Air Fryer Salmon Bites

Air fryer salmon bites are a quick way to cook salmon for rice bowls, salads, or an easy weeknight dinner. The salmon is cut into bite-size pieces, seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and onion powder, then air fried until lightly crisp around the edges and tender inside. Add the spicy Kewpie mayo on top or serve it on the side for dipping.

Cutting the salmon into smaller pieces helps it cook quickly and gives you more seasoned edges in every bite. It also makes the salmon really easy to add to bowls, especially with rice, cucumber, avocado, and a drizzle of sauce.

I keep the seasoning simple so it works with a lot of different sides. If you want another easy salmon dinner with similar flavors, Miso Salmon is one of my favorites.

What You’ll Need

Salmon: Use boneless, skinless salmon and cut it into pieces that are close to the same size. About 1-inch cubes work well so they cook evenly.

Soy sauce: I use 1–2 teaspoons depending on how salty the soy sauce is. Start with less if you’re using a saltier brand.

Sesame oil: This adds a little nutty flavor to the salmon. You don’t need much because the flavor is fairly strong.

Garlic and onion powder: These are easy to mix evenly over the salmon and won’t burn as quickly as fresh garlic in the air fryer.

Kewpie mayonnaise: Kewpie gives the sauce a richer, slightly tangier flavor than regular mayonnaise, but either will work.

Sriracha: Adjust this depending on how spicy you want the sauce.

Please scroll ⬇️ to the recipe card for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.

How to Make Air Fryer Salmon Bites

Start by mixing the soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Let it sit for about a minute so the seasonings have a chance to combine.

Pat the salmon dry, then cut it into bite-size pieces. Try to keep them close to the same size so they finish cooking at the same time.

Add the salmon to the seasoning mixture and gently toss until the pieces are evenly coated. Let it sit for about 5 minutes.

Preheat the air fryer to 400°F, then arrange the salmon in a single layer with a little space between each piece. If the basket is crowded, cook the salmon in batches instead.

Air fry for about 6–8 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the salmon is cooked through and lightly browned around the edges. Smaller pieces may be ready closer to 6 minutes, so start checking early.

While the salmon cooks, mix the Kewpie mayo, rice vinegar, and sriracha until smooth.

Drizzle the spicy mayo over the salmon or serve it on the side for dipping.

The key when air frying is space. Lay the salmon bites in a single layer and don’t crowd them. If your basket is small, cook in batches. You’ll get better browning and more even cooking that way.

They’re usually done in about 6–8 minutes at 400°F, flipping once halfway through. You’re looking for lightly crisp edges and a tender center. If you have a thermometer handy, salmon is perfect right around 125–130°F for medium.

About the Spicy Mayo

The sauce is optional, but I usually make it because it goes really well with the soy and sesame flavors on the salmon.

Kewpie mayo makes it creamy, rice vinegar adds a little acidity, and sriracha gives it some heat. You can drizzle it over the salmon or keep it on the side so everyone can add as much as they want.

It also works well as a sauce for the rest of the bowl if you’re serving the salmon over rice.

How to Serve Air Fryer Salmon Bites

My favorite way to serve these is over rice with sliced cucumbers, avocado, and the spicy mayo drizzled on top.

You can also add Air Fryer Green Beans on the side if you want an easy vegetable without using another pan.

For something cool and crunchy, Korean Cucumber Salad works well with the warm salmon and rice.

You can also serve the salmon over a simple salad with Japanese Sesame Dressing instead of making a rice bowl.

Can I Use Frozen Salmon?

Yes, but thaw it completely first.

Since the salmon gets cut into cubes and tossed with seasoning before air frying, it’s much easier to get even pieces and better seasoning coverage when the fish is fully thawed.

Pat it dry well after thawing before cutting and seasoning it.

Do I Need to Marinate the Salmon?

Not for long.

Five minutes is enough for this recipe because the salmon pieces are small and already have plenty of surface area for the seasoning to coat.

I wouldn’t let it sit for a long time in the soy sauce because the salt can start drawing moisture out of the fish.

Storing and Reheating

Store leftover salmon bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheat them in the air fryer at 350°F for about 2–3 minutes, just until warmed through. Keep an eye on them because salmon can dry out quickly when reheated. Similar air-fryer salmon recipes also recommend brief reheating rather than a long second cook.

If you make these Air Fryer Salmon Bites, I’d love to hear how they turned out! Leave a comment and rating below.

RECIPE