Should You Remove the Skin Before Air Frying Salmon?

Air frying salmon has become an increasingly popular way to cook this healthy fish quickly and conveniently. With an air fryer, you can achieve a crispy, flavorful salmon filet in just minutes right on your countertop

But there is always one question about how to prepare salmon for the air fryer: should you leave the skin on or take it off first?

There are good arguments on both sides of this debate Here’s a look at the pros and cons of removing salmon skin before air frying to help you decide what works best for you.

The Case for Leaving the Skin On

One of the best things about air-frying salmon is that leaving the skin on helps the fish keep its shape and moisture. Salmon skin acts as a protective barrier, preventing the delicate fish from overcooking.

The skin also provides added flavor as it renders and crisps up in the hot air. The end result is a beautifully browned, crunchy salmon exterior that contrasts nicely with the tender, flaky interior.

Cooking salmon skin-on allows you to achieve that coveted crispy skin everyone loves. Without the skin, it’s difficult to reproduce the same level of crispy crust on the surface of the fish.

Finally, leaving the skin on makes the salmon much easier to maneuver in the air fryer basket. Bare salmon fillets are prone to sticking and breaking apart, while the skin gives you something sturdy to grab onto.

Reasons to Remove Salmon Skin First

On the other hand, you might want to take off the skin of the salmon before cooking…

Firstly, fish skin contains a high amount of fat. Removing it beforehand slightly lowers the fat and calorie content of the cooked salmon. For those monitoring fat intake or calories, this can make salmon prepared skinless a bit healthier.

Without its protective skin, salmon does cook faster in the air fryer. The cooking time may need to be reduced by a couple minutes if the skin has been taken off.

Lastly, removing salmon skin before cooking guarantees none of it ends up on your plate if you or your guests don’t want to eat it. There’s no need to pick it off afterwards.

The skin is easy to grab onto with tongs or your fingers and peel off the raw salmon fillet. A sharp boning knife helps slice neatly under the skin to remove it.

Weighing the Pros and Cons

As you can see, there are good points to be made on both sides of the salmon skin debate. Here are a few factors to consider when deciding what will work best for your needs:

• Do you enjoy the taste and texture of crispy salmon skin? Leaving it on may provide the best results.

• Are you cooking for someone who dislikes fish skin? Taking it off ahead of time eliminates the need to remove it later.

• Are you closely monitoring fat or calories? Skinless salmon is slightly leaner.

• Do you want foolproof salmon that stays in one piece? The skin helps with that.

• Do you want faster cooking time? Removing the skin slightly reduces cook time.

My Recommendation

After air frying salmon both ways many times, my recommendation would be to leave the skin on while cooking.

I’ve found the pros – easier handling, added flavor, moisture retention, and achieving crispy skin – outweigh the small fat and time reductions of skinless salmon.

The skin peels off very easily after cooking if you or your guests prefer to eat the salmon without it. So you can get the best of both worlds – crispy skin for those who want it removed for those who don’t.

However, if you strongly prefer skinless salmon or need to limit fat, then removing the skin beforehand is reasonable. Keep a close eye on doneness since the fish will cook faster without its protective layer.

Tips for Crispy Salmon Skin

If you do leave the skin on, here are a few tips to get the crispiest air fryer salmon skin possible:

• Pat the skin very dry before cooking – moisture will prevent it from crisping up.

• Brush or rub a thin layer of oil over the skin – just enough to lightly coat.

• Choose a fattier salmon cut like belly or fillet with the pin bones in. More fat under the skin equals crispier skin.

• Cut slits through the skin side before cooking to allow rendering fat to escape.

• Cook at a high temperature, around 390oF to really crisp and brown the exterior.

• If skin doesn’t crisp enough initially, take fillets out once cooked through and put just the skins back in for 2-3 minutes.

Follow these tips and your air fryer salmon will deliver deliciously crispy, crackly skin every time. Just be sure not to overcook the fish itself – use a thermometer and remove at 135oF for the best texture.