Air Fryer Cajun Salmon in Foil Packets is a recipe that is easy to modify for picky eaters. Using foil to contain the flavor means the salmon and veggies cook in the seasoning and remain juicy. As a disabled home cook who has a hard time standing sometimes, it is a high reward, little effort type of meal that also results in little clean up. Truly a “set it and forget it” type of meal all in one small foil package.
Tips and Tricks
What do you serve with cajun salmon? This recipe has the sides built right in! Inside the foil packets are corn and broccoli. You could also make a side of rice if you need to bulk this up more and serve the salmon and vegetables over the rice.
How many salmon foil packets can you make at the same time? I recommend doing one single layer, with two packets side by side. If you need to make more, I recommend cooking in batches unless you have a larger air fryer, I only have a six quart.
Can you put aluminum foil in the air fryer? Yes! Absolutely. You just want to make sure the aluminum foil isn’t interrupting the air flow too much. The use of tin foil in the air fryer in this recipe keeps the salmon juicy and the vegetables flavorful and moist. It also makes cleaning up super simple.
Ingredients
- Corn - use fresh, frozen or canned, just make sure it’s off the cob
- Broccoli - use fresh or frozen
- Salmon filets - fresh, but frozen will work with additional cook time
- Cajun seasoning - use your favorite brand, I use McCormick Gourmet Cajun Seasoning, it has a green lid
- Butter - use your favorite
- Diamond Crystal Kosher salt - if using another brand, reduce the amount or season to taste
- Lime wedge - lemon will work in a pinch
See recipe card for specific quantities.
What cajun seasoning do you use? My favorite is McCormick Gourmet Cajun Seasoning, it has a green lid. Feel free to make your own or use your favorite brand.
Method
How do you make air fryer cajun salmon foil packets?
Preheat the air fryer to 400 F. Take a large piece of aluminum foil and in the center place your corn. On top of the corn add the filet of salmon and around the salmon and corn add your broccoli.
Season the salmon and broccoli with cajun seasoning. Add chunks of butter on top of the broccoli and fold up the packet. Ensure no juice or steam will escape. Repeat for additional foil packets.
In a single layer place in the air fryer for 15-20 minutes or until the salmon is 145 F internally or flakes easily with a fork. Serve on a plate with a fresh squeeze of fresh lime or directly out of the foil packet for easy clean up.
How do you know when the salmon is done cooking? There are two ways to ensure your salmon is cooked, one is by using a fork to check to see if the salmon easily flakes. Another way is with an instant read thermometer and checking to make sure the internal temperature is at least 145F. How long it takes the salmon to cook depends on your air fryer and the thickness of your salmon.
How do you fold foil packets for the air fryer? I start with a large piece of foil on a cutting board or other flat surface. I add the salmon and vegetables to the center and then fold up the left and right sides together and fold down. Next, secure the top and bottom sides by folding them toward the salmon and vegetables. Make sure that no juice or steam can escape. You want to fold these tightly so they fit easily into the air fryer.
What temperature do you cook the salmon to? I like to cook my salmon to 145 F internally, checked with a meat thermometer. You can eat your salmon on the rarer side(130-135 F for a medium rare) or more well done (165 F).
Hint: Use fresh or thawed salmon for a faster cooking result and juicier salmon.
Substitutions
What vegetables can you substitute for this recipe? Ideally, you can substitute any vegetable you want with cajun salmon. However, if you want to cook it in the foil packet you have to make sure it cooks through. You want a hearty vegetable but not one that will take too long to cook.
Some ideas are asparagus, onions, mushrooms, diced bell peppers, halved baby yukon gold potatoes or onions. You may have to experiment with how large to cut the vegetables so they don’t turn to mush but also aren’t still raw.
Can you use frozen vegetables? Yes! Frozen corn or broccoli can be used interchangeably in this recipe, no need to thaw the vegetables.
Can you cook the salmon from frozen? Yes, you make this recipe and cook the salmon from frozen. However, I recommend adding 10-20 minutes of cooking time to the packet. The recipe will work, it will just take a bit longer to cook, I’d check it around the 25 minute mark to avoid overcooking.
