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Air Fryer Gnocchi

Air Fryer Gnocchi gets golden-crispy, blistered edges with a fluffy interior by air frying uncooked gnocchi and finishing it in garlic herb butter. Tossed with fresh parsley and parmesan, it’s an easy Italian-American side ready in about 20 minutes.
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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: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Potato gnocchi
  • 1 lb potato gnocchi shelf-stable or refrigerated — do not cook first
Seasoned oil coating
  • 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 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 fresh parsley
  • 0.25 cup parmesan

Equipment

  • 1 air fryer
  • 1 skillet

Method
 

Season the gnocchi
  1. In a large bowl, toss the uncooked potato gnocchi with olive oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated. Keep the gnocchi dry-coated so the edges blister as they crisp.
Air fry
  1. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Arrange the seasoned gnocchi in a single layer in the basket so they have space to crisp.
  2. Air fry for 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway, until golden and crispy on the outside. For the best texture, avoid overcrowding and let them finish browning before removing.
Make garlic butter and toss
  1. Meanwhile, melt the butter with minced garlic in a skillet over low heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Do not brown the garlic so it stays sweet and mellow.
  2. Toss the crispy gnocchi with the garlic butter until coated. Top immediately with fresh parsley and parmesan for a fresh, salty finish.
Serve
  1. Serve the air fryer gnocchi immediately as a side, or with marinara for dipping. Eat right away for maximum crunch contrast with the fluffy centers.

Notes

For extra crisping, make sure the gnocchi are in a true single layer and don’t skip the halfway shake. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat in the air fryer at 380°F for 3-5 minutes to re-crisp. Freezing is not recommended for best texture after thawing. Dietary swap: use dairy-free butter and a dairy-free parmesan substitute to make it dairy-free.