AIP air fryer salmon - fast weeknight omega-3 main

Some weeknights the hard part of AIP is just finding the will to decide what to eat, after a day already spent watching labels and saying no to half of what is in the fridge. This is the meal for that night: about 10 minutes, one pan, nothing left to think through once the fish hits the heat.

Salmon is one of the few reliable food sources of omega-3 fats, which the body relies on to steady an inflammatory response that runs too hot, and it is also a source of selenium, involved in how the thyroid manages its output. That is real, useful work for a body doing the slow business of calming itself, not a promise of anything beyond that.

Buy it from someone who can tell you where it swam, wild-caught when you can manage it. An animal died for this dinner, and cooking it with attention, patting it dry, watching the color turn from raw to opaque, is one way of not treating that lightly.

Ingredients

• 1 lb salmon filets
• Avocado oil, to coat
• Coconut aminos, a splash
• Fresh lemon juice
• Garlic powder
• Sea salt

Method

This is the oven baseline. Heat the oven to 400 F. Pat the salmon filets dry with a towel, which helps them brown rather than steam, and set them skin-side down on a lined sheet pan. Rub each filet with a little avocado oil, a splash of coconut aminos, a squeeze of lemon, and a scatter of garlic powder and sea salt.

Roast for about 12 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness, until the flesh flakes easily and the thickest part reads 145 F on a thermometer. Squeeze a little more lemon over the top and serve.

Plate it with a green salad, roasted vegetables, or cauliflower rice.

Air fryer variation

The air fryer is where this becomes a ten-minute dinner. Pat the filets dry and season them the same way, then lay them skin-side down in the basket in a single layer. Air fry at 400 F for 8 to 10 minutes, checking on the early side. Thinner filets land closer to 8 minutes and thicker cuts closer to 10. You are done when the fish flakes and reads 145 F at its thickest point. Cooking from frozen works too: defrost overnight in the fridge for the best texture, or add 3 to 4 minutes if you are going straight from frozen.

*Adapted from unboundwellness.com*