This crispy air fryer gnocchi appetizer recipe is great for parties and get togethers. This pasta is tossed in spices and air fried to a crunchy chewy texture that is the perfect combination with marinara or dipping sauces. The perfect finger food, this easy snack recipe only has a few ingredients and takes little time to make. Sure to be a crowd pleaser for game night or football parties.
You might also like these air fryer canned chicken nuggets.
Recently I made a gnocchi, pork and sauerkraut post for New Year’s Day. We eat pork and sauerkraut for good luck in the new year. Anyway I had an extra package of gnocchi and decided to make this easy and crispy air fryer gnocchi appetizer.
It was so tasty, especially when paired with your favorite dipping sauce. I thought this would be a great appetizer or snack for watching a football game or for get togethers and parties.
I had already made a similar recipe – air fried tortellini – which were a big hit but these had a different texture and were also very tasty! Overall this air fried crispy gnocchi is a very easy appetizer recipe that only takes about 20 minutes to make. I’ll definitely be making again!
Simple ingredients I used and recipe notes.
All you need for this simple dish is regular gnocchi, grated parmesan cheese, olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder and salt.
Gnocchi
I used this shelf stable package of traditional potato gnocchi from Aldi but I have also used frozen gnocchi. You can find fresh gnocchi in the refrigerated section or the shelf stable gnocchi in the pasta aisle.
The only thing you want to make sure is that it’s regular potato gnocchi. There are different types of gnocchi like cauliflower or sweet potato gnocchi but I think regular potato is the best.
Seasonings
I went with garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt and parmesan cheese. I was going for Italian flavors because I wanted to use a marinara dipping sauce. If you are dairy free you can always substitute nutritional yeast for the parmesan cheese.
If you want to make these a bit more spicy you can add a pinch of cayenne pepper or hot pepper flakes. This is a versatile dish and you can use any combination of spices you like.
How to make this crispy air fryer gnocchi appetizer.
Step 1: Add the premade gnocchi in a large bowl. In a small bowl mix together the spices and parmesan cheese. Pour the olive oil and spice mixture over the gnocchi in the bowl and mix well to coat the entire batch.
Step 2: Spray the air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray. Spread out the gnocchi in a single layer in the basket. Set the air fryer to 400°F for 12- 15 minutes until they are golden brown and crispy. Cooking time may vary.
Check them after 10-12 minutes to see how they are browning. Shake the basket and even spray a bit more cooking spray if you want.
Step 3: Transfer air fried gnocchi to a serving tray and add a small bowl or ramekin of your favorite sauce or other dipping sauce and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container and reheat in the air fryer or microwave. Please scroll down to view the printable recipe card.
If you want you can sprinkle some extra parmesan cheese over the air fried gnocchi for extra flavor when they are hot or even some fresh herbs like parsley or basil.
To make this recipe in the oven.
The general rule of thumb to convert food from the oven to air fryer is to decrease the temperature by 25°F and then decrease the cooking time by about 20%.
Sot to convert this recipe from the air fryer to the oven you would INCREASE the temperature to roughly 425°F and INCREASE the cooking time to 15-18 minutes or until your food is the desired texture and color. Learn more about air fryer conversions here.
These are best eaten warm though you could reheat them. I made two batches today. One with jarred marinara sauce and the other I made an aioli sauce which I personally liked more. Next time I want to try a queso cheese sauce because my son loves that.
The aioli sauce was just 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 clove fresh garlic crushed, ½ teaspoon dried basil and ½ cup of mayonnaise mixed together.
See below for more dipping sauce recipes.
Dipping sauces to try with this dish.
I have a post we 38 keto dipping sauces to try but below are few of my favorites.
- green dipping sauces – mojo citrus, creamy roasted poblano, avocado lime, creamy pesto
- mayonnaise based sauces – jalapeno aioli, creamy sriracha, Asian yum yum, green olive and garlic, green goddess dip
- tomato or mustard sauces – hot pepper mustard, sweet creamy mustard, tomato bacon jam, roasted tomato sauce
These crispy air fryer gnocchi were really quite fun to eat and I loved the chewy texture. These are more of a quick snack or appetizer rather than a meal but you could eat them that way if you wanted.
I can’t wait for the big game in February and I’ll make them if anyone is having a party. They just take 20 minutes to make and I’m sure they will be a crowd pleaser. Enjoy!
Air Fryer Gnocchi Appetizer Recipe
This air fryer gnocchi appetizer recipe is very easy to make and lots of fun to eat. Serve them with marinara sauce or couple dipping sauces and take to your next party!
Ingredients
- 1 pound gnocchi (potato)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Add the gnocchi to a large mixng bowl. In a small mixing bowl add all the spices and parmesan cheese and mix together.
- Add the olive oil and spices to gnocchi and mix well to coat all the little pieces of pasta.
- Spray an air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the pasta out evenly in a single layer in the basket. Bake at 400°F for 12-15 minutes. Cooking time may vary.
- Halfway through shake the basket to mix them up and add more nonstick cooking spray on top if you want. Start checking them at 10-12 minutes to see if they are crispy and golde brown. Take one out and test it to see if it is the texture you are looking for. If not, continue to air fry for a few more minutes.
- When done, place the crisp gnocchi on a serving dish along with a small bowl of your favorite pasta sauce or another dipping sauce of your choice. You can also use ranch. Store leftovers in an airtight container. Reheat them in the air fryer or microwave.
Notes
Garnish with chopped fresh herbs or extra parmesan cheese if you wish.
If you want to add a bit of spice or heat to this dish you can also use some hot pepper flakes or even a pinch of cayenne pepper.
If you are dairy free you can always substitute nutritional yeast for the parmesan cheese.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 201Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 221mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 2gSugar: 0gProtein: 5g
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