Variations
What other flavorings can you use? I’ve used a variety of dry spice mixes like lemon pepper, taco seasoning, Old Bay or other seafood rubs and Italian seasoning. I’ve also mixed up a garlic, parm and butter sauce, gochujang and butter sauce or used store bought teriyaki sauce (or made my own teriyaki sauce).
Equipment
This recipe uses an air fryer but you can also cook it in the oven. The temperature and timing will be a lot different so you might need to do some experimenting. I recommend the air fryer because it heats up quicker than the oven and shuts off automatically.
Air fryers are a popular appliance that uses forced hot air to cook food quickly resulting in a delicious browned exterior and juicy interior. Most air fryers are great for disabled folks as well as college students, single folks, small familes, single parents, teenagers, low income folks and older folks.
They provide a way to cook food quickly, efficiently and without having to actively stand over it. They usually automatically turn off and don't require heavy lifting, long standing times or a lot of flipping or stirring. For more information about air fryers, check out our Air Fryer FAQ.
Accommodations
Everyone has different physical and cognitive abilities and that can change day to day and hour to hour. Below are a few accommodation ideas to help you have success with this recipe.
- Heavy duty foil - use heavy duty foil to avoid ripping the foil when taking the salmon packet in and out of the air fryer. This will ensure less clean up.
- Frozen stuff - frozen broccoli and/or corn work great here. No need to adjust the cooking time or temperature. Frozen salmon will increase the cooking time by 10-15 minutes.
- Canned corn - similar to canned corn, this is a great already cut off the cob option.
- Don’t sweat measuring stuff ( approximations are fine) - the measurements should be taken as guidance not as the rule. If you have slightly larger pieces of salmon or less broccoli it’ll still work well. Season as much or little as your heart or palette desires.
- Built in time to rest/sit down:
- While the salmon is cooking, there is no active cooking in this recipe.
Top Tip
Use an instant read thermometer to tell if your salmon is done cooking. Each air fryer cooks a little differently and each piece of salmon is cut differently so to accurately know the salmon is done, this is your best bet.
Air Fryer Cajun Salmon Foil Packets
Ingredients
- 1 cup canned corn divided
- 2 six oz fresh salmon filets
- 2 cups chopped broccoli divided
- 4 teaspoons cajun seasoning divided
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter divided
- Kosher salt to taste
- Lime wedges optional
Instructions
Prep the Ingredients
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 F.
- Tear off 2 sheets of aluminum foil about 16-18 inches long and place on a flat surface.
- In the center of 1 sheet of aluminum foil put ½ cup canned corn.
- On top of the corn, add 1 piece of salmon. Around the salmon put 1 cup of chopped broccoli.
- Using about 2 teaspoons of cajun seasoning, liberally season the salmon and broccoli.
- Cut ½ tablespoon of butter into 4-6 small pieces and dot it among the broccoli. Sprinkle broccoli lightly with salt.
- Repeat with the second piece of salmon.
Cook the Foil Packets
- Fold the foil packets up to keep juicy and steam inside. Place both packets in the air fryer basket and cook for 15-20 minutes until salmon is 145 F internally or flakey to touch. Broccoli should be fork tender.
- Remove from the foil packets and serve with fresh lime wedges.
Notes and Accommodations
- Timing will vary depending on how thick cut your salmon is and your air fryer.
- Try to buy evenly cut pieces of salmon.
- Keep salmon packets in a single layer and do not over crowd the basket.
- Use heavy duty foil to avoid ripping and leaks when removing the packets.
- Use frozen salmon but increase cook time by 10-15 minutes.
- Frozen broccoli and/corn work great here. No need to adjust the time.
- Canned corn will also work well and is less labor intensive than cutting corn off the cob.
- Don't stress about measuring ingredients, approximations are fine. The measurements are provided to give you a baseline.
- Built in time to rest/sit down:
- While the salmon is cooking, there is no active cooking in this recipe.
This recipe was originally posted on March 4, 2020. It was updated on May 26, 2024.
Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
