Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Salmon with Green Beans — Ready in 20 Minutes

Salmon on a Tuesday is completely doable — this version takes about 5 minutes to season and 12 minutes in the air fryer, and the green beans cook right alongside it. One basket, one dinner, no drama.

Why This Recipe Works

• Done in under 20 minutes. Preheat while you season, cook while you set the table.
• One basket. The green beans go in with the salmon — no second pan, no extra cleanup.
• High protein without any effort. Salmon does the heavy lifting nutritionally, and nobody has to think about it.
• Clean flavor that kids will eat. Lemon pepper is bright without being polarizing. Not spicy, not weird.
• Works year-round. Light enough for a warm evening, easy enough for a cold weeknight when you just need dinner handled.

Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each), skin-on or skinless
• 1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 lemon, half juiced and half sliced into rounds for serving
• Optional: fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 3 minutes.
2. Pat the salmon fillets dry with a paper towel — this is what helps them get a little color instead of steaming. Brush with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then season evenly with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt.
3. Toss the trimmed green beans with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
4. Place the salmon fillets in the air fryer basket, skin-side down. Arrange the green beans around them in as close to a single layer as you can manage.
5. Air fry at 400°F for 10-12 minutes. The salmon is done when it's opaque all the way through and flakes cleanly with a fork. The green beans should have some char on the tips — that's the good part.
6. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over everything right before serving. Add parsley and lemon rounds if you want it to look like you tried.

Tips and Substitutions

• Swap the protein: Tilapia or cod works at the same temperature — check at 8 minutes since thinner fillets cook faster. Shrimp goes in for just 6-7 minutes; toss them with the same seasoning.
• Different vegetables: Asparagus, broccoli florets, or halved Brussels sprouts all work well at 400°F. Asparagus is done in about 8 minutes, so add it halfway through if you're cooking it alongside a full salmon fillet.
• Make it dairy-free / gluten-free: This recipe already is. Lemon pepper blends are almost always both — just check the label on your specific brand to confirm.
• Frozen salmon: Works fine, but thaw it first. Cooking from frozen leads to uneven results and a lot of moisture in the basket. A 30-minute soak in cold water gets it there.
• Leftovers: Cold lemon pepper salmon flakes nicely over a salad the next day. The green beans reheat okay in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 350°F, though they do soften a bit — fair warning.

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