Orange Glazed Air Fryer Salmon Bites

We bet you can’t eat just one! These quick and easy Orange Glazed Air Fryer Salmon Bites are crispy, yet succulent, with an addictive sticky sweet & spicy orange sauce that coats each morsel. With a perfect balance of zesty citrus, runny honey and a fiery kick from the chili garlic sauce, this orange salmon marinade takes this recipe to a whole new level.

But that’s not all! These salmon bites cook up in just about 6 minutes making them perfect for a busy weekday meal or crowd-pleasing Asian appetizer. In addition, we will be sharing our secret way to effortlessly remove skin from salmon with our quick and easy video demonstration. Lastly, these salmon nuggets are made without breading and are entirely gluten-free when made with either tamari sauce or coconut aminos.

So, let’s turn fish haters into fish lovers with this quick and easy air fried salmon recipe.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Air Fryer Instructions
• The Irresistible Orange Glaze
• Salmon Skin On or Off?
• How to Remove Salmon Skin
• Breading-Free Salmon Nuggets
• How to Serve Salmon Bites
• Recipe Tips
• Storage Instructions
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
• More Air Fryer Recipes
• More Salmon Recipes
• Orange Glazed Air Fryer Salmon Bites

Ingredients

Salmon – Use the thicker portion of the fillet for the best salmon bites. Wild caught is preferred to farmed. Fresh is best but you can also use frozen fillets. Choose your favorite type and one in your budget.

• King (Chinook) is highest in fat and in cost. 
• Sockeye is redder in color and leaner and from the Pacific.
• Coho (Silver Salmon) from the Pacific have a little less oil but are brighter in color compared to Atlantic.
• Atlantic salmon are usually farm-raised but are less expensive.

If you can’t find salmon, try mackerel, or black cod which are both high in omega-3 fatty acids.

Oranges or Mandarin Oranges – or even try blood oranges when in season - fresh juice and zest

Lime or Lemon – fresh juice and zest

Garlic and Ginger – fresh or dried ground spices.

Soy sauce – or tamari or coconut aminos to keep this recipe gluten-free.

Sesame Oil – and a little light flavored oil to prevent sticking to the air fryer grates.

Garlic Chili Sauce or Sriracha Sauce – to give this recipe a little spicy kick. Alternatively, you can add a little dash of dried red pepper flakes or even fresh chili peppers.

Honey – or maple syrup or other sugar alternatives of choice.

Air Fryer Instructions

• Remove the salmon skin, if desired, and cut it into 1.5-inch cubes. Ours look more like rectangles. (smiling)

• Make the orange salmon marinade. Zest and juice the oranges and limes. Then, stir in garlic, ginger, soy sauce (tamari or coconut aminos), sesame oil, garlic chili sauce and honey.

• Add ½ of the orange salmon marinade to the patted dry salmon cubes. Reserve the other half of the marinade for the glaze.

• Place the marinated salmon nuggets in a lightly oil sprayed air fryer basket or tray. Air fry salmon bites at 400° F (204° C) for about 6 to 8 minutes or until easily flakes with a fork or the internal temperature is 145° F (62° C). Turn the salmon or shake the basket halfway through the cooking process.

• In the meantime, reduce the other half of the orange marinade by half or until thick and bubbly.
• Drizzle the orange glaze over the air fried salmon bites. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions, if desired, and enjoy.

The Irresistible Orange Glaze

Have you tried our mandarin orange chicken? Then you will know how delicious the natural sweetness of oranges and zest from citrus can brighten up any dish. You are going to love this orange glaze over air fryer fish bites because it’s completely balanced. Actually, make extra because it is so good over air fryer ham, drizzled on roasted carrots or even duck.

FLAVOR	INGREDIENT
Sweet	oranges and touch of honey
Sour	limes
Spicy	garlic chili sauce
Savory	soy sauce or gluten free tamari/coconut aminos
Aromatic	garlic and ginger
Citrusy	orange and lime zest

Salmon Skin On or Off?

Should you keep the skin on or off the salmon before air frying? The easiest way to solve this debate is to look at the pros and cons of each and you be the judge. We prefer to take the skin off when cooking fish in the air fryer.

Leaving the Skin on

Pro’s

• Saves time.
• No need to flip the salmon.
• Protects the fish from drying out.

