Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon Bites
Ready in minutes, these Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon Bites cook up crispy on the outside, tender inside, and coated in a sticky, sweet-savory teriyaki glaze. They’re perfect for easy weeknight dinners, rice bowls, or homemade takeout-style meals.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- ⏲️Ready In: 14 Minutes
- 👪Serves: 4
- 🍽 Calories: 255 kcals
- 📋Main Ingredients: Salmon fillets, teriyaki sauce, sesame oil, and seasonings.
- 📖 Dietary Notes: Dairy-free and nut-free.
- ⭐ Why You’ll Love It: These easy air fryer teriyaki salmon bites are quick, flavorful, and give you crispy restaurant-style salmon with minimal effort.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
This sticky teriyaki salmon recipe is great because it works as a super quick dinner or cute appetizer, but doesn’t require a ton of effort. Cutting the salmon into evenly sized cubes helps the edges crisp up quickly in the air fryer while keeping the centers tender and juicy. We love serving them over rice bowls or alongside easy sides like Japanese teriyaki edamame.
Another reason these crispy salmon bites rock is how versatile they are for both weeknight dinners and meal prep lunches. Tossing the salmon in extra teriyaki sauce after cooking helps keep the glaze sticky and flavorful without burning in the air fryer. They also pair perfectly with easy comfort-food sides like these loaded smashed potatoes in the air fryer when we want a quick but filling dinner.
Jump to:
- A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Items and Substitutions
- Flavors To Try
- How To Make Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon Bites
- Helpful Hints
- How To Store Them
- How To Enjoy Them
- Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon Bites FAQs
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- Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon Bites
Items and Substitutions
- Salmon fillet: Fresh salmon works best because it cooks more evenly and crisps up better in the air fryer. However, frozen salmon can still work if fully thawed.
- Teriyaki sauce: Any store-bought sauce works, or you can make your own. If you need the recipe to be gluten-free, though, double-check your sauce.
- Sesame oil: This will give a more authentic taste to the teriyaki salmon, even better if you get a toasted sesame oil.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Tools you’ll need
Before starting the recipe, you’ll want to have all your kitchen essentials ready. I recommend having the following items:
Flavors To Try
Below are a few fun ways to adjust the taste of the homemade teriyaki salmon bites to make them unique when you want something different.
- Switch up the sauce: Try honey garlic, sweet chili, or soy-ginger glaze instead of teriyaki.
- Add heat: Mix in a little sriracha, chili flakes, or gochujang to the sauce for a spicy kick.
- Serve it differently: Enjoy with rice, noodles, salad, or even in lettuce wraps for a lighter option.
- Use other fish: Swap salmon with tuna, cod, or mahi-mahi for a variation on the dish.
How To Make Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon Bites
Step 1: Toss the cubes salmonf into teriyaki sauce and let them soak as long as you can (20-30 minutes is great).
Step 3: Place the salmon bites on a lined sheet and brush each salmon with sesame oil. Sprinkle each salmon with sea salt and black pepper.
Step 3: Air fry the salmon until cooked through, then brush with the remaining homemade teriyaki sauce and sesame oil halfway through cooking.
Step 4: Once the marinated salmon pieces are cooked, transfer them to a serving bowl. Sprinkle teriyaki salmon bites with toasted sesame seeds and serve with slices of fresh cucumber on the side.
Note
Avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket—give the salmon bites space so the hot air can circulate, ensuring they cook evenly and get those crispy edges.
Helpful Hints
Pro tip: Marinate for Flavor!
For the best flavor, let the salmon marinate in the teriyaki sauce for at least 15–20 minutes before air frying, this helps the sauce soak into the fish and makes every bite more flavorful.
More helpful hints:
- Pat the salmon dry before seasoning to help it crisp better in the air fryer.
- Cut the salmon into even-sized pieces so they cook at the same rate.
- Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper (with holes) for easier cleanup.
- Serve immediately after cooking for the crispiest texture and freshest taste.
