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This Air Fryer Salmon recipe will produce an easy low-carb dinner that’s one of the tastiest things I’ve ever made in the Air Fryer! And if you enjoy cooking salmon at home, I bet you’ll make Air Fryer Salmon over and over, or see suggestions for using the oven if you don’t have an Air Fryer.

PIN the Air Fryer Salmon to try it later!

Air Fryer Salmon with Mustard-Herb Sauce finished salmon on serving plate with sauce and cucumber salad

Air Fryer Salmon served with Mustard-Herb Sauce is today’s Friday Favorites pick, and this is one of the tastiest air fryer recipes I’ve ever made for an easy low-carb dinner! And our salmon pieces (which were slightly small) were perfectly cooked in six minutes!

So even with the time for the salmon to come to room temperature this is one of the quickest and easiest dinners you can imagine. You’ll barely have time to make the Mustard-Herb Sauce while the Air Fryer Salmon cooks but trust me, you MUST make the sauce. The creamy, slightly mustardy sauce with sour cream, mayo, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, chopped parsley, chopped green onion, and dried dill was so delicious on the salmon.

The other thing that made this recipe so tasty was the Szeged Fish Rub (affiliate link) I rubbed on the salmon; I’ve used that for so many years that now I can’t even imagine cooking fish without using it. And just how good was this salmon? I ate a piece of leftover cold salmon with the sauce for breakfast two days in a row!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)

Why is the Air Fryer a great method for cooking Salmon?

Fish literally cooks in minutes in the Air Fryer, and besides being quick it’s so easy and almost foolproof if you’re careful not to overcook the fish. And if you’re cooking in the summer, using this method will keep your kitchen cool.

How low in carbs is this Air Fryer Salmon Recipe?

This recipe for Air Fryer Salmon with Mustard Herb Sauce is not only amazingly delicious, but it only has 1.4 net carbs per serving and 52 grams of protein!

Which Air Fryer Did I Use?

The Cuisinart Convection Air Fryer Toaster Oven (affiliate link) is the one I used for this recipe. This air fryer has a larger basket, which lets me fit four pieces of salmon (it would probably hold six), and I find this model very easy to use. I also like the convenience of having an air fryer that stays out on the counter.

What if you don’t have an Air Fryer?

I’m not trying to convince you to buy an air fryer; you can use the old printer-friendly recipe for Broiled Wild Salmon with Mustard-Mint-Parsley Sauce to cook this in the oven or toaster oven.

What other sauces could you serve with Air Fryer Salmon?

I love sauce on fish and if you don’t make the mustard-herb sauce I’d happily eat this salmon with any of these sauces:

Process photo collage for Easy Low-Carb Air Fryer Salmon with Mustard-Herb Sauce

How to Make Air Fryer Salmon with Mustard-Herb Sauce:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. Thaw salmon overnight in the fridge if frozen.
  2. Drain salmon and pat dry. Then rub each piece with olive oil and Szeged Fish Rub (affiliate link) or your favorite fish rub.
  3. Put salmon on the air fryer rack and let it come to room temperature while you make the sauce.
  4. Finely chop green onions and fresh parsley for the sauce.
  5. Then whisk together sour cream, mayo, Dijon mustard, chopped parsley, chopped green onion, and dried dill.
  6. Cook the fish 6 minutes in the Air Fryer, then check for doneness by pressing down on the fish with a finger. It should feel barely firm but not hard when it’s done. (Our salmon pieces are quite small so thicker fish might take a minute or two longer to cook.)
  7. Serve the Air Fryer Salmon hot, with Mustard-Herb Sauce on the side.

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

The Air Fryer Salmon is shown here with Easy Low-Carb Cucumbers Caesar, which is about perfect for an extra-easy side dish. This salmon would also be delicious with any of these other low-carb salads:

Close-up photo for Easy Low-Carb Air Fryer Salmon with Mustard-Herb Sauce

Want more low-carb and Keto Air Fryer Recipes?

Check out 100 Keto Air Fryer Recipes to see a huge round-up of tasty Air Fryer recipes from Kalyn’s Kitchen and other blogs. (You can also use Air Fryer Recipes to see all the Air Fryer recipes on my site.)

Close-up photo for Easy Low-Carb Air Fryer Salmon with Mustard-Herb Sauce
Yield: 4 servings

Air Fryer Salmon (with Mustard-Herb Sauce)

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 26 minutes

This easy and low-carb Air Fryer Salmon (with Mustard-Herb Sauce) is one of the tastiest things I've cooked in the Air Fryer! 

Ingredients

  • 4 salmon fillets, thawed if frozen
  • 4 tsp. olive oil, for rubbing on salmon (see notes)
  • 2 tsp. fish rub, for rubbing on salmon (see notes.)
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 3 T mayo
  • 1 T Dijon mustard, or slightly more (Start with one tablespoon, then taste to see if you want a bit more.)
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • 1 T finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 T finely chopped green onion
  • 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed

Instructions

  1. Thaw salmon overnight in the fridge if frozen.
  2. When you're ready to cook, drain salmon and pat dry if needed. Then rub each piece with a small amount of olive oil and then with Szeged Fish Rub (affiliate link) (or your favorite fish rub.)
  3. Put salmon on the air fryer rack and let it come to room temperature while you make the sauce.
  4. Finely chop green onions and fresh parsley for the sauce.
  5. Then whisk together sour cream, mayo, Dijon mustard, chopped parsley, chopped green onion, and dried dill. Taste sauce and see if you want a little more Dijon Mustard.
  6. Set Air Fryer to 400F/200C.
  7. Cook the fish 6 minutes, then check for doneness by pressing down on the fish with a finger. It should feel barely firm but not hard when it's done. (Our salmon pieces are quite small so thicker fish might take a minute or two longer to cook.)
  8. Serve the Air Fryer Salmon hot, with Mustard-Herb Sauce on the side.

Notes

Even though the air fryer can cook without oil, using some oil helps the fish rub stick and keeps the salmon moist. Just use enough oil to barely moisten the surface of the fish.

I used Szeged Fish Rub (which I absolutely LOVE), but use your favorite seasoning blend for fish (affiliate link).

The inspiration for this recipe came from Glazed Salmon with Dijon Mustard Sauce at Beyond Salmon.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 613Total Fat 43gSaturated Fat 8.8gUnsaturated Fat 31gCholesterol 157mgSodium 313mgCarbohydrates 1.4gFiber 0.3gSugar 0.7gProtein 51g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

© Kalyn Denny
Category: Air Fryer
Square image for Air Fryer Salmon Recipe showing cooked salmon on plate with mustard-herb sauce and cucumber salad.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Air Fryer Salmon with the Mustard-Herb Sauce is a great dish for low-carb or Keto diet plans, and for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. South Beach would recommend light sour cream and light mayo for the sauce, or use all sour cream if you prefer and it will still be good.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Seafood Recipes or Air Fryer for more recipes like this one!Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe
This Air Fryer Salmon was first posted in 2019, and I have made it over and over since then, even for dinner guests. It was last updated with more information in 2025.

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