Tired of same old salmon filets the Spicy Air fryer Salmon satisfies those cravings. The key to flavorful salmon filets is putting some hot spices into rub with hint of sweetness. Most of all it takes just a few minutes to cook the salmon in the Air-fryer. Yet keeping salmon filet moist and flavorful. With just a few extra ingredients, say by by to boring salmon.
The spicy rub for salmon filets needs these key ingredients salt, sugar, spices and herbs. Next is to make a great rub needs Salt. Why is salt the most important factor, salt gives flavor to the salmon. Salmon needs the salt which helps hold it’s moisture and still supporting it’s texture. Choosing the right salt is just as important, use kosher salt rather than plain table salt which often contains iodine. The salt releases moisture in Salmon absorbing ingredients back into salmon. Third this takes time, allowing 15 to 20 minutes to do it’s magic.
Next is using sugar to adding a little sweetness and promoting good caramelization as salmon filet Air-fries. There is two good types of sugar to use in rub, brown sugar or Sugar in The Raw. Brown sugar has more molasses profile giving a more stronger deeper flavor profile. Sugar in The Raw has natural slight molasses flavor profile. Caution don’t add too much sugar to rub, just enough to balance flavor.
Now adding some wow to the rub, useing aromatics is key to having a successful rub. Choosing the right spices can really break that lackluster salmon, and bring back some wow. Typical spices used is paprika, black pepper, coriander, cumin and cayenne. Trends change, chipotle pepper was big hit for years, this has a smoky light amount of heat profile. Now a new trend is sriracha hot sauce, which is red chilies and garlic profile. Sriracha is everywhere, stores stock bottles of all different types including sriracha powder. This is a good possibility to use for spicy air fryer salmon filet rub.
Going one step further with the spicy rub by following the new next trends, by using Carolina Reaper powered. Very flavorful but extremely hot chili pepper, caution in adding the right amount of Carolina Reaper powder into rub. The goal is to have just right amount of heat and flavor with some sweetness and garlic profile. Having something simular to sriracha profile but with some punch. Be sure to adjust amount of Carolina Reaper powder to your taste level. This might be only using 1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon of Carolina Reaper powder to one batch of rub.
Making Spicy Rub for salmon is a fairly simple task, combining kosher salt, sugar, and aromatic spices all together in bowl or mortar and pestel. I usually make fairly large batch of spicy rub, and keep extra in sealed jar for future uses. This cuts mise en place time down in future preparations.
First task is to prep the salmon filet, often I purchasing a side of salmon or couple of pounds of salmon filet. Some might have skin still attached to the filet. Using boning knife slip knife just under the salmon skin, with skin side of salmon facing down. Starting at tail end of filet and holding the salmon skin with left hand. Carefully slide the knife carefully towards right removing skin from salmon. Often salmon skin is slippery, try using paper towel to hold salmon skin for a better grip. Then cut salmon in size portions you like, 4 ounce, 6 ounce or 8 ounce portions are most common. This takes a little practice, but will save you lot of money, buying proportion salmon is almost double in cost.
Next place the silvery finished colored side of the salmon down on the cutting board. Now sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoons of spicy rub onto top of each filet. Then rub spice mixture into each of salmon filets. Flip salmon over and sprinkle 2 teaspoons or more of spicy rub on the cut side of each salmon filet. Again rub spicy rub into salmon filets. Place in container and cover with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Most air fryers have a fish setting, this is a preset function on your air fryer. My PowerXL Air Fryer has a preset function for 10 minutes at 350°F. This is a good starting point, it’s not too high temperature for the spicy rub. This is just long enough to cook the salmon to a safe temperature, about 135 to 140° internal temperature. Note the longer time in the air fryer, the fish looses more moisture, which can become dry and chewy. The goal is to have a moist and very flavor salmon filet.
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