Baking is one of the more foolproof ways to prepare salmon—it always comes out beautifully tender. Here, it’s topped with a savory-sweet miso glaze that bakes on during the last few minutes of cooking. For a light and nutritious dinner, serve this with quinoa or rice and a salad or slaw alongside.—Coco Morante
Air Fryer Miso-Glazed Salmon FAQs
Preheat your oven broiler. Place your salmon fillets on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and brush liberally with the glaze. Broil until cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.
Yes! Trout, cod, or halibut would all be excellent substitutions. Keep in mind, you’ll need to adjust cooking time based on the thickness of the fish.
While both types of miso are made from soybeans, white miso is generally fermented with rice, while red miso is fermented with barley or other grains, and for a longer period than white miso. As a result, red miso has a stronger, saltier flavor than white miso and is best suited to hearty dishes. White miso is milder and sweeter, making it ideal for light dishes and sauces.
Air Fryer Miso-Glazed Salmon
Equipment
Ingredients
For the salmon
- Two (8-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets (1 1/2 to 2 inches or 38 to 50 mm thick in the middle)
- Olive oil, for spraying
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges, for serving
For the miso glaze
- 1 tablespoon white miso
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed or grated on a Microplane
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 teaspoon minced ginger root (from a 1/2-inch piece)
- Pinch cayenne pepper
Instructions
Cook the salmon
- Preheat the air fryer oven on BAKE at 350°F (176°C) and set the cooking time for 18 minutes. Line the cooking pan with aluminum foil.
- Place the salmon fillets skin side down on the lined cooking pan. Spray the fish lightly with oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Bake the salmon in the preheated oven.
Make the miso glaze
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the miso, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and cayenne.
- When the “turn food” message comes on, wearing heat-resistant mitts, remove the cooking pan from the oven. Use a small spatula or spoon to spread the miso glaze over the fish. Return the salmon to the oven.
☞ TESTER TIP: If your salmon is thinner than 1 1/2 inches (38 mm), spread the miso glaze over the fillets after 5 minutes of cooking, then begin checking them for doneness after 12 minutes of total cook time.
- When the cooking program ends, use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the salmon. It should be at least 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part of the fillet. If it is not yet up to temperature, cook for a few more minutes.
- Divvy the salmon among serving plates. Serve with lemon wedges.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This air fryer miso-glazed salmon recipe was out of this world. My first bite of the salmon was immediately followed by the word, WOW! Salmon is not everyone’s favorite, but this recipe really knocked it out of the park. Cooking the salmon in the air fryer brought it to a new level. The crisp on the exterior, juicy center, and the different flavor profiles from the glaze just made this dish a delight.
I originally thought to pair the salmon with a small bed of spring mix, but then decided to add jasmine rice to the dish to create an entrée. This simple salmon recipe can be paired with almost anything. It can even be modified to become an appetizer to provide a succulent blast of flavor in preparation for another dish. This recipe is definitely a favorite and I plan to make it again.
I’m always on the lookout for good air fryer recipes, and since we are very fond of miso salmon or cod, this air fryer miso-glazed salmon recipe was a no-brainer. It made a delicious and simple weekday supper, and it felt kind of fancy for a Monday.
My salmon fillets were slightly smaller, only about five ounces each and about 1 inch thick, so I did reduce the cooking time to 13 minutes (with one “keep warm” cycle at 170°F for 5 minutes). My air fryer doesn’t have a “turn food” message (I can see where this would be helpful), so I just waited until about 8 minutes were left on the timer to apply the glaze. I also added some asparagus spears around the salmon at this point and sprayed them with olive oil as well. At the end of the cooking time, the glaze was browned beautifully, the salmon was perfectly cooked, and my side of asparagus was ready as well. I also prepared roasted Yukon Gold potatoes in the toaster oven.
What fun I had making this dish! I like finding new things to make in our air fryer, and I had never used it for fresh fish. I was pleased to find wild, line-caught coho salmon. The other big check in the positive column was being able to make a miso glaze. One of our favorite fish dishes for years has been a miso-marinated black cod dish that our favorite restaurant made. Sadly, the restaurant didn’t make it through the pandemic. We miss them terribly. My guess is that we just won’t be able to recreate the sauce, however, I will play around with these ingredients to see if I can transport us to our meals at the place we remember so fondly.
I served this alongside Chinese noodles that I always cook early in the day, refrigerate, and then shortly before our meal, I place them with some neutral oil in a cast iron pan and crisp up the outside, leaving the inside a bit soft. I also cooked some Brussels sprouts in the air fryer before cooking the salmon. A quick, easy delicious meal! It all went beautifully with a North California Coast Pinot Noir, a great choice for salmon.
My kitchen’s loaded to the gills with equipment. I gave up on buying this year’s must-have appliance years ago.
If other readers have a grid-like open platform like a cross-hatched cooling rack that will accomplish the same thing as an air fryer. Place the food on it and put it in the oven on a convection setting. A cookie sheet at the bottom of the oven — well away from interrupting the air flow around the food — can catch any drip.
This accomplishes the same technique as an air fryer — constant circulation of hot air on the food.
Great suggestion, Rainey. Thank you!