Air Fryer Recipe
Air Fryer Blackened Cajun Salmon
A delicious and easy-to-make blackened Cajun salmon recipe, perfect for air frying.
Ingredients
- 2 salmon fillets
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Method
- Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels.
- Rub olive oil over the salmon fillets.
- Generously sprinkle Cajun seasoning over the salmon, ensuring even coverage.
- Preheat the air fryer to 180°C (356°F) for about 3 minutes.
- Place the seasoned salmon fillets in the air fryer basket, skin-side down.
- Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.
- Serve with lemon wedges.
Why this works in an air fryer
Drying the salmon lets the oil bind the Cajun spices into a thin surface paste. The air fryer’s fast convection then toasts that spice layer while rendering fat from the skin side, giving a blackened crust without needing pan contact or excess oil.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 4–6 litre basket holding two average fillets with space between them; in a single-drawer model, place them centrally, not touching, while in a dual-zone model cook one fillet per drawer and start checking 1 minute earlier as smaller drawers can brown faster.
Common pitfalls
- Spice crust is black and bitter before the salmon flakes? The drawer is running hot or the seasoning contains sugar; drop to 170°C next time and finish for 2–3 minutes longer.
- Seasoning looks patchy or slides off in wet clumps? The fillets were still damp; blot more thoroughly and apply oil as a very thin film before adding the Cajun mix.
- White albumin beads appearing heavily on the surface by minute 6? The salmon is being pushed too hard; check early, remove when just opaque in the centre, and reduce the next batch by 1–2 minutes.
- Skin is soft and greasy underneath? Air cannot circulate below or the fillets are too close; leave a clear gap around each piece and avoid liners that block the basket holes.
Variations & substitutions
- Use skinless salmon fillets, but reduce the cooking time by about 1 minute as there is no skin layer insulating the underside.
- Swap Cajun seasoning for blackening spice or jerk seasoning; check the label for sugar, as sweeter blends darken faster and may need 170°C instead of 180°C.
- Use thicker centre-cut fillets and add 2–3 minutes, checking the centre rather than relying only on surface colour.
- Replace salmon with trout fillets for a slightly leaner result; they usually cook a little faster, so start checking at 6–7 minutes.
Storage & reheating
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat in the air fryer at 160°C for 3–4 minutes until just warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
