Stuffed salmon cooked in the air fryer is a mouthwatering dish that is both tasty and healthy. The salmon fillet is stuffed with a delicious mixture of herbs, spices, and vegetables, then cooked in the air fryer to create a crispy, golden-brown crust on the outside while keeping the fish moist and juicy on the inside. Without using extra oil or butter, the air fryer makes sure that the fish is uniformly cooked and delightfully crispy. And the extra addition of shrimps and crab make the taste extra delicious. The result is a dish that is flavorful and enjoyable with additional health advantages from lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Eating Salmon?
Salmon is a nutrient-dense meal to have, It is enriched in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids help in the recovery of blood clots that may cause heart attacks. It is also a great source of selenium, phosphorus, and vitamin B. It contains lower amounts of saturated fats and cholesterol as well.
Salmon is particularly high in selenium, a nutrient that helps in reproductive health and improves metabolism. So there is no doubt that easting salmon brings plenty of health benefits and is a sure dish to have occasionally.
How To Cook Stuffed Salmon In Air Fryer?
Ingredients
4 medium size salmon filet
½ tsp kosher or pink salt
1 tsp Black pepper
2 ounces of cream cheese
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
4 ounces shrimps
4 ounces of crab meat
1 tsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
½ tsp red chili
Olive oil spray
1 tbsp lemon juice
Equipment
Glass bowl
Cutting board
Step-By-Step Cooking Guide
Step-1: Take out salmon from the fridge and wash it. Then let it dry. You can also use paper towels to dry salmon fillets.
Step-2: Take the shrimp and cook them lightly on a pan for 4 mins in olive oil. After cooking the shrimp in a pan, cook bell peppers in the same pan in the same oil for 3 mins.
Step-3: Once shrimps are cooked, let them cool down. Then cut the shrimp into small mince-like pieces.
Take a glass bowl and add ingredients one by one. First add crab meat, cream cheese, lemon juice, mayonnaise, shrimp mince, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix all of them. Now add spices one by one to this mixture. Start with salt, black pepper, red chili, parsley, and lemon juice.
Step-4: Now apply the mixture to one salmon fillet. Normally 2 tbsp of the mixture should be enough. After adding the mixture now place another salmon fillet on the first fillet just like a sandwich.
Step-5: With four salmon fillets, you can make two stuffed salmon fillets as shown in the image below.
Step-6: Preheat the air fryer to 400 F for 5 mins. Once it is preheated now spray it with cooking oil. Place the stuffed salmon fillets in the air fryer basket and brush the salmon fillets with butter and sprinkle a pinch of red chili, paprika, and black pepper on them.
Set the temperature to 370 F for 8 mins. After that cook again for 5 mins at 400 F temperature. And that’s it, your stuffed salmon will be ready. Serve and enjoy.
How Long Does It Take To Cook Stuffed Salmon In Air Fryer?
Stuffed salmon can be done in 10 mins in the air fryer. But I like to do it differently; first I cook it for 8 mins at 370 F and once it is done I like to cook it again at a higher temperature of 400 F for 5 mins. This way it gets cooked more evenly and the result is more crispy and well done.
What To Serve With Stuffed Salmon
You can serve plenty of dishes with stuffed salmon. It can be paired with a variety of sides to create a satisfying meal. Below are some ideas for what to serve with stuffed salmon:
Roasted vegetables: Roasted vegetables, such as asparagus, carrots, green beans, or brussels sprouts, are a healthy and flavorful side that pairs well with stuffed salmon.
Salad: The richness of the salmon can be contrasted by a light, flavorful salad that offers a range of textures and tastes.
Mashed potatoes: A conventional side dish like mashed potatoes can be a cozy accent to the flavors of the salmon.
Storage & Reheating Guide
Salmon is a fish that can stay well in the freezer for quite a long up to 3 months if frozen properly. If you vacuum seal it, it will last for an additional one more month. But this duration is for raw salmon not cooked salmon.
If you have leftovers, you can store them in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 days. You can also freeze them in an air-tight container for 1 month. But I don’t recommend freezing cooked salmon for that long time, it’s best to store it only for a couple of days and consume it.
