I used to cook salmon in a frying pan until I tried the air fryer and boy was I missing out. Not only is it healthier, but it comes out beautifully. So moist on the inside.
Salmon is super healthy and so we try to cook it at least once a week. It helps that my daughter who’s 7 going on 21 loves it. She’s a very fussy eater so when I find something she loves, I make sure I make a mental note to keep it on the menu and find new and innovative ways to prepare it for her so that she doesn’t get bored. Ahh, the things you do as a mom.
The Process
To start, prepare the spice mix for the salmon. You’ll need curry powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Mix and leave to one side. Take the salmon fillets, and to each one, massage 1 tsp of olive oil. Once the salmon fillets are coated with oil, smear the spice mix all over the fillets.
When the fillets are ready, get them into the air fryer. Meanwhile, make the couscous. For the couscous, you’ll need onion powder, salt and one tsp of olive oil. The couscous will be ready in no time.
Remove the salmon fillets from the air fryer when they’re ready and serve with the couscous.
This recipe is super easy and quick.
In 20 minutes, you’ll have this delicious salmon and couscous ready to eat
The Health Benefits of Salmon
Salmon provides a long list of vitamins and minerals. It’s high in B vitamins, which are important in supplying the body with energy. B-vitamins are also important for brain health, digestion, cell health, and much more.
Rich in Omega-3, Salmon is great for your brain and heart. Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are essential for the body, which means you need to eat foods containing the nutrient. Omega-3 reduces inflammation in the body according to scientific studies. Omega-3 also reduced blood pressure and is great for heart health.
Salmon is a great source of protein which is important for bone and muscle health. If you’re on a weight loss journey, muscle growth will help your body burn fat.
Potassium is another nutrient you’ll get from salmon. It’s levels of potassium are higher than that of banana gram for gram.
Cooking Salmon in the Air Fryer
The air fryer has revolutionised my world. In cases where I used to shallow or deep fry, I now use the air fryer, except when cooking an egg. The salmon comes out moist and flaky on the inside and is ready in no time. No need to flip it this way and that in the frying pan and no need for too much oil.
Make sure you don’t overcrowd the air fryer. Keep it to one layer high and space out the fillets so that the air circulates around each fillet.
Make it Whole30 Compliant
To make this meal Whole30 compliant, you’ll need to leave out the couscous, because it’s made of wheat. You can replace the couscous with a nice salad – easy!
Make it Keto Compliant
Again, the couscous goes against the rules of the keto diet. To make this keto, just leave out the couscous and could replace it with low carb keto compliant salad.
Salmon for Weight Loss
Research shows that diets high in protein are great for weight loss. A number of diets were compared side by side, including Atkins, Stillman, South Beach and Zone, and what they have in common is that they are all high protein diets. They have varying levels of macronutrients but what they are all consistent in is the high protein content.
Researchers state that protein is satiating, so it leaves you feeling full and satisfied. Protein is also great for muscle building. Building muscle is a great way to burn more fat because as muscles grow, they use stored energy and burn fat.
If you’d like to lower the calories in this recipe, leave out the couscous and increase the vegetables or serve it with a healthy salad with a low-calorie dressing. Remove the couscous and you remove 197 calories per serving.
The fillets used for this recipe are 115g each – if you use larger fillets, you will consume more calories per serving.
Air Fryer Salmon with Couscous Recipe
Salmon covered with spices and air fried to perfection – served with couscous and vegetables
- Air Fryer
- 3 Salmon fillets (de-boned with skin off)
- 1 cup Couscous
- 1 tsp Curry Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 tsp Salt
- 4 tsp Olive Oil
Mix the dry spice ingredients into a small bowl
Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel and rub 1 tsp of oil onto each fillet
To make the salmon spice mix, combine 1 tsp curry powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, and 1/2 tsp salt. Rub the spice mix onto all sides of the salmon fillets
Place fillets into the air fyer without crowding it and cook at 200 degrees Celsius / 392 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes
Meanwhile, combine 1 cup of couscous with 1 cup of water into a small pot
To the couscous, add 1/2 tsp onion powder and 1/2 tsp salt
Cook couscous on low heat for a maximum of 5-10 minutes.
Plate and enjoy
Ensure you don’t crowd the air fryer when you cook the fillets, keep them slightly apart and keep it to one layer.
The calories per serving are dependent on the size of the salmon fillet. The fillets in this recipe were quite small (115 grams per fillet).