Omega-3 Delight: Heart-Healthy Air Fryer Salmon with Pumpkin Chips and Broccoli

A perfectly balanced heart-healthy meal — rich in omega-3 from the salmon, fibre from the vegetables, and healthy fats from olive oil. Quick, simple, and ideal for a weeknight dinner for two.

Prof. Peter Barlis

August 22, 2025

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Air Fryer Salmon with Pumpkin Chips and Broccoli

A perfectly balanced heart-healthy meal — rich in omega-3 from the salmon, fibre from the vegetables, and healthy fats from olive oil. Quick, simple, and ideal for a weeknight dinner for two.

Calories 540kcal

Ingredients

Ingredients Serves 2
400 g salmon fillet or 2 x 200g fillets
1 garlic clove minced
1 lemon zested plus thin slices for topping
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
500 g pumpkin or butternut squash
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp smoked paprika
400 g broccoli florets
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon juiced
Chili flakes or cayenne pepper optional
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat air fryer to 200°C.
Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towel.
Mix honey, Dijon mustard, and a squeeze of lemon juice together in a small bowl to make the glaze.
Peel pumpkin, remove seeds, slice thinly into chip-sized pieces. Toss with olive oil, sea salt, smoked paprika, black pepper, and chili flakes if using. Arrange in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
Season salmon with garlic, lemon zest, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Brush the glaze over each fillet. Top with thin lemon slices.
Place salmon and pumpkin chips in the air fryer. Cook initially for 5 minutes before adding broccoli.
Toss broccoli with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
After 5 minutes add broccoli to the basket. Cook for a further 5–7 minutes until salmon flakes easily, glaze is caramelised, and pumpkin chips are golden and crisp.
Plate together and serve immediately.

Notes

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 540 kcal
Protein: 46g
Carbohydrates: 25g
Fat: 28g
Fibre: 7g
Omega-3 fatty acids: ~3g

This is one of those weeknight meals that looks and tastes far more impressive than the effort involved. Everything goes into the air fryer, there is minimal washing up, and it is on the table in under 25 minutes — making it genuinely achievable on a busy evening rather than just a recipe you bookmark and never make.

For heart health, this dish ticks every box. Salmon two times a week is one of the simplest and most evidence-based dietary changes you can make for your cardiovascular system — the omega-3 content is meaningful, the protein is high quality, and it keeps you satisfied for hours. Paired with pumpkin and broccoli, you are getting a broad range of vitamins, minerals, and fibre in a single meal without any complicated preparation.

The olive oil used here is kept deliberately modest — enough to help the vegetables crisp and carry flavour, but not so much that it dominates the dish. When you do use olive oil, choose a good extra virgin variety. The polyphenols that give it its heart-healthy properties are most abundant in cold-pressed, minimally processed oils — and a little goes a long way.

Make this on a Monday and a Thursday and you will have covered your omega-3 bases for the week — effortlessly.

The smoked paprika and secret glaze mean there is no temptation to reach for commercial spice mixes or sauces, which often contain hidden sodium, sugar, and additives that undermine an otherwise healthy meal. Simple, whole ingredients seasoned well are always the better choice.