Crispy Baked Salmon Nuggets with Yogurt Ranch Sauce

Article by Young Sun Huh

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

These kid-friendly salmon nuggets are like breaded boneless, skinless chicken nuggets—only made with buttery salmon instead. They get paired with an easy yogurt-based ranch dipping sauce, so you can feel good about everything on your kiddo’s plate. Speaking of which, these nuggs are so tasty you’ll want to eat them too. No really: every time the Food Network recipe developers and testers made this recipe, the entire kitchen staff rushed over and started snacking. Read on to learn how to make salmon nuggets. And for an unbreaded, gluten-free option, you might want to check out our salmon bites recipe, too.

How to Make Salmon Nuggets like a Pro

Season the salmon before adding the spices: We found that seasoning the salmon before tossing it in dry spices (versus tossing the salmon in everything at the same time) makes for more fully and evenly seasoned results. The same technique applies in other instances like rubbing spices on a turkey or barbecue pork ribs.

Toss the salmon in lemon juice: Toss the salmon with salt and lemon juice before anything else to minimize any fishy flavor.

Make a breading blend: The breading is a combination of cornflakes and panko, tossed in a little melted butter, which ensures a crunchy coating with a touch of sweetness and an appealing golden-brown color.

Skip the fussy parchment paper and wire rack: While some recipes might call for baking the nuggets on parchment or on a wire rack, we found that they cooked best on an unlined metal baking sheet, since direct contact with the hot metal browns them faster (vs the steaming that can happen with parchment).

What's the Best Type of Salmon to Use for Salmon Nuggets?

Although any kind of salmon will work with this recipe, we experienced the best results with fattier salmon, such as Atlantic, versus something lean like sockeye or coho. The fattier salmon stays juicy even with the cooking required to get a crispy, golden brown crust in the oven. We recommend using thicker, center-cut salmon since it will be less likely to overcook or dry out.

Can You Air Fry Salmon Nuggets Instead?

Yes! This recipe also works extremely well in the air fryer. Here’s what to do:

Step 1: Preheat your air fryer. Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F.

Step 2: Cook for less than 10 minutes. Add the salmon nuggets to the air fryer tray in a single layer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, flipping the pieces halfway through.

Step 3: Cook in batches as needed. You might need to cook the nuggets in two batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.

How to Store and Reheat Salmon Nuggets

Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. To reheat them, cook over medium heat in a pan until warmed through, about 2 minutes a side. Alternatively, reheat them in a 375 degrees F oven for about 7 minutes.

How to Freeze Salmon Nuggets

How to Freeze: You can also easily freeze salmon nuggets. To do so, prepare them up to the step of breading, but don’t cook them. Freeze them in a single layer, then transfer them to a resealable plastic bag or freezer-safe container.

How to Cook from Frozen: Bake the nuggets as the recipe directs (in a 450 F oven on an unlined baking sheet) but add an extra 3 to 5 minutes to the cooking time after flipping. They will brown even more but stay juicy inside.