These Easy Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon Bites feature flaky salmon bites with crispy edges and a flavorful homemade teriyaki sauce. They make for a delicious meal on busy weeknights that the whole family will enjoy.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Air frying salmon fillets is a great way to cook salmon because the outside gets slightly crispy while the inside is still tender and flaky.
- This air fryer teriyaki salmon recipe is easy and makes for a quick weeknight dinner. The fish cooks in a matter of minutes and the sauce comes together in less than ten minutes.
- The salmon bites are coated with a homemade teriyaki glaze that packs a fresh, teriyaki flavor. The teriyaki sauce is easy to make and uses simple ingredients.
- Marinated salmon is not required for this recipe! Simply cook the salmon bites and coat them in the homemade teriyaki sauce.
Ingredient Notes
Salmon filets - you can use fresh salmon or frozen salmon for this air fryer salmon recipe. Both options are rich with heart healthy fatty acids.
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
We love the flavor of this homemade teriyaki sauce and it is easy to make! However, if you are short on time you can use your favorite store-bought teriyaki sauce.
- Reduced sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos - we recommend using the reduced sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos for a gluten-free option) to prevent the sauce from becoming too salty.
- Minced garlic and ginger - feel free to use fresh ginger and garlic or a pre-minced version.
- Honey - while this teriyaki sauce doesn't taste strongly of honey, if you aren't a fan of honey flavor you can use maple syrup or brown sugar instead.
- Rice vinegar - this vinegar adds a tart, acidic touch to the sauce to help balance out all the flavors.
- Cornstarch and water - dissolving the cornstarch in water and adding it to the teriyaki sauce helps to thicken the sauce. Make sure to mix the cornstarch with cold water—mixing cornstarch with hot water will make the cornstarch clumpy.
- Optional: we love to serve this teriyaki salmon air fryer recipe with cooked rice and a side of veggies or with toppings such as green onions, shredded carrots, cucumbers, edamame, and sesame seeds. It makes for a more filling, satisfying, and delicious dinner!
- Nonstick spray - for best results, we like to spray the air fryer basket with nonstick spray to prevent the salmon from sticking. Olive oil or avocado oil spray is our personal preference.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Air fryer* (or nonstick skillet/baking sheet if you don't have an air fryer)
- Cutting board and knife
- Small saucepan
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Small bowl
- Meat thermometer*/instant-read thermometer (optional, but highly recommended!)
Step by Step Directions
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Step 1: Remove any skin from the salmon if necessary, and then cut each filet into bite-sized pieces. Place the salmon bites in a single layer in the air fryer basket, preventing any pieces from touching. Turn the air fryer to 400 degrees F and let the salmon bites cook for 4-7 minutes, or until the salmon reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Gently shake the basket half way through cooking. Note that the cooking time may slightly vary depending on the size of the bites you make.
Step 2: While the salmon is cooking, make the teriyaki sauce. Add the soy sauce, water, garlic, ginger, honey, and rice wine vinegar to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to low. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in 1 tbsp water. Add the cornstarch mixture to the teriyaki sauce, whisking until the cornstarch is dissolved into the sauce. Let the sauce continue to simmer on low heat, stirring frequently, for 6-8 more minutes, or until the sauce is thickened.
Step 3: Toss the cooked salmon bites with one cup of the teriyaki sauce and carefully stir to coat the salmon bites. Add some of the remaining teriyaki sauce if needed, until each salmon bite is coated with sauce.
Step 4: Serve with rice and veggies, on top of a salad, or in fish tacos with our corn mango salsa.
Tips & Variations
- We love to serve this air fryer salmon teriyaki recipe with side dishes such as white rice, brown rice, or rice noodles. You can add a side of roasted vegetables such as broccoli and carrots, or you can make a bowl and top the salmon bites and rice with green onions, shredded carrots, cucumber, edamame, and avocado.
- Another great option for these salmon bites would be to add them on top of a salad or use them in corn tortillas with our corn mango salsa for teriyaki fish tacos.
