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    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian Dinner Recipes

    May 1, 2020 · Modified: Jul 27, 2021 by Becca Heyes · This post may contain affiliate links · 32 Comments

    How To Fry Gnocchi (and why you should want to!)

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    Total time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 2 people
    4.97 from 28 votes
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    A simple guide to how to fry gnocchi, to make light and fluffy dumplings with crispy edges. They're so much better than boiled!

    If you've only ever had boiled gnocchi, you must learn how to fry gnocchi. It ends up like an entirely different food! No more dense, stodgy dumplings - fried gnocchi is crispy on the outside, and light and fluffy in the middle. Plus it's really easy to do!

    Crispy fried gnocchi in a frying pan.

    What is gnocchi?

    Just in case you're wondering what I'm on about, I'll quickly explain what gnocchi is!

    Gnocchi are little dumplings made from mashed potato, with a bit of flour added to hold it together. As you might expect, gnocchi don't have a huge amount of flavour on their own, so just like pasta, they're perfect for serving in a tasty sauce.

    Packet of Napolina potato gnocchi.

    Boiled vs fried gnocchi

    I always used to find gnocchi a bit disappointing - I never order it at a restaurant because I find it's usually been boiled, which I don't particularly enjoy. But then I discovered that it's so much better when it's fried / sautéed!

    Perhaps I'm just a gnocchi snob, but the difference between boiled gnocchi and sautéed gnocchi is pretty amazing. Boiled gnocchi can be a bit stodgy, a bit slimy, a bit heavy... fried gnocchi is perfectly crispy and fluffy and light and toasty and all sorts of other lovely adjectives.

    Underside of a packet of Napolina potato gnocchi.

    What type of gnocchi can you fry?

    This is the type of gnocchi I use - just your bog standard packet of potato gnocchi (gnocchi di patate).

    The photos show the brand I happened to have in the cupboard, but you can use any brand you like - it doesn't need to be anything fancy (honestly I usually just buy the cheapest one I can find).

    Usually this type of gnocchi comes either vacuum-packed, or just loose in a plastic packet like this one. I almost always keep a pack of gnocchi in the cupboard, as it's usually got a pretty long date on it (this one had about 9 months from the time I bought it!), and it makes a nice change from pasta.

    Uncooked potato gnocchi on a plate.

    How to fry gnocchi

    There's not much that needs to be said really - just cook the gnocchi in a frying pan with a bit of oil and / or butter (I like to use a bit of both!).

    That's all there is to it. Easy peasy.

    Just cook it in the pan, stirring occasionally, until the gnocchi ends up nice and golden brown all over. It will be beautifully crispy - the noise it makes when you stir it around the pan is pretty amazing.

    Collage showing the stages of frying gnocchi in a pan.

    Do you need to pre-boil the gnocchi?

    Nope!

    The cooking instructions on the packet actually say you should boil the gnocchi, but I always ignore this like the rebel I am, and just skip straight to sautéing the gnocchi in a frying pan.

    Close up of cooking instructions on a packet of potato gnocchi.

    It does take a little longer (15ish minutes to fry, compared to just a couple of minutes to boil), but believe me, the extra time is well worth it.

    Fried gnocchi in a pan.

    Can you fry homemade gnocchi?

    If you don't have any shop-bought gnocchi in your kitchen, it's really easy to make your own!

    Homemade gnocchi only needs a few staple ingredients, so you can probably make it with what you already have at home. If you make it from scratch, it's not particularly quick to make, but I always make my gnocchi using frozen mashed potato, which cuts down the prep time dramatically (don't ever say I'm not there for you with a top tip to help you be more lazy).

    If you prefer a potato-free version, ricotta gnocchi is even easier to make, and can be on the table in no time!

    Homemade gnocchi can absolutely be fried, just like you can with the shop-bought stuff. I've always boiled my homemade gnocchi first, then sautéed it afterwards - it's a bit more delicate than shop-bought, and boiling helps to firm up the dumplings a bit. You could definitely try skipping this step though, if you're short on time (let me know how you get on!).

    Fried gnocchi in a creamy sauce with garlic bread.

    Sauces for gnocchi

    Even though it's less stodgy when it's fried, gnocchi is still a hearty, filling dish, so you don't want to add any sauce that's too thick or heavy.

    Quite a thin sauce is perfect - just something to nicely coat the dumplings without being too much. A few of my favourites:

    • cream cheese (just melt it over the gnocchi in the pan, with a dash of water to thin it out)
    • pesto (especially homemade!)
    • a light tomato sauce (or even just some chopped fresh tomatoes)
    • a creamy tomato and mascarpone sauce
    • garlic mushrooms cooked in butter

    Don't forget to add some veggies too, to lighten things up further (this time I used frozen veg because #quarantinelife) - gnocchi primavera is one of my favourites. And definitely don't forget how to fry gnocchi - you'll never want it boiled again!

    Gnocchi and vegetables in a creamy sauce with garlic bread.

    How to fry gnocchi

    A simple guide to how to fry gnocchi, to make light and fluffy dumplings with crispy edges. They're so much better than boiled!

