These breaded salmon bites are crispy on the outside and soft and flakey on the inside. They are seasoned with honey, garlic, and chipotle and served with a creamy and hot honey garlic aioli. These crispy salmon bites can be baked or made in an air fryer. 

A plate of Salmon nuggets with parsley garnish, and a bowl of chipotle honey dipping sauce

Crispy on the outside, soft and juicy on the inside, these breaded salmon bites will wow the whole family. 

Make a simple creamy honey garlic aioli to dip the salmon nuggets in and serve with rice and veggies for the best dinner ever. 

These honey chipotle salmon bites are truly to die for!

We are making salmon for dinner every week, and this Pistachio Crusted Salmon and my classic Crispy Teriyaki Glazed Salmon recipe are definitely worth trying as well! 

Can you eat the salmon skin?

When I cook large pieces of salmon, I always leave the skin on. 

  • First of all, I love a really crispy pan-seared salmon skin, it’s the best! 
  • Secondly, the skin keeps the salmon moist during the cooking process. 

Whit that being said, in this recipe, I have removed the skin. Because the salmon skin won’t have direct contact with heat which means it will be chewy and soggy inside of the breading.

BUT, don’t throw the skin away! I pan-fried the skin and gave it to my pup Biscuit. It is amazing for their shiny coat! 

Or you can pan-fry it for yourself, or cook it in the air-fryer for some serious crunch. YUM! 

How to cube the salmon bites

For this delicious dinner recipe, I bought a fresh whole side of salmon cut the skin off, and cubed it into two inch-sized squares. 

You can also buy frozen salmon and defrost it before cutting it. 

You can also buy salmon filets and cut them into smaller pieces, so you don’t have to mess with cutting the skin off yourself.

Honestly, whatever is on sale or you can get at the store is what I usually go for. Just make sure it’s good quality salmon.

What do you season salmon bites with?

For these crispy breaded salmon bites I have used honey, garlic, and chipotle to season the fish. 

Honey and chipotle go amazingly well with salmon. 

Outside of my teriyaki salmon, this is my favorite flavor profile for salmon. You seriously have to try it! 

To pack in as much flavor as possible into the crispy salmon bites they are first of all marinated. Secondly, the bread crumbs are also seasoned as well. 

To serve the healthy fish bites with a spicy aioli is a must! Garlic, honey, and cayenne will make the best dipping sauce ever! 

Ingredients needed for Chipotle Salmon Bites

Bowl of salmon bites, honey, chipotle seasonings, and an egg

This recipe is divided into 4 sections; protein, marinade, breading station, and hot honey aioli. Follow the steps and you will make the best crispy salmon bites ever. 

Protein 

  • Salmon, skin removed

Marinade

  • Honey
  • Garlic, minced
  • Chipotle chili powder 
  • Salt 
  • Black pepper

Breading station 

  • Eggs
  • Flour, all-purpose or gluten-free, or oat flour
  • Panko crumbs
  • Chipotle chili powder
  • Garlic powder
  • Salt
  • Black pepper

Hot honey aioli

  • Mayo
  • Garlic, minced
  • Lemon juice
  • Honey
  • Cayenne pepper, optional – but that’s what makes it hot 

How to make Breaded salmon bites

Start with removing the skin from the salmon (if it has any).

Then, cut the salmon into 2-inch cubes or preferred size (I like large chunky nuggets).

In a bowl, add all the ingredients for the marinade.
Add the cubed salmon into the marinade and coat the salmon thoroughly.

If the marinade is too thick, add 1 tbsp of filtered water to loosen it up.

Cover the bowl with plastic and let it marinate in the fridge for at least one hour (up to 8 hours).

Breading the salmon bites

Now it’s time to set up the breading station. You will need three shallow dishes. Arrange the dishes from left to right.

1st dish: add the flour  

2nd dish: add 2 eggs and whisk them up using a fork

3rd dish: add the panko crumbs, chipotle chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and stir well with a fork.

Now, preheat the oven to 400F.

It’s time to bread the salmon bites. 

Start with dipping the marinated salmon cubes in the flour.
Shake off any excess flour.
Then dip it in the eggs and make sure the eggs coat all sides of the salmon. 
Dip it in the panko bread crumbs and coat all sides. Press the panko into the salmon to make sure it sticks to the fish.
Place the breaded salmon bites on a parchment-lined baking sheet. 

Repeat the steps for all salmon cubes.

