How to Make Air Fryer Gnocchi
Discover the best way to make golden, crispy gnocchi in your air fryer—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and ready in minutes!
Looking for the perfect snack or easy appetizer? This one checks every box: crispy, soft, and oh-so-perfectly seasoned.
This recipe uses pre-made gnocchi and jarred tomato sauce, so it’s easy to pull out of your pantry whenever you want it.
It’s quick to make and mostly hands-off!
Can you cook gnocchi in an air fryer?
While you can roast your gnocchi in an oven (425°F for 20-25 minutes), it’s faster AND easier to air fry gnocchi!
The blast of hot air gets these little dumplings to puff up for max crispiness while the insides stay soft and tender.
If you’ve only ever tried boiling gnocchi, you’re in for a new experience! They seem like a completely different food when they’re baked.
Ingredient Notes
Oil. Be sure to use a high heat oil variety, in this recipe. We used olive oil, but you can also use avocado oil.
Gnocchi. We opted for the shelf-stable gnocchi that you can find in the pasta aisle. (It’s on the very top shelf at our store, so it’s a little tricky to find.) We tested both the DeLallo brand and the store brand and had good results with both.
While you can air fry fresh gnocchi, I haven’t tested the cook time. (Honestly, if I’m making the effort to make homemade gnocchi, I’m going to make it fancy with a homemade sauce.)
Sauce. Honestly, I loved these little bites as-is; however, most of my family preferred them served with sauce. To keep the recipe simple, we opted for a jar of our favorite pasta sauce.
How to cook gnocchi in air fryer?
This Air Fryer Gnocchi recipe is a great appetizer that’s easy to make at home with shelf-stable ingredients.
First, preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F. Toss the gnocchi with olive oil and seasonings, then pop them in your air fryer and cook until golden brown.
Serve hot, garnished with extra parmesan cheese and a side of marinara for dipping.
How can I tell when it’s done?
If you cook it too long, the exterior has a hard bite. Too short, and it doesn’t have enough of that satisfying crunch. On your first time making it, I recommend sneaking a bite at 10 minutes and then again at 12 minutes.
Can you air fry frozen gnocchi?
Yes, you can air fry frozen gnocchi—as long as the gnocchi is not frozen in one large clump.
Even better, there’s no need to thaw your gnocchi before cooking! Just pop it in the air fryer and increase the cook time by a few minutes.
Just make sure that your gnocchi is plain and unflavored—nearly all of the frozen gnocchi at my local grocery store were coated in different sauces and not a good fit for this recipe.
Serving Suggestions and Recipe Variations
One reason I love this is that it is easy to customize to guests with diet restrictions.
- Gnocchi comes in gluten-free versions (while mostly made from potato, regular gnocchi has a small amount of semolina/wheat flour).
- Omit the parmesan or swap for nutritional yeast, and it’s dairy free.
- Use a low FODMAP pasta sauce for those avoiding onions and garlic.
This recipe is also easy to mix up the flavors when you’re wanting something new:
- Toss with ranch seasoning.
- Even plain salt and pepper are tasty.
- After air frying, toss the gnocchi with garlic sautéed in browned butter.
- Your favorite spice blend for French fries? Works great with these as well!
How to Store Leftovers
To maintain the tender-crisp gnocchi, I recommend air frying only what you think you’ll eat in a single sitting. (You can mix the oil and spices and portion them in individual portions and freeze.)
To store: Cool to room temperature, then place in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat: Pop the leftover gnocchi in the air fryer for a few minutes until warmed through. The texture won’t be quite as good as the first time, but the flavor will still be solid.
Looking for other appetizer ideas?
Nothing quite like a good appetize to serve for a crowd or a big game. Here are some of our favorites.
Do you LOVE this recipe?
Leave us a review below to tell us why!
How to Make Gnocchi in an Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 package shelf stable or refrigerator gnocchi 16 oz
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Jarred marinara sauce for dipping (we used tomato basil)
- Finely grated parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the olive oil, salt, garlic powder, dried parsley, onion powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Add the gnocchi and toss until evenly coated.
- Place the seasoned gnocchi in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry the gnocchi for 10-14 minutes, shaking the basket every 3-4 minutes. (Ours were done to our liking after 12 minutes.) The gnocchi will be golden brown and a little crispy when done.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parmesan cheese and a small dipping bowl of marinara sauce.
Nutrition
FOR MORE FROM PRESSURE COOKING TODAY
🥘 Browse our collection of the best Instant Pot pressure cooker recipes.
💬 Follow Pressure Cooking Today on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates.
👥 Join our Electric Pressure Cooker Facebook Group. Our positive community of pressure cooking fans use all brands of electric pressure cookers, so it’s a great resource if you have questions about your particular brand.
