Air Fryer Salmon with Charred Asparagus
Salmon fillets air-fried until the edges caramelize and the center stays juicy, with blistered asparagus and a squeeze of lemon. A fast, high-protein dinner for one.
- Total
- 17 min
- Prep 5 · Cook 12
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Roasting · Emulsifying
- Savory
- Quick
- Air fryer
Instructions
-
Trim the woody ends from the asparagus and cut the spears into 4 cm lengths. Pat the salmon dry with paper towel and season both sides with 0.25 tsp salt and the black pepper.
~3 min
Drying the salmon surface promotes browning and prevents steaming; salting early seasons the flesh and helps it stay moist.
-
In a small bowl, stir the olive oil with the remaining 0.25 tsp salt. Toss the asparagus pieces in half of this oil until evenly coated.
~1 min
Coating the asparagus with oil helps it blister and brown rather than steam in the air fryer.
-
Set the air fryer to 200°C and let it preheat for 3 minutes.
~3 min
-
Lay the salmon skin-side down in the air fryer basket and scatter the asparagus around it in a single layer. Air-fry at 200°C for 8 minutes, until the salmon is opaque and flakes at the thickest point and the asparagus tips are browned and tender.
~8 min
Air-frying at high heat with space around the food creates browning through Maillard reactions while keeping the interior juicy.
For crisp-edged salmon, keep the fillets in a single layer with space between them; crowding steams the fish instead of browning it.
Thin asparagus spears cook in the same 8 minutes as the salmon; if yours are thick, cut them in half lengthwise so they finish together.
Roasting Arrange food in a single layer with space between pieces to promote browning; crowding steams instead of roasts.
-
While step 4 cooks
While the salmon and asparagus cook, squeeze the lemon half into the remaining oil mixture to make a loose dressing.
~1 min
The lemon juice emulsifies with the oil to create a bright, clinging dressing that balances the richness of the salmon.
Emulsifying Whisk lemon juice into oil gradually to form a stable dressing; if it separates, whisk in a little more oil.
-
Transfer the salmon and asparagus to a plate, spoon the lemon dressing over the top, and serve immediately.
~1 min