Make sure the salmon bites don’t touch each other on the baking sheet for the best crispy surface.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the middle is cooked through. Make sure not to overbake them to make sure the inside stays moist.

Sprinkle sweet paprika on top if desired.

Making the dipping sauce

While the salmon bites are in the oven, whip together the hot honey aioli by adding mayo, honey, lemon juice, garlic, and cayenne pepper (optional) to a bowl and mix well. Store cold until it is time to serve. 

Enjoy! 

Air-Fryer Breaded salmon 

A plate of Salmon nuggets with parsley garnish, and a bowl of chipotle honey dipping sauce

Do you want healthy fried salmon bites? Make these crispy salmon bites in the air fryer! 

Follow all the breading steps above.

Then, grease the frying basket and place the salmon bites inside. Make sure they have enough room between each other to make them as crispy as possible. You may need to cook in batches since you don’t want to overcrowd the basket.

Preheat the air fryer to 390F for a few minutes and then fry the chipotle salmon bites for 12-14 minutes or until the middle is cooked through.

How to serve crispy breaded salmon bites

Plate of salmon bites- with one having a bite out of it showing the flakey salmon and a bowl of dipping sauce

Serve the crispy breaded salmon bites with rice and broccoli and a big dollop of the hot honey aioli. This makes the best dinner recipe ever! 

Or serve these nuggets as an appetizer or as a part of a buffet. Your friends and family are going to go crazy for these crispy bites! 

Enjoy! 

I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN USE “TRIED IT” ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING #SHUANGYSEATS

A hand is dipping a crispy salmon bite into a chipotle honey dipping sauce
A plate of Salmon nuggets with parsley garnish, and a bowl of chipotle honey dipping sauce

Get the recipe:Crispy Baked Salmon Bites

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
These honey chipotle Breaded Salmon Bites are crispy on the outside and flakey on the inside. Serve them with a creamy hot honey aioli.
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Ingredients

Protein

  • 1.5 lb salmon, skin removed

Marinade

  • ¼ cup honey
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
  • ½ tsp salt or to taste
  • ½ tsp black pepper or to taste

Breading Station

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup flour *
  • 1 cup gluten free panko crumbs
  • 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp salt or to taste
  • ½ tsp black pepper or to taste

Hot Honey aioli

  • ½ cup mayo**
  • 1 clove garlic minced/pressed
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp honey, drizzle more on top.
  • 1 shake of cayenne pepper, optional
  • salt to taste

Instructions 

Make Salmon Bites

  • Remove the skin from the salmon (if it has any).
  • Cut the salmon into 2-inch cubes or preferred size (I like chunky large nuggets).
  • In a bowl, add all the marinade ingredients – honey, garlic, chipotle chili powder, salt, and black pepper and mix it together. If the marinade is too thick, add 1 tbsp of filtered water to loosen it up. Stir well. 
  • Add the cubed salmon into the marinade and coat the salmon thoroughly. Cover the bowl with plastic and let it marinate in the fridge for at least one hour (up to 8 hours).
  • For the breading station, you will need three shallow dishes. Arrange the dishes from left to right.
  • 1st dish: add the flour.
  • 2nd dish: add 2 eggs and whisk them up using a fork.
  • 3rd dish: add the panko crumbs, chipotle chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and stir well with a fork.
  • Preheat the oven to 400F.
  • Roll the marinated salmon cubes in the flour and shake off any excess flour.
  • Dip it in the eggs and make sure the eggs coat all sides of the salmon. 
  • Dip it in the panko bread crumbs and coat all sides. Place the breaded salmon bites on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Repeat the steps for all salmon cubes.
  • Make sure the salmon bites don’t touch each other for the best crispy surface.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the middle is cooked through. Make sure not to overbake them to make sure the inside stays moist. (You can also fry the salmon in an air-fryer, see how in the blog post).
  • Sprinkle sweet paprika on top if desired.

Making the dipping sauce

  • While the salmon bites are in the oven, whip together the hot honey aioli by adding mayo, honey, lemon juice, garlic, and cayenne pepper (optional) to a bowl and mix well. Store cold until it is time to serve. 
  • Enjoy!

Notes

*I used gluten-free flour. You can also use oat flour or regular all-purpose flour.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 465kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 142mg, Sodium: 323mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 27g

The Nutrition Facts above are specific to the ingredients I chose to use for this recipe, which may vary.

Author: Shuang Shuang Liang
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American