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Air Fryer Gnocchi

Air Fryer Gnocchi that turns shelf-stable or refrigerated gnocchi golden-crisp with blistered edges while staying fluffy inside. Tossed in garlic herb butter and finished with parmesan for an easy Italian-American side.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 540
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Gnocchi
  • 1 lb potato gnocchi Use shelf-stable or refrigerated; do not cook first.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
Garlic herb butter finishing
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 2 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 fresh parsley
  • 2 tbsp parmesan

Equipment

  • 1 air fryer
  • 1 skillet

Method
 

Season and coat the gnocchi
  1. In a large bowl, toss the potato gnocchi with olive oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
  2. Spread the coated gnocchi out so they’re ready for a single-layer air-fry layout.
Air fry until golden-crisp
  1. Preheat the air fryer to 400F.
  2. Add the gnocchi to the air fryer basket in a single layer.
  3. Air fry for 12-15 minutes, shaking halfway, until the gnocchi are golden and crispy on the outside.
Make garlic butter and finish
  1. In a skillet, melt the butter with minced garlic for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
  2. Add the hot gnocchi to the skillet and toss to coat in garlic butter.
  3. Top with fresh parsley and parmesan, then transfer to a serving bowl.
  4. Serve immediately as a side or with marinara for dipping.

Notes

For extra crisping, keep the gnocchi in a single layer and don’t overcrowd the basket; air-fryer results vary by brand, so rely on golden color and crisp edges. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat in the air fryer at 375F for 3-5 minutes. Freezing is not recommended because gnocchi texture softens. If you want a lighter option, swap butter for olive oil-based garlic sauce (use 1-2 tbsp extra olive oil plus minced garlic) while finishing with parmesan.