This recipe for air fryer salmon nuggets has a crisp flavorful breading. It’s easy to make and cooks in just 10 minutes using the air fryer! Be sure to dip these in our special sauce!
Salmon nuggets are a convenient and super yummy way to enjoy eating your salmon! We bread them and in a seasoned breading and then air fry them so they are nice and crispy!
Salmon is generally a healthy option as it is rich in omega 3 fatty acids. By air frying salmon instead of deep frying it, we are able to maintain much more health benefits.
With this recipe, we get the savory crispy breading, tender moist, and almost flaky center. This recipe truly is a great experience for someone new to salmon especially!
If you are looking for an unbreaded version, take a look at our air fryer salmon bites!
Ingredient Notes:
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Salmon – We want to use salmon fillets that have the skin removed. We start with a whole salmon filet and skin it ourselves, but you can also purchase it with the skin off.
Breading– You’ll need flour, traditional bread crumbs, and panko. We use the traditional bread crumbs to give a good coating that covers the salmon well and we use the panko to add a crispy texture.
Seasoning – We’ll season the salmon and breading with Old Bay, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
We make a spicy mayo sauce for dipping our nuggets! If you would like to try it you will want some mayonnaise and sriracha. Couldn’t be easier and you can make it as spicy or as mild as you’d like.
How to Make Salmon Nuggets in an Air Fryer:
- Prepare the salmon– Chop your salmon into one-inch chunks. Prior to breading them, you will want to pat them dry with a paper towel.
- Prepare the breading– Grab three shallow dishes. In the first dish, add your flour and Old Bay then stir these to combine. In a second dish, add your eggs and two tablespoons of water, then whisk these to combine. In your final dish, add your Panko, bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
- Bread the salmon– Coat each dried nugget in the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, then the bread crumb mixture. On the final breadcrumb mixture, push the salmon into the breadcrumbs to make sure they stick to the salmon well during the cooking and flipping process.
- Air fry the salmon nuggets– Spritz your air fryer basket with oil or brush some oil into your air fryer basket. Place your nuggets into the basket where they are not touching each other, the sides, or stacking. Spritz the salmon with oil. Air fry them for 8 minutes at 400 degrees F. You will need to flip them halfway through cooking and spritz them with oil a 2nd time after flipping.
- Make the spicy mayo sauce– For this great dipping sauce just whisk together the mayo and sriracha in a small bowl. Super simple!
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FAQ:
If you aren’t a fan of our spicy mayo I would suggest tartar sauce or honey mustard. Garlic aioli would be a great dip as well.
Be sure to use panko bread crumbs, as they provide a light, airy, and crispy texture. You’ll also want to be sure to leave space between each nugget in the air fryer. This allows the air to flow around the salmon and crisp it up nicely. As a side note, all air fryers are different. You may need to add a minute or two to the cook time as well.
Use your air fryer and heat them back up at 370 degrees F for a few minutes.
Recipe Tips!
Some people really love spicy salmon nuggets. Some people also don’t like Old Bay seasoning. If either of these is you or the person you are cooking for you can substitute cajun seasoning in place of the Old Bay.
Also, if you don’t like spicy mayo, just serve with tartar sauce!
Comments & Reviews
John says
Came out great!