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These sweet chili air fryer salmon bites get it right in every way. They’re sweet, mildly spicy, savory, and downright addictive. Ready in under 30 minutes, this recipe is just as good for salmon devotees as it is for anyone still easing into the whole fish thing.
These air fryer salmon bites taste restaurant-level, but everything comes from a regular grocery store—no specialty aisle detours required. The marinade is salty and citrusy, and that plays very well with the sweet and spicy Thai chili sauce.
And the air fryer? Kind of magic. Tender, flaky bites with pan-seared energy, minus the mess, time, and extra effort.
Need more salmon in your life? Try this baked miso salmon, this rice bowl with salmon, or this family-friendly teriyaki sheet-pan salmon with veggies.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Bowls
- Ready in under 30 minutes
- Super flavorful with sweet, spicy, and savory in the mix
- Air fryer cooks the salmon to tender, flaky perfection without excess oil or fuss
- Uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients from any grocery store
- Works beautifully over rice and with greens—total bowl meal vibes.
Ingredient Overview
A quick look at the essentials before we dive into the recipe card:
- Salmon: I’ll always recommend a fattier cut of salmon, usually labelled as Atlantic, King, Faroe Island, or Chinook.
- Sweet chili sauce: Store-bought is fine, but if you have a homemade recipe, go for it.
- Low-sodium soy sauce: You won’t lose out on flavor with a low-sodium blend. I love Kikkoman.
- Chilis: Thai chilis, sometimes referred to as Bird’s Eye Chilis, are about half as hot as a habanero, but have a lot more kick than a jalapeño. Use a chili pepper you’re comfortable with, or omit chilis completely.
Step-by-Step: How to Make Air Fryer Salmon Bites
Step 1: Prepare the Salmon
Gently tap the fillets with a paper towel to remove excess moisture, then cut them into bite-sized pieces with a sharp knife.
Step 2: A Quick Marinade
Whisk the marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl and transfer the salmon to the bowl. Give it a gentle toss to evenly coat, then set aside for 20 minutes. Leave the salmon on the counter—you want it to come to room temperature before cooking. This results in a more even cook.
Step 3: Air Fry the Salmon
Lightly grease the bottom of the air fryer basket with olive oil. Then, carefully place the salmon pieces into the air fryer, skin-side up (if there’s skin), with tongs. Skin-side up allows the skin to cook a bit and prevents it from sticking to the bottom of the fryer basket. Cook the salmon for 7 minutes at 375º F, or until the larger pieces reach an internal temperature of 140-145ºF, as checked with a meat thermometer.
Step 4: Sauce and Serve
Remove the salmon pieces from the air fryer basket and place them in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the sweet Thai chili sauce over the salmon and add the scallions, sesame seeds, and sliced chilies to the bowl. Give everything a gentle toss to evenly coat, and serve.
Substitutions & Variations
- No air fryer: Roast the salmon on a sheet pan at 375°F for 8–10 minutes.
- Gluten-free swap: Replace the soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos.
- Salmon alternative: Shrimp works beautifully here. Cook time will vary by size. Larger species will cook in 5-6 minutes in the air fryer, while smaller species will need to be checked at 3-4 minutes.
- Extra spice: If you want even more of a kick, add a tablespoon of sambal oelek or Sriracha to the chili sauce, or add more chilis.
- Kid-friendly: Omit the chilis entirely, or keep them on the side for those who want heat.
- Extra crispy bites: Toss the salmon bites in a little bit of corn starch (about a tablespoon or two) before air frying.
What to Do With Leftover Salmon
- Crustless Quiche With Salmon: Use flaked salmon from this recipe to make a rich, luscious quiche.
- Cottage Cheese Toast With Salmon: Cold leftover salmon is great on toast.
- Smoked Salmon Avocado Toast: Where salmon and avocado prove to be best friends.
- Soba Noodle Bowl: A nice and light, nourishing lunch.
Storage & Reheating
- Fridge: Store the salmon in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Leftover salmon is great cold, but if you’d rather reheat it, do so in the microwave in 15-second increments until warmed through.
What to Serve With It
Frequently Asked Questions
For a perfect, tender flake, salmon bites (about 1 x 1″) can be cooked at 375ºF for about 7-8 minutes, no flipping required. Always go by the internal temperature with a meat thermometer, though, which should be 135-145ºF.
Cooking it too long: Salmon goes from perfect to dry fast, so keep an eye on it.
Not patting it dry before cooking: Wet fish steams, so you won’t get a nice crisp.
Not oiling the basket: Give the air fryer basket a good spray with cooking oil so the fish doesn’t stick and fall apart.
Crowding the pieces: Give them some space; crowding is the enemy of crisp edges.
Nope! The circulating air cooks it evenly from all sides.
Sweet Chili Air Fryer Salmon Bites
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 6 oz salmon fillets, Preferably a fattier salmon like King, Faroe Island, or Scottish
- 1/4 cup Low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 2 cloves of garlic, grated
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 2 TBSP Sweet chili sauce
- 2 TBSP thinly sliced Thai chilies, Or, if you want less heat, a Serrano pepper or jalapeño
- 1 TBSP sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
Instructions
- Gently pat down the salmon fillets with a paper towel to remove excess moisture, then cut the fillets into bite-size (1 x 1") pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients.1/4 cup Low-sodium soy sauce, 1/2 lime, juiced, 2 cloves of garlic, grated, 1 tsp grated ginger
- Transfer the salmon to the bowl; gently toss to coat and set the bowl aside for 10 minutes. (Leave the salmon on the counter. You want the fish to come to room temperature before cooking it. This will result in a more even cook.)
- Grease the bottom of the air fryer basket with olive oil or cooking spray and place the salmon pieces into the air fryer, skin-side up, with tongs.
- Air fry the salmon for 7-8 minutes at 375º F or until the thickest piece of salmon has an internal temperature of 140-145º F.
- Remove the salmon from the air fryer basket and transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Top the salmon with the sweet chili sauce, scallions, sesame seeds, and sliced chilies.
- Gently toss to coat the salmon and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
More Easy Salmon Recipes for Dinner
Fish and Seafood
Baked Miso Salmon
Fish and Seafood
Healthy Rice Bowl With Salmon
Fish and Seafood
Teriyaki Sheet Pan Salmon With Veggies
Fish and Seafood
You mention the salmon skin in recipe plus you see it in photo. My fish store will cube salmon for bites but they use fillets without skin. Is that an issue? Thanks!
Hi Robin, skinless is totally fine!
This sounds wonderful!!! Can’t wait to make it.
You are a master of the kitchen and this recipe proves it! My whole family loved it and I absolutely love how quick, easy, and healthy it is!! I seriously make this almost weekly! My husband requests it for work all the time! So thank you for sharing your gift and enriching others lives with some flavorful recipes!
Brooke, my goodness, this is so sweet. Thank you so much for the kind words and for taking the time to leave some feedback! I appreciate it so much!
This salmon recipe is so easy to make and soooo delicious! The sweet and spicy sauce is just phenomenal!