Prep Time: 10 minutes – 1 hour
(You can cook immediately, or let marinate one hour for peak flavor)
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes – 1 hour 20 minutes
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Of the many ways to marinate and season salmon, blackened is my favorite. If it looks slightly burnt, you did it right! This is because you are not blackening the actual meat and overcooking it; you’re only blackening and crisping the seasoned layer.
My homemade sweet and blackened salmon bite recipe is not traditional; I make cayenne pepper an optional ingredient. I also add a couple of spices to the mix, along with a liquid marinade. This recipe truly is ONE OF A KIND!
GOOD NEWS: If your child loves seafood, this recipe has been KID APPROVED!
I have a son who is on the spectrum, aka awesomely autistic. I have had quite a time trying to introduce a variety of textures and flavors to him, and he absolutely LOVES this recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 medium Salmon Filets (fresh or frozen)
- 2 TSP Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 TSP Red Wine Vinegar
- 1-2 TSP Honey OR Substitute
- 1-2 TSP Black Pepper
- 1 Heaping TSP Onion Powder
- 1 Heaping TSP Garlic Powder
- 1 Heaping TSP Paprika
- 1-2 TSP Basil
- 1 Heaping TSP Oregano
- 1 Heaping TSP Thyme
- 1 Heaping TSP Ground Mustard
- 1 TSP Cayenne Pepper – Optional
(I leave it out for gut and health reasons)
- 1 TSP Teriyaki Sauce
- 1/2 TSP Soy Sauce
- 2 TSP Veggie Based Cooking Oil (I use avocado oil)
- 1/2 TSP Kosher Salt
Let’s Get Started…
First, preferably using a filet knife, cut your fresh, or thawed, salmon into bite sizes.
Take all the dry seasonings from the ingredient list and blend them together in a small bowl or cup.
(After blending, I set aside a portion of the dry mixture, so I can sprinkle it on right before cooking)
NOW, add the rest of the ingredient list (wet ingredients) to your dry seasoning mixture, and blend well.
In a bowl or zip-up bag, combine your salmon cuts and marinade (seasoning mixture).
Stir or shake your salmon cuts until they are evenly smothered in seasoning.
You can either cook them now or set them in the refrigerator to marinate for an hour.
Place your seasoned or hour-long marinated salmon bites evenly into the air fryer.
If you set some dry seasoning aside, like I mentioned earlier, sprinkle it on while rotating and repeating.
(This helps to ensure that blackened crisp experience)
Set your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cook your salmon bites for 10 minutes.
That’s it; your sweet and blackened salmon bites are ready!
This recipe goes great as an appetizer or entree. I like to eat mine as an energizing and healthy meal, on a plate with fresh veggie and fruit cuts. My son loves to eat these salmon bites as a snack (although, he eats enough for a meal).
Seasoning Hack!
If you don’t have thyme, basil, oregano, garlic, all four, or just want to save time, use Italian seasoning! Ingredients may vary, depending on the brand, but most come with garlic, thyme, oregano, basil, and a couple more seasonings (rosemary, parsley and sometimes marjoram). This serves as a perfect improvision, solution, or addition!
About This Recipe
First and foremost, I love any recipe that is air fryer friendly! As you’ve noticed, most of the recipes I create are air fryer recipes. As a mom of four and lover to one, I have a big picky family. I, on the other hand, am not picky. As I’ve said before, I have a sensitive gut, but also need new and good variety in my lunches. That is where the true inspiration for my recipes comes from. I do like beef, and you’ll see a beef recipe come up from time to time, but I must limit my intake. With that being said, I also have chicken and seafood recipes that can be made with beef or pork. Simply substitute the meat ingredient for your preferred choice. That’s the wonderful thing about recipes; they are just baselines. You can turn any recipe into your own. You can also enhance a recipe by adding ingredients or cooking it in a different way.
Have you heard of blackened seasoning or blackened salmon before? You can purchase blackened seasoning but making it from scratch is much more fun! The ingredient list that I provided gives every ingredient to blackened seasoning, plus a few more. These extras certainly don’t ruin the blackened seasoning experience, but rather enhance it. I like to say, “if it looks burnt, you did it right.” Nothing is burnt, aside from some pieces of seasoning. When cooking fish, it can be hard to get the meat to properly absorb flavor because of how quickly it cooks. There isn’t much time given for absorption. This is why I turned the blackened seasoning pack into a wet marinade, along with the dry seasoning topping.
Cutting the salmon into bite sizes before seasoning ensures a wealthy layer of seasoning wrapped around every single bite. This also allows you to have consistent texture and sized bites compared to the flaking of a whole filet. Although I am not the creator of blackened seasoning and blackened salmon, this is my very own version, with flavors that should’ve been added ages ago, as they fit in perfectly.
I love that salmon bites are so versatile. You don’t need any sides to enjoy them. Salmon bites make a great meaty snack that will provide you with energy and not make you feel sluggish. You can also make it a meal for lunch or dinner. They pair wonderfully with fries, onion rings, and vegetables (preferably fresh, air fried or steamed). Cucumbers are an amazing source of energy and hydration. They also soak up any flavor so complete and perfectly. I can personally eat mine plain, or with salt and pepper. I eat them with the knowledge of how much good they do for me, and it makes them taste even more delicious.
In case you’re wondering, yes, those are banana slices on my finished plate. Those are fried banana slices. I love fried bananas. The insides stay moist and gushy while the outside is crispy, creating the perfect texture combination. It feels like you are eating a guilty pleasure dessert. Cooking the banana brings out more sweetness.
Questions or comments? Let’s Talk!
All topics and questions will be addressed by me.
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