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Blackened Air Fryer Salmon with Snap Pea Salad

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By: Nicole 1 Comment
Posted: 05/05/21 Updated: 01/02/22

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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. 

Want salmon that's ultra crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, and abundant with flavor? Head straight 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.

Want salmon that's ultra crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, and abundant with flavor? Head straight 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. 

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. 

Homemade blackening seasoning

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. 

Snap pea salad with lemon vinaigrette

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.

How to air fry salmon

Let’s make air fryer salmon

Preheat the air fryer. Every air fryer is different and while I don’t always find it necessary to preheat it, because we want the salmon to get super crispy, it helps to add it to a pre-heated air fryer. 

Once you set it, pull out the salmon and pat dry with paper towels.  

Make the seasoning. While the air fryer preheats, add the spices to a small bowl and mix until combined. If the air fryer isn’t done preheating after you make the seasoning, start to chop the vegetables. 

Cover the fish. Sprinkle the top of the salmon with the blackenening seasoning. It may seem like a lot, but trust me, you’ll want every bit of it!

Snap Pea Salad with Dill

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! 

Blackened Air Fryer Salmon

Do I have to use the air fryer? 

No! If you don’t have an air fryer or don’t want to use it, you can simply sear the salmon in a cast iron skillet. No problem. 

Can I make Air Fryer Salmon in advance? 

I would say no. Salmon is best served fresh and the snap pea salad will get soggy. You could however, make the seasoning in advance and prep and mix all the ingredients for the salad. Just before serving, cook the salmon and toss the veggies with the dressing. 

Substitutions and Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success

  • Make sure to spray the bottom of the air fryer with olive oil spray, this will prevent the salmon from sticking. 
  • Don’t overcook the salmon! I’ve tried this many times, and I always get a perfectly cooked piece of salmon after eight minutes. If you need to cook it a little bit longer, check every minute. If you don’t know how to gauge by touch or looks, medium to medium well is between 125 and 140 degrees on an instant read thermometer. We prefer our salmon to be in between medium and medium well at take it out when it’s about 130 degrees. Carryover cooking will bring it up a few more degrees. 
  • Dress the salad at the last minute. Unfortunately the snap peas can get pretty soggy if you dress it too far in advance. 
  • Add in cayenne pepper for some heat. 

Want salmon that's ultra crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, and abundant with flavor? Head straight 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

Blackened Air Fryer Salmon

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 16 minutes
0 minutes
Total: 26 minutes
Print Rate Email
Want salmon that's ultra crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, and abundant with flavor? Head straight 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 win your weekly dinner rotation. 
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4 people

Ingredients

  • 4 6 oz center-cut salmon filets
  • 2 tsp spanish paprika
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • non-stick cooking spray
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 oz goat cheese

Equipment

  • Air fryer

Instructions

  • Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees. The instructions on your air fryer will say how long it needs to preheat. Once you set it, pull out the salmon and pat dry with paper towels.  
  • While the air fryer preheats, add the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, 1 teaspoon salt black pepper, and thyme to a small bowl. Mix until combined. If the air fryer isn’t done preheating after you make the seasoning, start to chop the vegetables. 
  • Sprinkle the top of the salmon with the blackenening seasoning. It may seem like a lot, but trust me, you’ll want every bit of it!
  • Spray the bottom of the air fryer with olive oil spray. Place 3-4 salmon filets in the air fryer. 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 top of 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. If you need to check the temperature it should be 125 degrees (medium) to 140 degrees (well done).
  • While the salmon cooks, make the slaw. Finish chopping all the veggies. Add the lemon juice, dijon, honey, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to the bottom of small bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the snap peas, dill, parsley, and green onion to a large bowl. Toss to combine. Add about half of the vinaigrette. Toss. If needed add more to suite taste. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If using, gently crumble the goat cheese into the salad. Toss just until it’s combined so you don’t smash the goat cheese.
  • Spoon a little bit of the salad on your plate. Top with a piece of salmon. Spoon more of the salad on top. Drizzle with extra vinaigrette. Garnish with extra dill, parsley, and goat cheese. Enjoy! 

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1filet with salad, Calories: 169kcal (8%), Carbohydrates: 5g (2%), Protein: 4g (8%), Fat: 15g (23%), Saturated Fat: 5g (31%), Cholesterol: 10mg (3%), Sodium: 690mg (30%), Potassium: 57mg (2%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 2g (2%), Vitamin A: 233IU (5%), Vitamin C: 6mg (7%), Calcium: 43mg (4%), Iron: 1mg (6%)
© Author: Nicole

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Welcome! My lifelong passion for delicious food and cooking has evolved over time into an equal love of showing you an elevated meal can be easy, approachable and most importantly, tasty. Dive in and find something perfect for you and your family!

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  1. Kara says

    Posted on 4/10/22 at 8:40 pm

    Hi there, I would love to try out the snap pea slaw recipe, but I can’t seem to find the quantities that you used used for the peas, parsley, or dill?

    Reply

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Meet Nicole

Welcome! My lifelong passion for delicious food and cooking has evolved into an equal love of showing you easy elevated meals can be approachable and most importantly, tasty.

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