Six ingredients and 15 minutes for a cheesy salmon dinner? Sign us the heck up, please. Our new favourite way to cook Garlic Parmesan Salmon is light on prep, but big on flavour. Oh, and cheese. Yes, big on the cheese.
Garlic and parmesan go together like bread and butter. Or… like bread and garlic. Or garlic and butter. Point is, we love garlic, and it goes in everything.
This easy recipe for salmon in the air fryer doesn’t involve any fancy techniques, no finnicky breadcrumbs or anything like that. The parmesan cheese melts and creates a natural crispy crust on the salmon while the minced garlic adds flavour and texture. It’s really a match made in heaven.
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Ingredients
A few important notes on some of the ingredients used in this Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Salmon recipe:
Salmon Fillets: We use two small salmon fillets, around 4 to 6 ounces each. You can do skin-on or skinless. The photos below show skinless salmon but if you’re using skin-on salmon, just apply the cheese, garlic, and seasonings to the side without skin.
Do you have salmon steaks instead of fillets? Check out our Garlic Pan-Seared Salmon Steak recipe.
Parmesan Cheese: Shredded or grated, please. We prefer grating our own Parmigiano Reggiano, it melts beautifully and has such a strong flavour. Grana Padano is a great substitute and often cheaper too. But in a pinch, the stuff in the shaker will do, too.
Garlic: Well duh. You’re on the garlic blog. Use 5 to 6 cloves of minced garlic for these bad boys. They don’t need to be chopped super fine, a rough dice is enough.
Italian Seasoning: Optional, but adds some extra flavour. If you’re feeling bold, you can switch it up and go beyond Italian—may we suggest Berbere Seasoning for a spicy Ethiopian kick?
See recipe card for quantities.
Directions
- Step 1. Preheat the air fryer to 400 °F. Salt and pepper both sides of the salmon fillets and lay them on a sheet of aluminium foil.
- Step 2. Sprinkle garlic, Italian seasoning, and cheese evenly over each piece of salmon.
- Step 3. Bring the sides of the aluminum foil over the salmon and fold them together so that the top of the foil covers the salmon. This allows the cheese to melt without being blown around and making a mess inside the air fryer.
- Step 4. Air fry for 10 minutes. Halfway through, open up the foil packet to let the cheese brown and crisp up. No need to flip. Once the air fryer turns off, use a spatula to remove the salmon fillets from the foil and serve.
Hint: If you’re using skin-on salmon, apply the cheese, garlic, and seasonings to the side without skin.
Equipment
We tested this Garlic Parmesan Salmon recipe in the Ninja Foodi and Gourmia Air Fryer, but any other air fryer will do just fine.
If you don't have an air fryer, a conventional oven will work too, but you may have to adjust the cooking time.
Storage Tips
Fridge: Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to four days.
Freezer: Freeze cooked salmon for up to three months.
Reheating: You can use the air fryer to reheat leftover garlic parmesan salmon. Line your air fryer tray with a piece of tin foil, then pop the salmon into the air fryer on 325 °F for 3 minutes (8 minutes if reheating directly from frozen).
Prep Ahead: Season and package the salmon into the foil packets, then store them (uncooked) for 1 day in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. For cooking these salmon directly from frozen, add 8 minutes to the cook time.
More Cheesy Garlic Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
What to Serve with Garlic Parmesan Salmon
These are my favorite side dishes to serve with Garlic Parmesan Salmon:
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a rating or comment below to give me feedback and help out other readers.
Recipe Card
Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Salmon
Ingredients
- 2 small salmon fillets 4 to 6 ounces
- 6 cloves minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste *see Note 1
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 °F.
- Salt and pepper both sides of 2 small salmon fillets and lay them on a sheet of aluminium foil.
- Sprinkle 6 cloves minced garlic, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, and ½ cup grated parmesan cheese evenly over each fillet.
- Bring the sides of the aluminum foil together and crease them together so that the top of the foil covers the salmon. This allows the cheese to melt without being blown around and making a mess inside the air fryer.
- Air fry for 10 minutes. Halfway through, open up the foil to let the cheese brown and crisp up. No need to flip.
- Once the air fryer turns off, use a spatula to remove the salmon from the foil and serve.
Notes
- Cheese: I recommend using freshly grated parmesan cheese to create a melty crust over the salmon. You can also use other cheeses for a different flavour—I like grana padano or provolone!
- Salt and Pepper: Adjust this to your preference. I do ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper per salmon fillet.
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