only need 5 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.

Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon Bites

This recipe is about making easy salmon bites in the air fryer so you can have a tasty side dish, snacks, or even light meals when you don’t really have time to cook. Because you can make this recipe in 15 minutes. 

It’s one of my go-to air fryer recipes whenever I run out of time to cook but still want nutritious, tasty food.

This recipe is great because you don’t really need many ingredients to make it. It can be versatile, as you can use the cooked salmon pieces to create different dishes.  

In my household, salmon is a favorite fish that we always have at least once a week. Therefore, I have done this recipe countless times.

For this air fryer salmon bites recipe, I marinate the salmon in teriyaki sauce. It’s our favorite marinade sauce. We love its delicate yet delicious umami flavor and subtle sweetness, which pair well with the fish. The air fryer makes the salmon slightly crispy on the outside but tender and juicy on the inside.

Other Dishes to Go With

These easy salmon bites are great to enjoy with salads, vegetable dishes, or light carbs like rice or quinoa. 

Try serving them alongside air-fryer zucchini fries, sweet potato wedges, or air-fryer smashed potatoes. You’ll have delicious but easy-to-make meals. Promise.

Variations for Teriyaki Salmon Bites

Also, these air fryer salmon bites make the perfect variation on the dish. You can turn them into salmon yakitori, teriyaki salmon bites in a bowl, or a salmon kale salad. 

And you can choose to use a different fish if you like. As long as the fish has firm flesh, this recipe works well. Rainbow trout, pollack, hake, or halibut are good options. You can also use Monkfish, tuna, and haddock. 

Which Sauce to Choose

As a Muslim, I can not consume anything that contains pork or alcohol. The original Japanese teriyaki sauce contains alcohol, typically mirin and/or sake (Japanese wine).

If you don’t have any issue with this, feel free to use the ready-made sauce from the shop. I believe the original Japanese sauce, like this one, is best, as it was recommended by my Japanese friends. 

Or, you can try making the sauce yourself by using this authentic recipe from Just One Cookbook. 

Now, if you have halal diet restrictions as I do, you can try making halal teriyaki sauce the way I do. Disclaimer. I’m not gonna claim this is the authentic way, but I believe my recipe gives a similar taste to the original. It has that umami flavor, with a salty note and a hint of sweetness. 

Air Fryer Salmon Ingredients

You only need two ingredients for these delicious salmon bites.

1. Boneless and skinless salmon fillets
2. Teriyaki sauce

You can choose the best salmon you can get. Wild salmon, such as Atlantic salmon, king salmon, and sockeye salmon, or farmed salmon, are all good for this salmon recipe. As long as the fish is fresh.

And if you can only get the fish with the skin on, it’s okay. You can always take the skin off later.

How to Cook the Salmon Bites

Spray the air fryer basket with oil, or place an air fryer liner before preheating the air fryer to 338°F/170 °C.

Prepare the fish. If the fish has the skin on, remove the skin and cut the fish into chunks or large cubes. Place salmon in a small bowl. 

Then toss the salmon cubes with the sauce until all the chunks are covered.

Place the salmon chunks in the basket and air-fry for 10 minutes at 338°F/170 °C.

Once the salmon is fully cooked, take them out of the air fryer and serve the salmon bites with your favorite salad. 

Things to Watch Over the Air Fryer

A little note here. The cooking time may vary depending on the gadget. I have used two different brands of air fryers so far. I noticed that both heat the food differently, even though the air fryer setting is the same.

My old one took about 5 minutes longer to make these salmon bites. It was a non-branded air fryer that I bought from one of the UK’s leading supermarket chains. Currently, I use an Instant Pot that allows me to air-fry my food.

So please use the cooking time here as your guidance and keep an eye on your salmon in the air fryer whilst cooking. You don’t want to undercook the fish, but you also do not want to overcook it. Because it can go hard and taste like cardboard if you overcook it. 

Tips to Make Delicious Salmon Bites in the Air Fryer

• Choose the best and freshest salmon possible.
• If you use a frozen one, thaw the salmon in the refrigerator overnight.
• If possible, leave the salmon to marinate in the sauce for at least half an hour before cooking. If you can prepare this the night before, it will be even better. 
• Allow the salmon to cook thoroughly, but do not cook it too long. 

How to Choose Salmon 

Firstly, I would check the fish’s appearance and color. It has to look fresh and vibrant in color, ranging from bright orange to almost reddish-orange. And it has to have a shine on its flesh if it is fresh, meaning it doesn’t look dull.

Then I would gently touch it. It should feel firm and not soft. 

And I would also check the smell. Fresh salmon or any fish should not have a fishy smell. 

Can You Use Frozen Salmon?

Of course. You can use both fresh and frozen salmon to make these easy air fryer salmon bites.

Just make sure you let the frozen fish thaw first before you cut the salmon and marinate it in the sauce.

The best way to thaw it is to leave it in the refrigerator overnight.