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15-minute Cajun honey salmon bites made quick and easy in the air fryer! With a Cajun seasoning-honey glaze, these little salmon bites come with a creamy, sweet Cajun sauce for dipping and drizzling. They’re great to serve as an appetizer or to top rice bowls!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Is Your New Favorite Way To Cook Salmon
- Even though you’ve got tender, slightly spicy, slightly sweet salmon bites served with a sweet, tangy, creamy Cajun dip, you only need 6 ingredients, and that includes the cooking oil! And did I mention that they only take 15 minutes to make??
- These bites are so versatile, I like to make them on weeknights to top rice or grain bowls with sliced avocado (great for when I’ve got some other prepped bits and pieces to use up that just need some added protein), and as a fun appetizer for small family gatherings.
- Rather than just using it as a drizzle, I’ve included honey in the salmon marinade so it gets a nice, sticky, slightly caramelized finish in the air fryer.
What I Learnt Testing This Recipe
- As a protein added to a bigger meal I’ve found this serves 2, possibly 3 people. But as an appetizer it will yield 4-6 servings.
- Adding water to the Cajun honey glaze I’ve found helps it coat the salmon better, and stops it being a little too thick, which both made the glaze too sweet, and meant that it burnt in the air fryer. That was a lot of cleanup learning that one!
- Patting the salmon as dry as possible really helps the marinade stick to the salmon, even though we’re adding back in additional water in the marinade.
- If you’re having problems with the bites sticking in the air fryer (this will depend on the quality of the non-stick coating) I’ve found coating the basket with a thin spray layer of olive oil fixes this. Only use pure olive oil sprays in the air fryer as some regular cooking sprays can damage the non-stick coating. Which might be why the salmon pieces are sticking in the first place!
Ingredients
Salmon – Cut into bite-sized cubes (I usually aim for about 1-inch). Choose a thick cut piece to get nice even pieces that will cook at the same speed. Trout will also work in this recipe if it is the more sustainable option there you live.
Honey – Runny honey from a squeezy bottle is best for this recipe!
Vegetable or Avocado Oil – Or any neutral cooking oil.
Cajun seasoning – Your go-to blend will be fine. Get one that is mild if you’re sensitive to heat!
Mayonnaise – Choose your favorite brand, this will be the base of the creamy dipping sauce.
Lemon juice – To add freshness and acidity to the sauce.
Serving & Storage Suggestions
These Cajun honey salmon bites are great on rice bowls, served in lettuce wraps, for adding extra protein to a salad, or simply served as an appetizer.
Salmon is always best eating freshly cooked, but leftovers can be stores in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. You can re-heat them gently in the air fryer at a lower-than-usual temp if you cooked the salmon to medium, but to avoid drying the pieces out if they’re already well done they’d be better enjoying cold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Just make sure to thaw the pieces completely and pat them as dry as possible before proceeding with the recipe to make sure no extra liquid messes with the marinade.
The salmon is best marinated and cooked to order, but you can make the sauce up to 3 days in advance and keep it in the refrigerator.
The internal temperature of well-done salmon is 145°F in the thickest part. For medium cooked salmon (which I love but I’d avoid feeding to someone pregnant, immune compromised, or to small children) I usually aim for an internal temp of 125-130°F.
I’d not recommend it, as if you overcrowd the air fryer basked the fish will steam cook and you won’t get a nice caramelized glaze on the bites.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Air Fryer Cajun Honey Salmon Bites
Ingredients
For the Salmon Bites
- 1 pound salmon chopped into bite-sized cubes
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
For the Sauce
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ½-1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning start with ½ teaspoon, it can be so salty depending on brand
- 1 tablespoon water or half and half, for thinning
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Pat the salmon as dry as possible using kitchen towel, and chop into bite-sized cubes. Preheat the air fryer to 400℉.
- Whisk together the honey, oil, water, and Cajun seasoning for the salmon. Pour half honey sauce over salmon and toss to coat. Cook at 400℉ for 2-4 minutes. 2 minutes will cook the salmon to medium, 4 minutes will cook it well done.
- Toss the cooked salmon bites in the remaining marinade just before serving.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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