Blackened Air Fryer Salmon with Snap Pea Salad

Want salmon that’s ultra crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, and abundant with flavor? Head straight to the grocery store and pick up the ingredients for our Blackened Air Fryer Salmon with Snap Pea Salad. This bright, spring-forward meal comes together in less than 30 minutes and will certainly find a home in your weekly dinner rotation. 

Blackened Air Fryer Salmon with Snap Pea Salad

There’s a reoccurring theme in our household when it comes to salmon: Ultra crispy on the outside, tender and moist on the inside, and salty AF. Our Air Fryer Salmon is just the latest recipe in a slew (Red Curry Salmon and our 5-Ingredient Pesto Salmon most recently) of others meeting the required minimum checklist, and this one may top them all because you get all the crispiness without the mess thanks to our handy dandy air fryer. 

Yes, this monstrosity of a contraption I practically swore against is now one of my most beloved kitchen gadgets. While you normally need a good cast iron skillet (and I still like to use that when I don’t want to break the air fryer out), thanks to the high temperature and air circulation of the air fryer, salmon comes out irrisitisbly crispy on the outside and tender and moist on the inside.

The blackening seasoning we douse the top of the salmon with also helps to facilitate an ultra crispy crust while doubling up as one of my favorite flavor profiles. We use a similar blend to this one we use for our chicken burgers, but since the kids were eating it as well, I skipped the chili powder and cayenne.

I wanted something zippy and texture-heavy to serve the salmon with and landed on this super bright snap pea salad made with a copious amount of fresh herbs (heavy on the dill) and a really lovely lemon vinaigrette. It’s pretty close to perfect but I’m super bummed I left out creamy goat cheese I had intended to sprinkle throughout the salad.

The combination of the crispy, slightly spicy salmon paired with the delicate crunchy snap pea salad is a really special duo and one I’m willing to bet will make a repeat appearance in your household. 

Ingredients in Blackened Air Fryer Salmon 

Salmon. You’ll want to get center-cut salmon filets that are similar in size. I usually like to leave the skin one to ensure the salmon stays moist, but the particular store I went to had already take the skin off. I was pleasantly surprised to find out the salmon still stayed incredibly moist, so pick whichever you prefer. 

Blackening seasoning. We use a combination of Spanish paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, and salt. If you want to add a little bit of spice throw in a few dashes of cayenne powder. 

Olive oil spray. I find spraying the top of the salmon with a little bit of non-stick cooking spray after adding the seasoning helps it to crisp up nicely. 

Ingredients in the Snap Pea Salad

Sugar snap peas. I love the crunch and texture of sugar snap peas and they are such a fun way to change up salads. We sliced them super thin and I love how the peas in side spill out and add another dimension of texture. 

Dill. To me, dill is synonymous with spring, so we go heavy on it here. Make sure to buy fresh dill. 

Parsley. To add another element of freshness, I like to add in a little bit of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley.

Green onion. I love the subltle onion flavor scallions add to this salad, we use a good amount, about 1/4 cup which should be equal to about three to four green onions. 

Goat cheese. I’m so mad at myself for forgetting this ingredient to the photos! It adds such a lovely pop of contrast visually and I love the tanginess and creaminess it adds to the salad. 

Lemon Vinaigrette. This is basically just a copy off of our favorite Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette, just on a smaller scale. We throw in lots of fresh lemon juice, dippy Dijon mustard, honey, olive oil and a touch of salt and pepper.

Cook! Don’t overcrowd the air fryer, because we want the salmon to get super crispy, it’s important there is space in between each filet. If needed, work in two batches. I can fit three to four comfortably in mine. 

Spray the salmon with olive oil spray and set the timer for eight minutes. The salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork and the top is ultra crispy. 

Make the salad. While the salmon cooks, make the slaw. Finish chopping all the veggies. Add the lemon juice, dijon, honey, and salt to the bottom of a large bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the snap peas, dill, parsley, and green onion. Toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If using, gently crumble the goat cheese into the salad. Toss just until it’s combine so you don’t smash the goat cheese. 

Assemble. Spoon a little bit of the salad on your plate. Top with a piece of salmon. Spoon more of the salad on top. Garnish with extra dill, parsley, and goat cheese. Enjoy!