Bang Bang Salmon Bites
Bang bang salmon bites tossed in a creamy sweet-and-spicy sauce, made in the air fryer or oven in 20 minutes. An easy, lean weeknight seafood dinner.
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Bang Bang Salmon puts that sweet-and-spicy sauce on tender cubes of salmon instead of fried anything. The salmon gets a quick toss in oil and seasoning, crisps at the edges in the air fryer, then goes in a bowl with the creamy bang bang sauce over the top. It hits sweet, spicy, and savory at once, and it’s on the table in about twenty minutes. Cutting the salmon into bite-sized cubes is what makes it so fast.
More surface area means more edges to brown and catch sauce. Small pieces also cook through in a fraction of the time a whole fillet takes. A hot air fryer gives those cubes a light crisp outside while the inside stays moist.
I keep the sauce on the lighter side. Thai sweet chili sauce does most of the sweetening, with just enough mayo for creaminess and sriracha for heat. Build it in the same bowl you’ll toss everything in. Dinner comes down to season, cook, sauce, done.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- That crave-it bang bang flavor. Sweet chili, a little heat, and creamy sauce make salmon taste like a treat.
- Crisp edges, moist inside. The air fryer browns the cubes fast without drying out the fish.
- Ready in 20 minutes. Bite-sized pieces cook in under ten, and the sauce takes two.
- Lean and satisfying. You get all that flavor on a base of protein-rich salmon instead of batter.
Bang Bang Salmon Ingredients
The bang bang sauce is three parts you can adjust to taste: mayo for creaminess, Thai sweet chili sauce for sweet, and sriracha for heat. Start with less sriracha and add more once you taste it, since brands vary a lot in how spicy they run.
- 1 1/2 lbs salmon fillets, skin removed, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
- 1 tbsp sriracha, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 2 green onions, sliced, for garnish
Recipe Variations
- Use light mayo or plain Greek yogurt in the sauce for an even leaner version; yogurt adds a little extra tang.
- Serve the salmon and sauce over rice with shredded cabbage and cucumber for a bang bang salmon rice bowl.
- Bump the sriracha up to 2 tablespoons and add a pinch of cayenne if you like real heat.
How to Make Bang Bang Salmon
- Season the salmon: Pat the salmon cubes dry and toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until evenly coated. Drying the fish first helps the edges crisp instead of steam.
- Mix the sauce: In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, honey, and lime juice. Taste and add more sriracha if you want it hotter. Set aside.
- Preheat the air fryer: Preheat a basket air fryer to 400°F for about 3 minutes. Preheating helps the salmon start crisping the moment it hits the basket.
- Air fry the salmon: Arrange the cubes in a single layer in the basket, leaving space between them so they crisp instead of steam. Air fry for 8-10 minutes, shaking the basket or flipping halfway, until browned at the edges. Air fryer models vary, so use the visual cue and a thermometer: salmon is fully cooked at 145°F, and many cooks pull it around 130°F for a moister center.
- Sauce and serve: Transfer the salmon to a serving bowl and drizzle generously with the bang bang sauce, or toss gently to coat. Scatter green onions over the top and serve right away.
Recipe FAQs
Can I Make Bang Bang Salmon in the Oven?
Yes. Spread the seasoned cubes on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake at 400°F for about 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway, until the edges brown and the salmon reaches your preferred doneness. It won’t crisp quite as much as the air fryer, but it’s just as good.
Should I Toss the Salmon in the Sauce or Drizzle It?
Drizzling on top keeps the crisp edges crisp, which is my preference. Tossing coats every piece more heavily but softens that crust, so it comes down to how you like it, more crunch or more sauce.
What Temperature Should the Salmon Be?
Salmon is fully cooked at 145°F, where it flakes easily. Plenty of cooks pull it around 125-130°F for a moister, medium center and let it rest, since it keeps cooking after it comes out. Use a thermometer and go to the doneness you like.
Can I Use Frozen Salmon?
Yes, just thaw it completely and pat it very dry before cubing. Any leftover water will steam the pieces in the air fryer and keep them from browning.
How Do I Keep the Salmon from Sticking to the Basket?
Lightly oil the basket or use a perforated air fryer liner, and don’t move the cubes too early. They release more easily once the outside has crisped, so give them a few minutes before shaking.
Cooking Tips
- Cut the cubes roughly the same size so they cook at the same rate and no piece dries out waiting on the rest.
- Reserve a little sauce on the side for dipping or drizzling at the table; it disappears fast.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket. Cook in two batches if you need to, since crowded salmon steams instead of crisping.
Storage and Freezing
To store: Keep the salmon and sauce in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To freeze: Cooked salmon freezes for up to 2 months, though the texture softens once thawed. The mayo-based sauce doesn’t freeze well and is best made fresh.
To reheat: Re-crisp the salmon in the air fryer at 350°F for a few minutes, which brings back the edges better than a microwave. Add the sauce after reheating.
How to Serve Bang Bang Salmon
Bang Bang Salmon is great over jasmine rice with shredded cabbage, cucumber, and a squeeze of lime for a quick bowl, or piled into lettuce cups for something lighter. It fits right into a lineup of easy seafood dinners alongside our Honey Garlic Salmon when you want to keep the week varied.
Loved This Recipe?
Bang Bang Salmon delivers that sweet-and-spicy, keep-reaching-for-more flavor on a base that happens to be lean and ready in twenty minutes.
Leave a star rating in the comments below, it helps other people find this recipe. Made it? Tag @allwellfed on Instagram, I love seeing this one in other people’s kitchens.
More like this: Salmon three more ways: one baked with honey garlic, two straight from the air fryer. Try Baked Honey Garlic Salmon, Air Fryer Salmon, or Crispy Air Fryer Salmon Patties.
Bang Bang Salmon
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Instant-Read Thermometer 130-145°F is a narrow window, and a minute past it changes the texture. Worth checking early rather than late.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs salmon fillets skin removed, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
- 1 tbsp sriracha plus more to taste
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 2 green onions sliced, for garnish
Instructions
- Season the salmon: Pat the salmon cubes dry and toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until evenly coated. Drying the fish first helps the edges crisp instead of steam.
- Mix the sauce: In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, honey, and lime juice. Taste and add more sriracha if you want it hotter. Set aside.
- Preheat the air fryer: Preheat a basket air fryer to 400°F for about 3 minutes. Preheating helps the salmon start crisping the moment it hits the basket.
- Air fry the salmon: Arrange the cubes in a single layer in the basket, leaving space between them so they crisp instead of steam. Air fry for 8-10 minutes, shaking the basket or flipping halfway, until browned at the edges. Air fryer models vary, so use the visual cue and a thermometer: salmon is fully cooked at 145°F, and many cooks pull it around 130°F for a moister center.
- Sauce and serve: Transfer the salmon to a serving bowl and drizzle generously with the bang bang sauce, or toss gently to coat. Scatter green onions over the top and serve right away.
Notes
If you made this, leave a star rating down in the comments. It takes about ten seconds, and it’s how other cooks decide whether a recipe is worth trying.
