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Short-Order Kitchen

Air Fryer Salmon and Potatoes Dinner

By Wes Ellis2 min read
A herb-seasoned salmon fillet with green beans and roasted potatoes on a white plate.
Recipe card
Servings
2
Prep
10 minutes
Cook
20 minutes
Method
Air fryer
Heat
400°F air fryer
Difficulty
Easy
Jump to ingredients & directions ↓

Part 10 of the thread Air fryer weeknights

THE SHORT VERSION4 points
  • Slice potatoes 1/4 inch thick so they cook evenly.
  • Potatoes go in alone for 10 minutes at 400°F.
  • Add the salmon and cook 10 more minutes, to 145°F.
  • Split one spice mix half and half between potatoes and fish.
THE RECIPE · AIR FRYER SALMON AND POTATOES DINNER

Ingredients

You'll need

  • Air fryer
  • Bowl
  • Knife and cutting board
  • Pot, steamer or skillet for the side vegetables

Directions

Prep

  1. Slice the potatoes about 1/4 inch thick. Spray lightly with oil and toss with half the spice mix plus salt and pepper.
  2. Pat the salmon dry and season all over with the other half of the spices, salt and pepper.
  3. Get the side vegetables ready to steam or sauté. Heat the air fryer to 400°F.

Cook

  1. Spread the potatoes in the basket, as close to one layer as you can. Air fry 10 minutes.
  2. Add the salmon next to the potatoes, or on top if space is tight, leaving room for air to move.
  3. Cook 10 more minutes, until the salmon flakes or reads 145°F and the potatoes are tender and crisp at the edges. Check thin fillets early.
  4. While that finishes, steam or sauté the side vegetables until tender-crisp.
  5. Plate everything and top the salmon or potatoes with a spoonful of Greek yogurt if you like.
Notes Leftovers keep 2 days in the fridge. Reheat the potatoes in the air fryer or oven so they crisp again, and warm the salmon gently. Roughly 340 calories and 36 g protein per serving, give or take.

wesellis.com/blog/air-fryer-salmon-dinner/

Salmon cooks in ten minutes. Potatoes take twice that. The fix isn't a second appliance, it's a head start: potatoes in first, fish in at the halfway mark, and they finish together.

The staggered start

This is the most useful air fryer habit there is. Figure out what takes longest, start it first, and add the rest so everything lands at once. Here the potatoes get ten minutes alone, then the salmon joins them for the last ten.

It only works if the potatoes are cut evenly. Quarter-inch slices cook through in twenty minutes. A thick end piece won't, and you'll be picking out half-raw coins while the fish goes cold.

Tip

Mix all the spices in one little bowl first, then split it. It's faster than seasoning twice and the plate tastes like one meal instead of two.

Room in the basket

Two fillets and a cup of potatoes is about as much as a typical basket handles without steaming. If you've got a smaller machine, lay the salmon right on top of the potatoes. They'll crisp a little less underneath, which is a fine trade.

Try this

A spoonful of plain Greek yogurt with a pinch of dill and lemon makes a quick sauce for both.

The same stagger shows up in Burger and Fries, just with a patty instead of fish. For a spicier fillet, use the rub from Cajun Air Fryer Salmon, and the Air Fryer Cheat Sheet has times for other sides you might swap in.

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