This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Air Fryer Salmon and Asparagus with a Lemon Dill Sauce is the most quick, easy, satisfying, delicious, and healthy dinner you can make!
Not often can you make a complete meal in less than 30 minutes that not only tastes amazing, but it’s good for you! I was so impressed with how perfect the salmon turned out after cooking in the air fryer.
I have to tell you. Never have I ever waited so long to buy an appliance for my kitchen and then immediately fallen in love with it. No joke.
Salmon is one of those foods that I love to make but I’m sometimes afraid to cook because I don’t want to ruin it. It’s a rather delicate fish. If you cook it too hot or too fast, all of the white fat will ooze out. Yuck. You can cook it too long and it dries out. It’s also easy to over cook and under cook the same filet depending on it’s thickness.
I couldn’t believe how perfect the salmon turned out after cooking in the air fryer. Moist, flaky, and none of the fat oozed out. Perfection!
Cooking tips for air fryer salmon:
- You will want to cook the salmon on parchment paper. Cut the pieces to the same size as your filets. If you don’t use parchment paper, the salmon will stick (I’ve tested this).
- Cook the salmon skin side down.
- Lightly oil the top of the salmon. This will give it a wonderfully crisp top without making it greasy.
- Season with salt and pepper, but don’t add the salt until just before you cook it. Otherwise the salt will draw out moisture and change the texture of the salmon.
Cooking tips for air fryer asparagus:
Let me first say that I was blow away at how perfect the asparagus turned out after cooking in the air fryer. I actually had to compete with my son who kept stealing it off my plate.
- Trim the ends off the bottom of the asparagus. This section is often rough and dried out. I actually had to trim them a bit more than usual to get it to properly fit in the air fryer basket.
- I’ve never peeled my asparagus, but recently got an asparagus peeler. I left the stalk near the tip in tacked, but peeled the asparagus near the base. What a difference!
- You can toss your asparagus in olive oil, however I prefer to lightly coat with olive oil spray. It’s just easier and allows for the lightest coating of oil.
- Try to spread the asparagus into a single layer. If there’s a lot in your basket, pull it out half way through cooking and give it a shake.
The result was perfectly tender, but not mushy, cooked asparagus with crispy tips. SO GOOD!
Why the lemon dill sauce is perfection:
Alone, the salmon and asparagus would make a fine meal, but it really needed something to tie it together.
This lemon dill sauce not only added the tart creamy flavor I was looking for, but the added protein from the Greek yogurt left me feeling even more full and satisfied.
If you want more lemon flavor, add the zest from half a lemon. This will also add a bit of color, making it even more visually appealing.
If the sauce is too tart for you because of the lemon and plain yogurt, keep adding salt until it balances out. Trust me.
Double the recipe and use the leftover salmon to make Salmon Dip or Salmon Patties!
Recommended Salmon Recipes
Love easy salmon recipes? You’ll have to try these. I can’t wait to try some of these other recipes in the air fryer.
- Lemon Basil Salmon Patties
- Crispy Southern Salmon Patties
- Baked Teriyaki Salmon
- Smoked Salmon Spread – I made this with the leftover salmon
- Salmon Cakes with canned salmon
- Cedar Plank Dijon Salmon
- Smoked Salmon Crostini
- Fettuccine with Salmon Dill Cream Sauce
- Perfect Cedar Planked Grilled Salmon
- Lemon Caper Pesto Salmon Pasta
- Smoked Salmon Asparagus Goat Cheese Omelet
- Hot Smoked Salmon
- Salmon Chowder
Easy Asparagus Recipes
If asparagus is in season, be sure to try these tasty recipes.
- Mini Salmon Asparagus Frittatas
- Garlic Parmesan Oven Roasted Asparagus
- Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
- Perfect Garlic Sauteed Asparagus
- Pressure Cooker Asparagus Soup
- Creamy Asparagus Mushroom Orzo
- Asparagus Risotto with Pecorino Romano
Pin this now to save it for later
Pin ItAir Fryer Salmon and Asparagus
Equipment
Ingredients
Salmon filets:
- 12 ounces salmon filet I used fresh Copper River Salmon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil you can also use olive oil
Asparagus:
- 1 pound asparagus fresh, ends trimmed, optional: peel outside layer off base of stems
- 1 teaspoon olive oil I actually prefer olive oil spray
- salt and pepper to taste
Lemon Dill Sauce:
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt plain, whole milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice I used the juice from half a lemon
- 3 cloves roasted garlic smashed into a paste
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill minced
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Cut salmon filets in half. Season with salt and pepper, then brush the tops with oil.
- Cut two pieces of parchment paper the size of the salmon filets and place the salmon on the paper, skin side down, in the air fryer.
- Cook the salmon at 330 degrees F for 15 minutes.
- While the salmon is cooking, prepare the asparagus.
- When the salmon is done, remove the salmon with parchment paper and transfer to a plate. Loosely tent with foil to keep warm.
- Add trimmed asparagus to air fryer basket. Add oil or coat with olive oil spray. Season with salt and pepper. Cook at 400 degrees F for 8 minutes.
- While the asparagus is cooking, prepare the Lemon Dill Sauce by combining all ingredients in a small bowl.
- To serve, plate salmon filets with the aspargus, and some of the sauce (either on top of the salmon or on the side).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Salmon turned out great, but asparagus in air fryer burned and got hard.
Oops, sorry about not reading comments before I put in my two cents! anyway, just started doing a lot of air fryer cooking and this is a great way to cook fish. Thank you!
Very good recipe, thank you! But the white stuff that comes out of salmon when you cook it is not fat; it’s albumin, a protein in the fish that coagulates under heat.
FYI, the white “ooze” is not fat, but coagulated albumin, a protein.
Thank you!!! I did not know. I love my reader’s comments because you guys always educate me. -Krissy
Great salmon dinner recipe!
This came out so tender and the sauce complimented the salmon perfectly!
Oh my gosh, love this. Make for dinner tonight!
This was my first time making salmon in the air fryer and it turned out so good! Thank you!!
I keep hearing such wonderful things about air fryers! I really need to get one because this looks fantastic and so easy to make.