How to cook frozen gnocchi?

With just two ingredients, Air Fryer Gnocchi transforms frozen, shelf-stable, or chilled gnocchi into something crispy on the outside and tender on the inside in just 10 minutes for a quick and delectable meal.

Making your gnocchi in the air fryer, however, will help you step up your midweek dinner game!

It gets crispy outside and soft and tender inside, and it is incredibly quick and simple. Bliss.

Additionally, air-fried gnocchi is the ideal vehicle for your preferred seasonings or sauces. Get creative!.

In the air fryer, frozen, chilled, or shelf-stable gnocchi can be prepared in as little as 10 minutes. And you dont need to boil it first!.

The fact that I can cook food straight from frozen is just one of the many reasons I adore my air fryer.

This enables me to quickly prepare healthy meals for my family, which is great if you’re running a busy household.

I chose to try the Trader Joe’s frozen cauliflower gnocchi because everyone seems to love it. It wasn’t very good when I tried to cook it the traditional way by boiling it with pasta. However, when I tried crisping it in my air fryer, it turned out great!

They retained their soft pasta texture inside while being nicely crunchy on the outside. Since then, I’ve tried making regular potato gnocchi that was chilled and homemade a ton in the air fryer.

Step By Step Tutorial

After following the illustrated instructions, scroll down to the recipe card for a complete list of ingredients and instructions.

Gnocchi should be prepared by being tossed in a bowl with oil to coat it.

Place the gnocchi into the basket of the air fryer. It’s okay if it’s not quite in a single layer.

Depending on the type, air fry for 10–12 minutes, occasionally tossing or stirring.

When cooking, check and adjust the time as necessary.

#1: Pan-Fry Method

The pan-fry method is the one I use most often – just pour a bag of frozen cauliflower gnocchi into a skillet then let it sizzle with your favorite fat for a few minutes. Cam’s and my current favorite “recipe” is sauting the gnocchi in butter (been loving this vegan butter a reader recommended to me!) then finishing with fresh garlic, salt, and chives and serving as a side dish with dinner. Obsessed. The gnocchi can also be used in place of traditional potato gnocchi in these recipes:

Heat 2 Tablespoons fat such as butter, vegan butter, extra virgin olive oil or bacon grease in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add frozen gnocchi then spread into an even layer in the skillet. Let gnocchi saute undisturbed until golden brown on the bottom, 2-3 minutes, then flip using a large spatula and continue to saute, shaking the skillet every minute or so, until gnocchi are golden brown all over. Do not attempt to flip the gnocchi for the first time until they are seared and golden brown on the bottom. The gnocchi will “unstick” themselves from the skillet when they’re ready to be flipped.

Great texture – crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside.

Very versatile – serve as a main with sausage, greens, vegetables, etc., or as a side dish with dinner.

Quick and easy – 7-8 minutes start to finish.

Did I mention the texture?! Love that crunch!

The recipe for the pan-fried cauliflower gnocchi with garlic, herbs, and butter can be found below:

Cook gnocchi per instructions above using butter then season with salt and add 3 cloves pressed or minced garlic to the skillet. Saute for 1-2 minutes, or until garlic is very fragrant, then scoop onto plates and top with chopped fresh chives. MMM! These even reheat well.

Why Should I Use an Air Fryer?

The Air Fryer has won my heart for a lot of reasons.

Its healthier since it uses a LOT less oil than pan-frying or deep frying.

Air Frying cooks food FAST.

You dont need to heat the oven, so the house stays cool on warm days.

Its EASY to use and quick to clean up.

I strongly advise getting an air fryer if you’re considering it. Check out my recommendations below!.

Quick Gnocchi with Crispy Garlic