Air Fryer Gnocchi

Air Fryer Gnocchi will be your new go to way of cooking gnocchi. Gnocchi is delicious. Sometimes it can be a little mushy though. The sure fire way to get it hot and crispy, yet soft on the inside and melt-in-your mouth is with an air fryer. Whether we're eating it as a snack or making it for a skillet meal, this recipe is quick and simple and our new go-to way to make gnocchi. We have included how to make it plain and with yummy seasonings.

This was inspired by our homemade Parmesan Gnocchi, and is delicious with our kale pesto on top and pairs well with our Caprese Pasta Salad. Try our other air fryer sides like Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks or Air Fryer Zucchini Fritters.

What I Love About This Recipe

I love that the gnocchi isn't mushy and that is has this amazing crunchy shell and that the inside is soft. They're easy to make and don't make a mess. I love how delicious they are seasoned and I also really love using them in different dishes that call for gnocchi.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Quick and Easy - these are seriously so quick and easy to make. It's also less messy to air fry them vs boil them.
• Kid Friendly - these are super kid friendly- my kids love snacking on the seasoned ones and they are also easy enough for my older kids to make by themselves with a little supervision.
• Simple - I just love how simple they are. If I want a snack for myself and my kids, I don't want to spend a lot of time or dig out a lot of ingredients. Air fryer gnocchi fits that bill and is a simply and nutritious snack for everyone.
• Versatile - check out our variations section below and switch up the flavor of this delicious snack!

Ingredients

• potato gnocchi - I usually buy mine at Wal-Mart, but you can buy it at most grocery stores.
• olive oil- any oil is fine here other than coconut oil and melted butter, they have too low of a smoke point for the air fryer and can be problematic.
• salt- table or your favorite freshly ground. We like Pink Himalayan for the gnocchi.

Optional: Seasoned- Perfect for snacking on or dipping in Marinara

• salt- table salt or freshly ground Himalayan Pink Salt
• garlic powder - gives it nice garlicky undertone and lots of flavor and goes great with the potato.
• parsley - the perfect pairing that adds a nice Italian type flavor
• paprika - smoked is best, as it adds a subtle smoky flavor, but regular is great too
• basil - I LOVE basil with almost anything garlic and basil is such a great flavor on this gnocchi
• red chili pepper flakes - completely optional, but we love the slightly spicy flavor and the way that it enhances all the other flavors.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

For unseasoned for use in recipes:

1. Preheat air fryer to 400*F. Put potato gnocchi in a bowl. Drizzle olive oil over top then mix until well coated.

2. Sprinkle salt over the top. Mix until well combined and well coated. Note: Some gnocchi comes with salt. If yours comes salted, skip the salt.

3. Place in air fryer basket. Stir or shake every 3 minutes. Cook for 9-11 minutes, or until desired crispiness is achieved. Cook time may take longer if they don't fit in a single layer in your basket.

4. We found that air frying them until they were a deep golden brown was too much and made them a little tough and chewy inside (this happened at 13 minutes in our air fryer).

For seasoned for snacking or dipping:

1. Follow directions above: Place gnocchi in a bowl. Drizzle olive oil over top, then stir until well coated. Add spices and stir until well combined and well coated.

2. Place in air fryer basket and cook 9-11 minutes until hot and crispy. Note: If they don't fit in one layer in your basket, cook time may take an additional couple minutes.

Hint: Be careful not to overcook the gnocchi! Test it when it's a light golden for doneness. We found that waiting until it was a deep golden made them tough and chewy. You really want to find that balance of hot and crispy on the outside and still soft and tender and melt-in-your-mouth on the inside.

Substitutions

• Olive Oil - feel free to use another oil like avocado or vegetable oil.
• Cauliflower Gnocchi in the air fryer - use frozen cauliflower gnocchi like this one from Trader Joe's instead of potato. Cook for 14-16 minutes. Instead of shaking every 3 minutes, don't shake until after the first 8 minutes, then shake/ stir every 3 minutes after that.
• Kale Gnocchi - Cook for 8-10 minutes, shaking every 3 mintutes after the first 4 minutes.
• Refrigerated- Cook an additional 1-2 minutes, using the same method as above.
• Freezer- Cook an additional 2-4 minutes, waiting until 6 minutes in to shake for the first time.

Variations

• Spicy - add an extra ¼ teaspoon chili pepper flakes, or more, to taste.
• Cajun - Add 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning after the olive oil. Mix well.
• Curry- Add 1 teaspoon curry seasoning after the olive oil. Mix well.
• Kid friendly -my kids love dipping the plain ones in chik-fil-a sauce or ketchup instead of marinara sauce.

Equipment

• air fryer- any will do but we used this Ninja Foodi
• mixing bowl
• spatula

Storage

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, place in the air fryer for 3-4 minutes until hot.

It isn't recommended to freeze these after they've been cooked.

Top tip

If serving inside a sauce, serve immediately for maximum crispness. The sauce will soften up the gnocchi as it sits in it for awhile.

Recipe

Air Fryer Gnocchi

Nicole

Hot and crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside, making Air Fryer Gnocchi will be your new go-to way of cooking it!

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 2 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 12 mins

Servings 6 servings

Calories/serving 145 kcal

Equipment

• 1 air fryer

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

Plain:

• ▢ 1 pound potato gnocchi
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt is using unsalted gnocchi. If your gnocchi contains salt, omit the salt

Seasoned:

• ▢ ingredients above PLUS
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon parsley
• ▢ ½ teaspoon paprika
• ▢ ½ teaspoon basil
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon salt total
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon chili pepper flakes

Instructions

 

For shelf stable:

• Preheat air fryer to 400*F.
• Place shelf stable gnocchi in a bowl and drizzle olive oil over top. Mix until well coated.
• Add salt if doing plain, and all spices if doing seasoned. Mix until well combined.
• Place in air fryer basket and cook for 8-11 minutes, shaking or stirring every 3 minutes.
• When they start to turn light golden start checking for doneness. We found that cooking until deep golden, they were tough and chewy on the inside. You really want that perfect balance of hot and crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside.

For refrigerated:

• Increase cook time by 1-2 minutes, following the directions above.

For frozen:

• Increase the cook time by 2-4 minutes total. Make as directed above, except wait until minute 6 to start shaking/ stirring every 3 minutes.
• Note on cooking time: If your gnocchi does not fit in a single layer in your air fryer basket, cook times may take a little bit longer.

Notes

• Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. It will dry out a bit, even in an airtight container.
• Reheat in the air fryer at 400*F for 3-4 minutes until hot.
• We do not recommend freezing gnocchi after it has been cooked.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowlCalories: 145kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 3gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 451mgPotassium: 11mgFiber: 2gSugar: 0.03gVitamin A: 96IUVitamin C: 0.03mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 3mg

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Food safety

• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.