Air Fryer Salmon from Frozen
Frozen salmon fillets cooked straight from the freezer in the air fryer, glazed in stages with a quick Dijon mustard and brown sugar sauce with garlic and dill. A genuinely convenient dinner ready in about 25 minutes with no need to thaw ahead.
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Small mixing bowl
- Basting Brush
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp freeze-dried dill or a larger amount of regular dried dill
- 2 (12 oz) frozen salmon fillets skin-on
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat the air fryer to 390°F.
- Make the Glaze: Whisk together the mustard, brown sugar, garlic, salt, pepper, and dill in a small bowl until well combined. Set aside.
- Start Cooking: Place the frozen salmon, flesh-side down, in the air fryer basket and cook 6 minutes.
- Flip and Glaze: Flip the salmon, brush 1/4 of the sauce over each fillet, and continue cooking 6 more minutes.
- Finish: Brush the remaining sauce over the fillets and cook until the fish flakes easily with a fork, 3 to 4 more minutes.
Notes
Start the salmon flesh-side down for good heat exposure from frozen. Brush the glaze on in stages to avoid burning the sugar. Check doneness by flaking with a fork rather than relying on the timer alone. Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket, cook in batches for more than 2 fillets. A pinch of red pepper flakes in the glaze adds heat if desired. Great for meal prep straight from the freezer. Keeps 3 days refrigerated; reheat gently in the air fryer or oven, not the microwave.