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These delicious salmon bites are little flavor bombs, with a touch of sweetness and a whole lot of spice. They’re quick and easy to make, high in protein, and delightfully light and flaky. Perfect as an appetizer for your next party, or serve them over rice or a salad for a tasty weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Check out the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and specific measurements.
Salmon Filets
I love a center-cut fillet of Atlantic salmon — so flaky and tender. Atlantic salmon has a rich fat content which allows it to withstand longer cooking times and makes it more forgiving if overcooked. Plus, it’s a more budget-friendly choice compared to wild salmon. All commercially available Atlantic salmon is farmed, but don’t worry — farming practices have come a long way. With advancements in sustainability and care, there’s no need to hesitate. Pacific Salmon is typically wild and will work well too, but they’re often thinner. Just adjust the size of the cubes and possibly reduce the cooking time accordingly.
Hot Honey
Mike’s Hot Honey is my favorite. Yum! Who doesn’t love the combo of spicy and sweet? This blend has become quite popular and is available in most grocery stores. However, feel free to make your own with your favorite honey and hot sauce!
Seasonings
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder and Smoked Paprika. Don’t forget that seasonings start to lose their flavor after about 6 months. Fresh is best.
Sesame Seeds
White or black will do. This is to garnish on the plate.
Lime
A little citrus to squeeze over the bites.
Instructions
Check out the recipe card for all instructions and tips.
Preheat the Air Fryer
Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
Thaw Salmon
Thaw, if needed. Ideally, you would thaw your salmon in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours before preparing it. If time is an issue, you can place the salmon in a plastic bag and place it into a cool bowl of water, replacing the water every 30 minutes until the salmon is thawed. Salmon is thawed and ready to cook when you can bend the filet without breaking it.
Prepare the Salmon
Remove the skin. Pro Tip! Ask your fishmonger to remove the skin! Chop the salmon into 1-inch squares and place them in a medium bowl. Pat the salmon cubes dry — this helps the seasoning stick better.
Season the Salmon
Add olive oil to the salmon tossing until each piece is coated evenly. Add the seasonings and, again, gently mix until each piece is coated.
Add Salmon to Air Fryer & Baste
Line the bottom of the air fryer basket with parchment paper. Pro Tip! Only do this just before adding the salmon — helps to avoid the paper catching on fire. Place the salmon pieces in the lined basket, keeping about 1 inch of space between them, basting each piece with the hot honey mixture.
Cook
Total cook time for the salmon will be 6 to 8 minutes, flipping and basting with hot honey sauce halfway through. Depending on how big your air fryer is, you may need to cook your salmon bites in batches.
Cool and Serve
Remove the salmon from the air fryer and let them cool for 2 to 3 minutes before serving. Enjoy your deliciously crispy and spicy salmon bites!
Can I Make These Breaded
Of course! You will simply need to add the following after seasoning the chopped salmon.
Panko Breadcrumbs
A crunchy breadcrumb, non-seasoned, is best. No old panko breadcrumbs from the back of the cabinet.
Mayonnaise
Duke’s mayonnaise is my favorite hands down. But whatever you have on hand will do.
Other Ideas for Cooking This Recipe
Bake the Salmon Bites
To make these delicious salmon bites in oven, follow these steps.
- Preheat the Oven. Set your oven to 400 degrees.
- Prepare the Baking Sheet. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange the Salmon. Place the salmon bites in an even layer on the baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch of space between each piece.
- Position the Pan. Place the baking sheet about 6 inches from the heat source.
- Cook the Salmon. Bake for 10 minutes, flipping the bites halfway through and basting with more hot honey.
- Broil. After 10 minutes, turn on the broiler and cook for an additional 2 minutes for a nice, crispy finish.
- Remove and Serve. Let the salmon bites cool for about two or three minutes. Serve and enjoy!
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Pin ItGrill the Salmon Bites
To make these spicy salmon bites on the grill, follow these steps.
- Heat the Grill. Preheat the grill to 400 degrees.
- Prepare the Salmon. Evenly distribute the salmon bites on a wire rack.
- Grill the Salmon. Place the wire rack on the grill over indirect heat.
- Monitor Temperature. Grill the salmon bites until they reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees, which should take about 10 minutes.
- Remove and Serve. Let the salmon bites cool for about two or three minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Make These Gluten-Free
This one is already gluten-free — unless you are adding mayo and panko bread crumbs. If so, you will need to choose gluten-free options for these two items. Surprisingly, most mayonnaises are already gluten-free. Gluten-free bread crumbs will be needed too.
Make Ahead & How To Store
Prep ahead or store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 or 2 days. When ready to enjoy them again, air fry at 360°F (182°C) for 6 minutes or oven broiler on low for 3 to 4 minutes.
Delicious Ideas to Serve With Hot Honey Salmon Bites
- Bowl of Rice
- Spinach Salad
- Cucumber Salad
- Roasted Veggies
- In a Wrap
Sauce to Dip Salmon Bites In
- Sriracha Mayo
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Chipotle Sauce
Pro Tips!
Dry Is Good
Pat the salmon cubes dry before seasoning. This helps the seasoning stick better.
Avoid The Crowd
Avoid overcrowding the air fryer or baking sheet. Cook in batches if necessary.
Be Gentle
Use a light touch when tossing the seasoned salmon to prevent the cubes from falling apart.
Check The Temp
Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. The salmon should reach 145°F.
Hot Honey Salmon Bites
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Parchment Paper
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring Cups
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Atlantic Salmon
- 2 tbsp. Mike’s Hot Honey
- ½ tsp. Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp. Onion Powder
- 1 tsp. Smoked Paprika
- Salt to taste
Optional
- 2 tbsp. Mayonnaise
- ½ c. Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1 tbsp. Sesame Seeds to garnish
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Instructions
Thaw Salmon
- Thaw, if needed. Ideally, you would thaw your salmon in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours before preparing it. If time is an issue, you can place the salmon in a plastic bag and place it into a cool bowl of water, replacing the water every 30 minutes until the salmon is thawed. Salmon is thawed and ready to cook when you can bend the filet without breaking it.
Preheat the Air Fryer
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees.
Prepare Salmon
- Remove the skin. Pro Tip! Ask your fishmonger to remove the skin! Chop the salmon into 1-inch squares. Pat the salmon cubes dry — this helps the seasoning stick better. Place them in a medium bowl.
Season the Salmon
- Add olive oil to the salmon tossing until each piece is coated evenly. Add the seasonings and, again, gently mix until each piece is coated.
Add Salmon to Air Fryer & Baste
- Line the bottom of the air fryer basket with parchment paper. Pro Tip! Only do this just before adding the salmon — helps to avoid the paper catching on fire. Place the salmon pieces in the lined basket, keeping about 1 inch of space between them, basting each piece with the hot honey mixture.
Cook
- Total cook time for the salmon will be 6 to 8 minutes, flipping and basting with hot honey sauce halfway through. Depending on how big your air fryer is, you may need to cook your salmon bites in batches.
Cool and Serve
- Remove the salmon from the air fryer and let them cool for 2 to 3 minutes before serving. Enjoy your deliciously crispy and spicy salmon bites!
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks delicious! I’m going to make it tonight!