Air Fryer Salmon Bites with Bang Bang Sauce
Air Fryer Salmon Bites are tender salmon cubes coated in a honey garlic marinade.Air fry at 400°F for about 7–10 minutes until browned and cooked through.Serve with homemade bang bang sauce, rice, vegetables, or salad.
Ingredients
For the Salmon
- 1½ –2 lb center-cut salmon fillets skin removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
- 3 –4 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
For the Bang Bang Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- ½ –1 tablespoon sriracha
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
Instructions
- Cut the salmon into approximately 1-inch cubes, keeping the pieces as uniform as possible so they cook evenly. Place them in a medium bowl.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, soy sauce, minced garlic, onion powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, and sea salt.
- Pour the marinade over the salmon and gently toss until every piece is evenly coated. Marinate for up to 30 minutes. Avoid marinating longer because the lemon juice can begin changing the salmon's texture.
- Arrange the salmon pieces in the air fryer basket in a single layer, leaving a little space between them. Cook in batches rather than overcrowding the basket if necessary.
- Cook the Air Fryer Salmon Bites at 400°F (204°C) for approximately 7–10 minutes. You can shake or turn the pieces halfway through for more even browning. Cook until the salmon is nicely browned outside and has reached your preferred safe doneness.
- While the salmon cooks, whisk together the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, honey, and rice vinegar until smooth. Taste and adjust the sriracha depending on how spicy you like your sauce.
- Let the cooked salmon rest for 3–5 minutes. Drizzle with bang bang sauce or serve the sauce alongside for dipping.
Notes
For a gluten-free variation, replace regular soy sauce with tamari and check the labels on the sweet chili sauce and sriracha.
You can make the bang bang sauce milder by reducing the sriracha or spicier by increasing it gradually.
Serve these bang bang salmon bites over steamed jasmine rice, brown rice, or quinoa. They also work beautifully in grain bowls with cucumber, avocado, shredded carrots, cabbage, or steamed vegetables.