Air Fryer Gnocchi

Name: Air Fryer Gnocchi
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 package (350 grams) gnocchi, fresh or shelf-stable; 2 teaspoons avocado oil (or olive oil); 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt

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Air Fryer Gnocchi is one of the easiest recipes you’ll make in the air fryer! You need just 10 minutes and a simple mix of oil and seasonings. The gnocchi turns out perfectly crispy on the outside and pillowy soft in the middle, and the recipe works with fresh or shelf-stable gnocchi!

Whether you love gnocchi as part of your main meal or served up as an appetizer, you’ll want to give it a try in the air fryer! It’s quick and easy, and turns out super crispy.

We love it served with this homemade marinara sauce, but other dips and sauces work too. (I’ve included some options below).

Crispy gnocchi served on a pink platter next to a small bowl of marinara sauce.

Why you’ll love this air fried gnocchi

The air fryer creates light and pillowy gnocchi with golden brown and crispy edges.
It’s quicker than pan frying and has a better texture (in my opinion) than boiled gnocchi.
The recipe has been tested with fresh and shelf-stable gnocchi.
It couldn’t be easier to make. Just toss with oil and seasonings and air fry. No need to boil the gnocchi first!

What is gnocchi?

Gnocchi are little dumplings made of potato, flour and a few other ingredients. You can make homemade gnocchi, or buy it fresh, frozen or vacuum sealed.

What’s the difference between fresh and shelf-stable gnocchi?

Fresh gnocchi is normally found near the fresh pasta in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. Shelf-stable, on the other hand, is vacuum sealed and usually located in the aisle with dry pasta.

Fresh gnocchi tends to be a bit more soft and fluffy, while shelf-stable is a bit firmer. Even with those differences, both work well in this recipe and yield similar results.

Ingredients to make air fryer gnocchi arranged in individual bowls.

Details on the ingredients

Gnocchi – You can use fresh or shelf-stable gnocchi for this recipe. I used a 350 gram package. If your package is larger, just increase the amount of oil and seasonings used.

Oil – The recipe calls for avocado oil, but you can also use olive oil or extra virgin olive oil.

Nutritional yeast – For a savoury, cheesy flavour (without dairy), the gnocchi is tossed with a teaspoon of nutritional yeast. If you leave this out, you’ll want to add more salt, garlic or other seasonings.

Garlic powder and salt – To round out the seasonings, a 1/4 teaspoon each of garlic and salt is added to the gnocchi. Feel free to add more or less to suit your taste.

How to cook gnocchi in the air fryer

In a large bowl, add the gnocchi, oil and seasonings and toss to combine. (Make sure the gnocchi are well coated).

Add the gnocchi to the air fryer basket and air fry on 400F for 7-8 minutes for fresh gnocchi or 9-10 minutes for shelf-stable gnocchi.

They should be golden brown and crispy on the outside but still soft in the middle.

Serve immediately.

Seasoned gnocchi in a glass bowl with a spoon.

Air fried gnocchi in an air fryer basket.

Dips and sauces to serve with gnocchi

Frequently asked questions

Can you use frozen gnocchi in this recipe?

I haven’t tested this recipe with frozen gnocchi, only fresh and shelf-stable. If you decide to use frozen gnocchi, I suggest adding another few minutes to the air frying time.

Do you need to boil gnocchi before air frying it?

No need to boil! Just toss the gnocchi with the oil and seasonings and air fry.

What’s the best temperature to air fry gnocchi?

In order to get the gnocchi crispy and cook it quickly, you’ll want to set your air fryer temperature to 400F.

How long does it take to air fry gnocchi?

This depends on the type of gnocchi you use. At 400F, shelf-stable gnocchi will take about 9-10 minutes to get crispy, while fresh gnocchi will brown and get crispy quicker, so it’s ready in about 7-8 minutes.

Storage and reheating

Air fried gnocchi is best enjoyed hot and crispy straight out of the air fryer. If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Just note that they will firm up and start to dry out if stored in the fridge for too long.

To reheat, air fry at 350F for 4-5 minutes, or until heated through in the middle and crispy on the outside. To get them crispy again, you can also reheat them on a baking sheet in the oven. You can warm them in the microwave, but instead of crispy, they’ll turn out soft and chewy.

Close up of gnocchi served on a pink platter.

Key recipe tips

Type and size of air fryer. This recipe was tested in a Cosori 5.8 quart air fryer. If you have a different size, brand or model, you may need to adjust the air frying temperature and time slightly.
Preheating your air fryer. Some brands of air fryers call for preheating. If your air fryer does, go ahead and preheat it for a few minutes. I tested the gnocchi in a preheated and non-preheated air fryer and didn’t notice much difference.
Don’t overfill the air fryer. While the gnocchi can overlap in the air fryer basket, to ensure they cook quickly, you shouldn’t overfill the air fryer.
Shake the basket. To ensure the gnocchi brown evenly, you’ll want to toss them in the basket a few times while they air fry.
Don’t over cook. The gnocchi are best enjoyed when they hit the sweet spot of crispy on the outside with golden brown edges and soft and pillowy in the middle. If you over cook them, they will start to get a little dense and chewy.
Change up the seasonings. Instead of nutritional yeast and garlic, spice them up with some chili powder, smoked paprika or cajun seasoning.

Other air fryer recipes

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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