Recipe: Sweet and Smoky 10-Minute Salmon

Despite the ever-shifting messaging around food and nutrition in the media, the recommendation to eat more fatty fish is here to stay.  The American Heart Association suggests eating two servings of fatty fish per week, or roughly 6 ounces, to help reduce heart disease and stroke risk.  Fatty fish includes salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, bluefin tuna, whitefish, striped bass, and cobia. Of this list, some are more widely available and, frankly, more appealing than others.

Fatty fish tend to have a stronger flavor because the fats are a rich carrier of these compounds.  Other factors that influence the flavor include whether the fish is wild-caught or farmed, what the fish’s diet consists of, and any variations in the type (i.e., sockeye salmon is bolder and coho salmon is milder).  Keep these considerations in mind if the robust flavor of fish has been a deterrent for you when it comes to increasing your fish intake.

And that’s where this recipe comes in!  We featured bold flavors in our spice rub to balance the salmon and found it wonderfully complementary.  A little sweetness, a little spice, and a touch of salt balance the richness of the salmon beautifully.  We think this salmon pairs well with a side of steamed rice or quinoa and roasted broccoli or green beans.

Sweet and Smoky 10-Minute Salmon

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1.5 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 12-16 oz salmon fillet (3/4 – 1 lb), patted dry with a paper towel

Directions

1.  If your salmon has the skin still attached, line your air fryer basket with parchment paper (to prevent the skin from sticking, making the cooked salmon difficult to remove).
2.  Follow instructions on your air fryer for preheating, if recommended.
3.  In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and sea salt.  Be sure to break up any clumps of brown sugar so the spices are well-mixed.
4.  Place the salmon fillet onto a parchment-lined air fryer basket.  Using a spoon, carefully sprinkle seasoning all across the top of the salmon fillet.  When done, use the back of your spoon to press down so the seasoning sticks to the fish’s surface.
5.  Return the air fryer basket to the device, adjust the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and set the timer for 12 minutes.
6.  Depending on the fillet’s thickness, you may use an instant-read thermometer to check the salmon at around 8 minutes, assessing the thickest part of the fillet.  The fillets are fully cooked when they reach 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
7.  Consider using this as a reference to adjust based on the size and thickness of your fillet:
   • Fillets around 1″ will need 8-9 minutes; 1.5″ 11-12 minutes; 2″ fillets, 13-14 minutes.
   • Thicker fillets are usually cut into smaller strips/sections, which may alter cook time somewhat, but the above ranges are a useful guide.

Tips

• Since fillet thickness will drastically affect cook time, refer to your device’s instructions for cooking fresh fish fillets.  Our fillet was a tail piece, and the thickest part was 1.25 inches.  It was fully cooked in 11 minutes.
• Some air fryer fish recipes suggest cooking at 400 degrees, but we went with a lower temperature to keep the fillet moister and more tender.

Swaps

• For the brown sugar: coconut sugar
• For the paprika:  if a touch of heat is preferred over a smoky note, omit paprika and swap in 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne (or simply add it too!