- While we love our homemade teriyaki sauce, you can opt to use your favorite bottled teriyaki sauce instead of making your own if you are in a rush.
- Keep an eye on the salmon bites and check the temperature often—they cook quickly! The cook time may vary slightly depending on the size to which you cut the salmon bites. Check the temperature with a meat thermometer at 4 minutes and check again each minute until they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. We don't want overcooked salmon!
- Buying skinless salmon fillets will reduce the prep time for this recipe and is the easiest way to cut the salmon into pieces. If your salmon still has the skin, we highly recommend removing the skin of the salmon before cutting the salmon into bite sized pieces as the skin is tough to cut through.
- If the flesh of the salmon is really wet, you can pat dry with paper towels before putting the bites into the air fryer.
FAQ
If you have leftover salmon, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let the salmon come to room temperature before placing it in the fridge. Consume within 3-4 days.
Absolutely! You can use another cooking method for the salmon bites if you don't have an air fryer. We would recommend cooking the salmon bites on a skillet over medium heat or in the oven on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Note that the cooking time will likely vary from that of the air fryer method. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the salmon to ensure it is properly cooked.
If you have extra teriyaki sauce, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. This teriyaki sauce is delicious with a quick stir fry or as a glaze for roasted veggies such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts. It would also make a great marinade for other meats such as chicken or beef.
This recipe is naturally dairy-free. For a gluten-free option, you can replace the soy sauce with coconut aminos.
If you like this recipe, check out some of our other air fryer recipes
If you make these air fryer teriyaki salmon bites, please let us know how they turn out in the comments below and/or rate the recipe! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram to show us your finished product—it makes our day every time we see you trying the recipes we love!
Easy Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon Bites
Ingredients
- 4, 6 oz salmon filets
For the homemade teriyaki sauce
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce (or tamari or coconut aminos for a gluten-free option)
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon corn starch + 1 tbsp cold water
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the salmon. Remove any skin from the salmon if necessary, and then cut each filet into bite-sized pieces. Spray the inside of your air fryer liberally with avocado or olive oil spray to prevent any sticking.
- Place the salmon bites in a single layer in the air fryer basket, preventing any pieces from touching. You may have to air fry in two batches depending on the size of your basket. Turn the air fryer to 400 degrees F and let the salmon bites cook for 4-7 minutes, or until the salmon reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Gently shake the basket half way through cooking. Note that the cooking time may slightly vary depending on the size of the bites you make.
- While the salmon is cooking, make the teriyaki sauce. Add the soy sauce, ½ cup water, garlic, ginger, honey, and rice wine vinegar to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to low.
- In a separate small bowl, dissolve 1 tbsp cornstarch in 1 tbsp cold water. Add the cornstarch mixture to the teriyaki sauce, whisking as you add it. Continue to whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved into the sauce. Let the sauce continue to simmer on low heat, stirring frequently, for 6-8 more minutes, or until the sauce is thickened.
- Toss the cooked salmon bites with one cup of the teriyaki sauce and carefully stir to coat the salmon bites. Add some of the remaining teriyaki sauce if needed, until each salmon bite is coated with sauce. Serve with rice and veggies, on top of a salad, or in fish tacos with our corn mango salsa.
Notes
- Keep an eye on the salmon bites and check the temperature often—they cook quickly! The cook time may vary slightly depending on the size to which you cut the salmon bites. Check the temperature with a meat thermometer at 4 minutes and check again each minute until they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. We don't want overcooked salmon!
- Make it gluten-free: simply substitute the soy sauce for coconut aminos or tamari.
- If you have leftover salmon, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 3-4 days.
NUTRITION
The recipe can be found on My Fitness Pal by searching "BWB Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon"
The nutrition content provided for each recipe is an estimate created through the My Fitness Pal database. Please be aware that the nutritional content of each recipe may vary based on the products you use, the precision of your measurements, and the source you use to obtain nutrition data. While we try to provide accurate information, we give no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the nutritional information provided.
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