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Air Fryer Gnocchi

Air Fryer Gnocchi delivers golden-crispy edges and a fluffy interior by air-frying uncooked shelf-stable or refrigerated gnocchi, then tossing with garlic herb butter. Finish with fresh parsley and parmesan for a fast Italian-American side with blistered spots.
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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
  

potato gnocchi
  • 1 lb potato gnocchi (shelf-stable or refrigerated — do not cook first)
seasonings and oil
  • 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 butter finishing
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 2 garlic, minced
  • 1 fresh parsley
  • 0.33 cup parmesan

Equipment

  • 1 air fryer
  • 1 skillet

Method
 

Season the gnocchi
  1. Toss the uncooked gnocchi with olive oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated (visual cue: every piece looks lightly speckled and glossy).
Air fry until golden and crispy
  1. Preheat the air fryer to 400F (visual cue: it reaches full heat).
  2. Add the seasoned gnocchi in a single layer to the air-fryer basket (visual cue: pieces are not stacked).
  3. Air fry for 12-15 minutes at 400F, shaking halfway, until golden with crispy, blistered edges (visual cue: outside looks browned while centers remain springy).
Make garlic butter and finish
  1. Melt the butter with the minced garlic in a skillet over low to medium heat for 1-2 minutes (visual cue: garlic softens and becomes fragrant without burning).
  2. Toss the hot crispy gnocchi in the garlic butter (visual cue: gnocchi glistens evenly).
  3. Top with fresh parsley and parmesan, then serve immediately (visual cue: cheese dust clings to the warm surfaces).

Notes

For the crispiest blistering, keep gnocchi in a single layer and shake halfway so moisture escapes; use shelf-stable or refrigerated gnocchi straight from the package (do not boil first). Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days, reheat in the air fryer at 400F for 3-5 minutes to re-crisp; freezing is not recommended for best texture. If you want a dairy-light version, swap butter for olive-oil–based spread and use a lower-lactose or dairy-free parmesan-style topping (finish with parsley as written).