Air Fryer Chimichurri Salmon is a healthy, low carb, and super flavorful meal that’s easy to make and ready in less than 30 minutes!
The air fryer cooks the salmon perfectly, crispy on the outside and tender and flaky inside. With the bright fresh flavor of the Chimichurri sauce as a delicious accompaniment to the rich fish.
This Chimichurri Salmon recipe will help you learn how to roast salmon in the air fryer and get a great low-calorie meal every time! I’ve included air fryer instructions and oven instructions for you.
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Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.
What is a good seasoning for salmon in the air fryer?
This chimichurri is a great seasoning for salmon!
It’s a delicious Argentinean or Uruguayan herb sauce that’s super quick and easy to make.
With its bright fresh flavor, it goes so well with rich meats, fish, and vegetables! I feel like salmon and chimichurri were made for each other!
This beautifully colorful sauce, condiment, or marinade is based on olive oil, herbs, and garlic.
This herbaceous, vibrant, and packed with fresh flavor sauce is also super easy to make.
I like to make it in the food processor. It comes together with just a few pulses.
You can control the consistency of the sauce by how long you pulse the food processor. Puree it longer for a fine sauce. Just be careful not to puree it for too long, because herbs can lose their bright green color with too much heat and processing time.
If you don’t have a food processor, you can hand chop everything and mix it up in a bowl.
Or you can use a mortar and pestle if you’re feeling old-fashioned!
Read more about chimichurri with tips on how to make this fantastic and versatile sauce.
After the salmon is cooked to perfection, it’s served with the delicious chimichurri. You could also use the chimichurri as a marinade for the salmon.
This fish dish makes an impressive show stopping dinner!
Air fryer
I find that the air fryer is the quickest and easiest way to cook fish. Check out my recipes for Air Fryer Cedar Plank Salmon and Air Fryer Halibut Cheeks for more proof that the air fryer rocks!
The air fryer heats up quickly. And be sure to preheat your air fryer for evenly cooked and browned fish.
The heat in an air fryer circulates well, and makes the outside of the salmon fillet nicely browned and crispy while the inside is stays tender juicy.
Clean-up is a breeze. Especially if you use these {affiliate link} parchment paper liners. I recently bought a package of these and they’re the best! So easy to use, no cutting, and keeps the appliance clean.
How to defrost frozen salmon
The night before you want to cook it, place the frozen salmon in the refrigerator while it’s still in the plastic bag.
If you forget to defrost it the night before, you can still quick thaw it under cold water in an hour or less. Here’s how:
- Keep the salmon in the sealed plastic bag. Thawing unwrapped fish in water makes it waterlogged.
- Use only cold tap water, or water that’s a bit cooler than room temperature, to thaw as this minimizes the risk of bacterial growth.
- Place the wrapped frozen salmon in a large clean sink or a big bowl and cover with cool tap water. And, place a small heavy plate on top of the fish to keep it submerged so that all parts defrost at the same rate.
Let’s get cooking
The full printable recipe ingredients and instructions are available in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can find important tips and tricks in the post.
Make the chimichurri
Place all chimichurri ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse. Transfer to small serving bowl. Cover, set aside, and let stand at room temperature.
Prep the salmon
Preheat the air fryer. The air fryer should be nice and hot before you place the seasoned salmon inside to cook.
Depending on the size of the air fryer, you may have to cook the salmon in batches. If this is the case, you can cook the thicker ones together if necessary.
Salmon skin
Place the defrosted salmon skin side down on top of a piece of parchment paper.
The parchment paper makes for easier clean-up, makes it so the fish doesn’t stick to the basket, and allows me to get the fish out of the hot air fryer really easily. The parchment acts like a sling, and all you have to do is pick up opposite sides and pull the whole thing out.
You can remove the skin before cooking if you’d like, but it’s not necessary to do so at this point. The skin slips off easily after the salmon is cooked. I find that a {affiliate link} fish spatula really helps to get the fish out or the air fryer, and helps remove the skin easily.
The skin also provides a nice layer to help protect the delicate fish. It holds the fish together, and the skin is actually edible if you want to eat it. I never have, but some people like it.
Pat the salmon dry with paper towels.
Rub each fillet with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, rubbing the spices in.
Air fry that bad boy
Place the seasoned salmon on top of the parchment paper in the air fryer and cook for 12 minutes. Cooking time may vary slightly depending on this thickness of the salmon and the brand of air fryer.
Make sure there’s enough space in your air fryer for the air to circulate around the salmon. Overcrowding the air fryer can result in the salmon not being cooked evenly, and not being crispy.
You don’t even have to flip the fish or anything as it cooks!
Open the air fryer, and check your salmon to see if it’s done a couple minutes early. With a fork, press on the side and see if it flakes easily. You can return the salmon for another couple minutes as necessary. The internal temperature should reach 125° to 130° F for medium-rare.
I’ve included oven roasting instructions in the recipe card in case you don’t have an air fryer.
Place about 2 tablespoons chimichurri on top of each piece of salmon.
Serve extra sauce on the side and garnish with lemon wedges for an extra burst of flavor.
How do you know when salmon is done?
Gently press open a thick part of the salmon with two forks. Look between the two pieces. It should be a consistent even light pink color and should flake apart easily.
You can also use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature. According to the FDA, it should be 145° F.
More fresh salmon recipes
Be sure to check out my fresh takes on salmon with these other delicious recipes: Salmon Bowl and Cherry Balsamic Glazed Salmon.
Serve this salmon with
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Recipe
Air Fryer Chimichurri Salmon
Equipment
Ingredients
Chimichurri:
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano
- 1/3 cup good-quality oil
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin or ½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon salt
Salmon:
- 2 salmon fillets defrosted 6 to 8 ounces each
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Make chimichurri:
- Place all chimichurri ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse, scraping down sides occasionally. Transfer to small serving bowl. Cover, set aside, and let stand at room temperature.1 cup fresh parsley, ¼ cup fresh cilantro, 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, 1/3 cup good-quality oil, 2 garlic cloves crushed, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon salt
Air Fryer instructions:
- Preheat the air fryer to 380° F.
- Place the defrosted salmon skin side down on top of a small piece of parchment paper.2 salmon fillets defrosted
- Pat the salmon dry with paper towels.
- Rub each fillet with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, rubbing the spices in.1 teaspoon olive oil, Salt and pepper to taste
- Place the salmon on top of the parchment paper in the air fryer and cook for 10-12 minutes. Cooking time may vary slightly depending on this thickness of the salmon and the brand of air fryer.
- Open the air fryer, and check for desired doneness with a fork. You can return the salmon for another 1 or 2 minutes as necessary. The internal temperature should reach 125° to 130° F for medium-rare.
- Place about 2 tablespoons chimichurri on top of each piece of salmon
- Serve extra sauce on the side and garnish with lemon wedges if desired.
Oven instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 500° F.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and brush with 1 tablespoon oil. Remove the defrosted salmon from the plastic bag, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the salmon all over with 2 teaspoons oil, and season with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the salmon skin side down on the oiled parchment paper. Place the baking sheet with salmon in the preheated oven, and immediately turn the temperature down to 275° F. Bake until the centers of the fillets register 125 ° F (for medium-rare), about 11 to 15 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking.
- After the salmon is roasted it’s easy to peel the skin off if you would like to serve it without the skin. Or, serve it with the skin on, as many people love the skin.
- Place about 2 tablespoons chimichurri on top of each piece of salmon
- Serve extra sauce on the side and garnish with lemon wedges if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
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