Pat dry the salmon fillets and lightly season with salt.
Preheat a nonstick 12-inch (30cm) skillet over medium-high heat until it feels quite warm to your palm when placing it near the surface. Add 1 tbsp oil. You should see the oil start shimmering.
Place the salmon flesh side down in the pan, then immediately reduce the heat to medium. Cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. The exact cook time will depend on the thickness of the fillet.
Using a wide metal spatula or a spatula with a firm tip, carefully flip the fillets, then cover the pan and remove from the heat.
Let stand until the thickest part of the fillets reach 120°F (49°C) or are nearly opaque when cut into, about another 5 minutes for 1-inch-thick fillets (2.5 cm) or about 8 minutes if 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) thick. Don’t lift that lid until it’s been at least 5 minutes!
To air fry the salmon:
Paty dry the salmon fillets. Lightly season with coarse sea salt and a small amount of avocado oil (the oil keeps the fish moist in an air fryer).
Air fryer skin side down (meaty side up) at 400°F (204°C) for 7-9 minutes. The exact time will depend on the thickness of the fish and the air fryer. In general, 7 minutes for medium-rare and 8 minute for medium.
Transfer the salmon to a serving platter.
To make the ginger soy sauce:
In a small bowl, combine the coconut aminos, stock, and starch.
Preheat a skillet over medium heat until it feels warm to your palm. Add 1 tbsp oil. Add garlic, ginger, white scallion parts, and chili, if using, with a pinch of salt. Saute over medium heat until fragrant, about 10-15 seconds.
Stir the sauce again before adding it to the pan. Keep stirring and the sauce should thicken in about 10 seconds. Turn off the heat.
To serve:
Pour the sauce over the fillets. Serve hot or warm.
Notes
What kind of salmon to cook in an air fryer?I recommend using Atlantic salmon because the fish is meatier and has more fat content so that the fish is less likely to be dry from cooking in a fryer.