Con’s

• Higher probability that that one side of the salmon will not get browned.
• The skin may stick to the air fryer tray.
• Skin will not be truly crispy.  If you want to eat the salmon skin as a crispy snack, you will need to air fry the skins separately from the salmon flesh.
• Might not be aesthetically pleasing to those that are not true fish fans.

Removing Skin

Pro’s

• Easier to eat because you do not have to remove the skin first.
• This method is more appealing to those finicky eaters.
• The salmon nugget gets crispy on all sides.

Con’s

• It takes a little more time. However, with our quick and easy hack shown in our video below, you will have the skin off in less than 5 minutes.
• Be extra careful not to overcook the salmon. The skin acts as a heat barrier and keeps it moist.

How to Remove Salmon Skin

Removing the skin to make fish bites can be done in a couple of different ways.

1. Ask your fish monger to remove the skin for you.
2. The knife method is where you lay the salmon skin side down and flesh side up and run your sharp knife between the skin and flesh. This can be tricky as it takes some skill. In addition, if you are not monitoring what you are doing you can inadvertently take off too much of the salmon flesh.
3. We chose to use the Hand method to remove the skin.
4. Lay the salmon flesh side down on a cutting board and the skin side up.
5. With a sharp knife or your fingers, pull up the edge of the skin and hold it with one hand. Use the knife or your other hand to hold the salmon fillet down on the cutting board. Then, pull the skin back with a light side to side motion to help peel the skin away from the flesh.

In either method, sometimes you need to remove a little extra brown fish flesh (bloodline) located next to the skin with a sharp knife. Although you can eat the bloodline, it has a little stronger flavor - so the choice is yours.

Breading-Free Salmon Nuggets

We are all about keeping things simple, healthy, and less messy in the kitchen. The air fryer can help you do this by making the salmon edges crispy while keeping the interior is flaky and succulent - and your kitchen clean. No messy breading stations and it is happily gluten-free. Say goodbye to greasy stovetops and extra dishes to clean up.

How to Serve Salmon Bites

Can you keep a secret? We have been eating orange glazed salmon bites, one right after the other, straight off the air fryer tray. They are just that good. (smiling) Alternatively, you may like to try these other ways to serve air fried salmon bites.

• Serve air fryer salmon bites with rice and stir-fried fresh veggies or make an Asian style buddha bowl.
• Grab a few skewers or toothpicks and serve them up as an appetizer with extra orange glaze dipping sauce on the side.
• Try them in a green salad. Add orange segments and toss with a lemon balsamic vinaigrette
• Bring on Taco Tuesday with an Asian flare. Enjoy salmon bites in a hard or soft shell and top with an Asian coleslaw, spicy garlic pickles and enjoy.
• Add these orange glazed salmon bites to a sandwich, slider bun or Chinese bao (bread).

Recipe Tips

• Cut salmon into uniform sized pieces. In addition, use the thick center cut of the salmon fillet. You can save the thin odd, shaped pieces for Thai Salmon Curry.
• Pat the salmon bites dry with a paper towel before air frying. This ensures a crispy result.
• Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket. Make sure that the salmon bites have room for the air to flow around them. Do not overlap the fish slices.
• Do not overcook! Start checking on your air fryer salmon bites at the 3-to-4-minute mark. Turn salmon or shake the basket, depending on the type of air fryer you have. As soon as the fish flakes easily, are golden brown or have reached 145°F (62° C)- they are done cooking.
• You can make the Asian orange marinade up to 3 days in advance for an easy meal prep idea.
• Do not marinate the salmon for longer than 10 to 15 minutes. The acid from the citrus will start to “cook” the fish, like a ceviche recipe, if left on longer.

Storage Instructions

If you have leftover air fryer orange glazed salmon, lucky you! You may want to hide these delectable bites under the broccoli. No one will ever look there. Then when you want a snack or tomorrow for lunch – your orange glazed salmon bites will be there waiting for you.

Once salmon bites are cooked, they can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Simplify dinner! This salmon recipe is fast and easy for busy back to school days and crazy busy workdays.  Perfect for the days you really do not feel like cooking but want a cozy healthy dinner.

Don’t worry if you are late hopping on the air fryer bandwagon!  Start today, to create extra crispy salmon bites without all the mess of frying.

More Air Fryer Recipes

More Salmon Recipes

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