    If you've cooked this recipe, don't forget to leave a star rating!

    4.97 from 28 votes
    Print Pin Comment
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 2 people
    Calories: 419kcal
    Author: Becca Heyes
    (prevents your screen from going dark)

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 500 g ~ 1 lb potato gnocchi

    Instructions

    • Gently heat the oil and butter in a frying pan until the butter has melted. Add the gnocchi. Don't overcrowd the pan - you want the gnocchi to be spread out in a single layer across the bottom of the pan. Cook over a medium heat, stirring every few minutes, until crisped up to your liking (around 10-15 minutes).
    • Serve the sautéed gnocchi with a light sauce (see the blog post for some ideas).

    Video

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 portion - Calories: 419 kcal - Carbohydrates: 68.8 g - Protein: 7.7 g - Fat: 12.9 g - Saturated Fat: 4.5 g - Cholesterol: 15 mg - Sodium: 41 mg - Potassium: 2 mg - Fiber: 0 g - Sugar: 0 g - Calcium: 2 mg - Iron: 0 mg

    Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @EasyCheesyVeg or tag #EasyCheesyVegetarian!

    Don't forget, homemade gnocchi is easy to make, especially this super quick ricotta gnocchi!

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    Comments

    1. Sarah says

      July 02, 2022 at 2:26 am

      Precisely exactly the thing I was looking for: how to pan fry packaged gnocchi and good sauces. Thank you!!!

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        July 07, 2022 at 10:40 am

        You're welcome, hope you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    2. jeff says

      June 24, 2022 at 1:17 am

      I tried it once some time ago and I boiled it. Someone told me to fry it it's much better so I found your link, thanks.

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        June 24, 2022 at 10:39 am

        Thanks Jeff, it's so much tastier than boiled gnocchi isn't it!

        Reply
    3. m says

      March 22, 2022 at 5:28 pm

      so glad i clicked on your link, will never go back to boiling gnocchi!! thanks!

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        March 28, 2022 at 12:14 pm

        Thanks!

        Reply
    4. Cathy C. says

      June 30, 2021 at 1:32 pm

      Frying the gnocchi is genius!!! Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
    5. TIM KIMBALL says

      May 17, 2021 at 2:17 pm

      i boil my homemade gnocchi first, like spaetzle, may or may not shock them in ice water but could go straight to sautee or refrigerate or freeze [always shock if refrigerating/freezing].

      BUT yes, nothing like sauteed gnocchi, except sauteed spaetzle. i suspect all pasta benefits from the skillet and some butter, grated parmesan, often sauteed with onions, sometime mushrooms too.

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        June 17, 2021 at 9:07 am

        Oooh yes that sounds good!

        Reply
    6. Daniel Turner says

      April 27, 2021 at 10:21 am

      Maybe your boiled Gnocchi ends up crap is that you buy the cheapest?
      I have the most AMAZING Gnocchi recipe giving me light, fluffy potato goodness. I will give this recipe a go, see if it does improve. I fry my Gnocchi when accompanying with a Sage & burnt Butter sauce but can't see why you would otherwise. Gnocchi is soft, light & fluffy, it's almost no longer Gnocchi after a fry.

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        April 27, 2021 at 11:09 am

        I often make homemade gnocchi too, but it's still improved by frying :)

        Reply
      • Gnocchi says

        June 28, 2021 at 8:24 pm

        @Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian,

        Homemade gnocchi never should need to be fried. It should be light and soft when boiled. If its not, there's too much flour in the dough.

        Store bought shelf gnocchi is much heavier and once I tried frying instead of boiling i definitely agree its much better that way.

        Reply
        • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

          June 29, 2021 at 8:55 am

          Yep my homemade gnocchi is light and soft. I still prefer it fried, so you get crispy bits round the edges, and it takes on the lovely flavour of the butter. It's just a preference thing - nobody is forcing you to fry your homemade gnocchi :)

          Reply
    7. Helen says

      February 02, 2021 at 6:44 pm

      Love the fried ghocchi xx

      Reply
    8. Carrol Anne Jackson says

      October 29, 2020 at 12:47 am

      Oh my goodness!! You were so right.... I do love the sound of the gnocchi in the pan!!!!

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        November 10, 2020 at 8:33 am

        :D Glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    9. mohan kumar says

      May 04, 2020 at 5:54 am

      Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
    10. Annabel Smyth says

      May 01, 2020 at 9:18 pm

      Love fried gnocchi but have only ever tried it with those specifically marketed as such (some of which are stuffed with cheese!) which I've only seen in France. One day, perhaps, I'll see them again - meanwhile, I'll buy some ordinary gnocchi and try frying them!5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        May 13, 2020 at 3:58 pm

        Definitely! Not really sure why some are marketed like that when you can actually fry any gnocchi :)

        Reply
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    Hi, I'm Becca! I've been a vegetarian for 20+ years, and unlike most of my other childhood pursuits, I actually stuck with it! I love cooking vegetarian food that's full of flavour, but doesn't take a lot of effort to make.

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