- Quick hack: Tossing the salmon in extra teriyaki sauce after cooking keeps the glaze sticky and flavorful.
- For dinner, serve the salmon bites over rice with kimchi.
- For an appetizer, serve them on a rectangular serving plate, place cucumber slices, and top with salmon bites on each cucumber, then insert the bamboo skewer in the center. Serve with the homemade teriyaki sauce on the side.
How To Store Them
Store any leftover air fryer teriyaki salmon bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
When you’re ready to reheat, place them back in the air fryer at 350°F for about 3–4 minutes, just until warmed through. This helps maintain their crisp edges without drying them out. You can also use the microwave for a quicker option, but keep in mind the texture will be softer.
How To Enjoy Them
These air fryer glazed salmon bites are easy to serve for quick dinners, rice bowls, or fun appetizer-style meals. Below are a few pairings we enjoy:
- Serve them over jasmine rice with steamed broccoli, snap peas, or cucumber salad for an easy homemade takeout-style dinner.
- Pair them with recipes like these air fryer pineapple chicken skewers for a flavorful party spread or appetizer night.
- Turn the salmon bites into easy lettuce wraps with shredded cabbage, cucumber, and a drizzle of spicy mayo for a lighter dinner option.
Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon Bites FAQs
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes For Busy Families
If you tried this Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon Bites Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes!
Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon Bites
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS:
- 460 grams skinless salmon fillet 16 ounces
- 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt natural salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
SERVING SUGGESTION:
- 1 small cucumber
- 1/8 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 to 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
Instructions
- Pat dry salmon fillet with paper towels and slice into bite-sized chunks, about 1 1/2 inches per piece, 1 inch thick.
- Transfer the cut salmon into a large shallow bowl and pour the homemade teriyaki sauce over each piece.
- Turn each piece of salmon on every side to coat salmon pieces with the homemade teriyaki sauce. Marinate salmon pieces for at least 20 minutes.
- Pre-heat Air Fryer at 379°F (193°C) after marinating the salmon in teriyaki sauce. Set at 8 minutes.
- Slowly transfer the marinated salmon onto a parchment paper-lined Air Fryer tray. Brush each salmon with sesame oil.
- Sprinkle each salmon with sea salt and black pepper.
- Slowly insert the Air Fryer tray with the teriyaki marinated salmon pieces into the middle cooking chamber, near the rotisserie catch, if using an Air Fryer Oven.
- If using an Air Fryer basket, simply arrange the marinated salmon pieces and use the inner basket.
- Air Fry for 8 minutes or until the salmon are cooked at the recommended internal temperature of 145°F (63°C). Salmon bites are slightly charred on the sides and flaky inside.
- Brush with the remaining homemade teriyaki sauce and sesame oil halfway through cooking.
- Once the marinated salmon pieces are cooked, transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle teriyaki salmon bites with toasted sesame seeds and serve with slices of fresh cucumber on the side.
- Alternatively, on a rectangular serving plate, place cucumber slices and top with salmon bites on each cucumber, then insert the bamboo skewer in the center. Serve with the homemade teriyaki sauce on the side.
Notes
- Not all Air Fryers cook the same way. It’s best to keep watch during your initial tests after purchasing.
- Traditionally, sea salt or natural salt is used in Japanese cuisine. If sea salt is not available, kosher salt is an alternative.
- Do not overcook the salmon bites. Air Fryers can greatly vary depending on the brand, and it’s recommended to keep watch after 5 minutes of air frying.
- The use of parchment paper is not only for easy cleanup. It helps retain the teriyaki sauce and sesame oil, which helps the salmon bites to be moist and tender inside.
- Tossing the salmon in extra teriyaki sauce after cooking keeps the glaze sticky and flavorful.
- Salmon cooks quickly in the air fryer, so avoid overcrowding to help the edges crisp properly.
Nutrition
Equipment
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cup
- Kitchen tongs
- Air fryer tray
Super juicy and my kids actually love the sweet sauce. Plus, the air fryer cooks them perfectly.