Properly seal it in an airtight container and place it in your freezer. But I would recommend for the best taste, don’t freeze it for too long. The more time passes, the less delicious and nutritious it will be.
Reheating leftover stuffed salmon is also simple. If you haven’t frozen it and have placed it in the fridge. Simply take it out and put it in the preheated air fryer. Place it in the air fryer for 5 mins at 350 F.
How To Prevent Salmon From Sticking To The Air Fryer Basket?
There are two ways you can prevent your stuffed salmon from sticking to the air fryer basket. First is to add 1 tbsp of oil to the stuffed mixture made in step 3 above.
The second way is to spray the air fryer basket with a thin layer of oil before cooking salmon in the air fryer. This will help to overcome stickiness during cooking.
Also, avoid overcrowding your air fryer basket, it also aids in the prevention of stickiness.
Can You Cook Stuffed Salmon In The Oven?
Yes, you can. But it will take twice as much time as it would take in an air fryer.
Preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C). Make a slit on the top of each fillet, and prepare salmon by stuffing it with the herbs, spices, and vegetables of your choice. You can also use the mixture of ingredients in the way I have told you in this recipe.
Put the filled salmon fillets on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Bake it for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C). Remove the salmon from the oven and allow it to rest for a few minutes before serving.
Should You Remove Salmon Skin Before Air Frying?
It depends on your personal preference. Most people like to remove salmon skin from fillets. But it is also okay to cook stuffed salmon with skin. Because salmon skin can be tasty and crispy when cooked, and it also contains healthy fats and nutrients.
If you prefer to eat the skin, you can leave it on the salmon fillet before air frying. Just be sure to season it well and coat it with a small amount of oil to help it crisp up.
If you don’t like the taste or texture of salmon skin, you can remove it before air frying. To do this, use a sharp knife to gently separate the skin from the flesh of the salmon, starting at the tail end and working your way towards the head.
How To Judge If Stuffed Salmon Is Cooked?
If you have been cooking for some time, you don’t need any specific tricks to know whether it’s cooked on not. The shape itself gives a very clear picture that whether it is cooked or not. Cooked salmon will give a brown to golden texture. You can also check with your knife, if it’s nice and flakey, it means it’s cooked and ready to be served.
You can also check it using a temperature thermometer, a safe-to-eat salmon should have an internal temperature of 145 F according to USDA.
Recipe: Shrimp & Crab Stuffed Salmon In Air Fryer
Equipment
- Glass Bowl
- Cutting board
Ingredients
- 4 Fillets Medium size salmon filet
- 1/2 tsp Kosher or pink salt
- 1 tsp Black pepper
- 2 Oz Cream cheese
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 4 Oz Shrimps
- 4 Oz Crab meat
- 1 tsp Mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 tsp Red chili
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- Olive oil spray
Instructions
- Take out salmon from the fridge and wash it. Then let it dry. You can also use paper towels to dry salmon fillets.
- Take the shrimp and cook them lightly on a pan for 4 mins in olive oil.
- After cooking the shrimp in a pan, cook bell peppers in the same pan in the same oil for 3 mins.
- Once shrimps are cooked, let them cool down. Then cut the shrimp into small mince-like pieces.
- Take a glass bowl and add ingredients one by one. First add crab meat, cream cheese, lemon juice, mayonnaise, shrimp mince, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix all of them.
- Now add spices one by one to this mixture. Start with salt, black pepper, red chili, parsley, and lemon juice.
- Now apply the mixture to one salmon fillet. Normally 2 tbsp of the mixture should be enough. After adding the mixture now place another salmon fillet on the first fillet just like a sandwich.
- With four salmon fillets, you can make two stuffed salmon fillets. Check how it is done in below image.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 F for 5 mins. Once it is preheated now spray it with cooking oil.
- Place the stuffed salmon fillets in the air fryer basket and brush the salmon fillets with butter and sprinkle a pinch of red chili, paprika, and black pepper on them.
- Set the temperature to 370 F for 8 mins.
- After that cook again for 5 mins at 400 F temperature. And that’s it, your stuffed salmon will be ready.
- Serve and enjoy.
Nutrition
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