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Air Fryer Fried Tortellini

Name: Air Fryer Fried Tortellini
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 9 min
Total time: 19 min
Ingredients: 9 oz Three cheese tortellini; 1 cup Panko or breadcrumbs; 1/4 cup Freshly grated parmesan; 1/2 cup All-purpose flour; 1/2 tsp Garlic powder; 1 tsp Dried basil; Pinch Cayenne pepper; Pinch Salt; 2 large eggs; 1/2 cup Marinara sauce (for dipping)

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Air Fryer Fried Tortellini, the best most delicious appetizer will you’ve eaten in a while. Plus they are super easy to whip up!

Feb 1, 2023 The links in the post below may be affiliate links. Read the full disclosure

When you are looking for a simple yet delicious appetizer to make, you need to give this Air Fryer Fried Tortellini a try!

It is such a great recipe to make for family game night or even the upcoming Superbowl game. They are easy to make and share with everyone and of course, taste fantastic.

Fried tortellini are kind of like mozzarella cheese sticks, but I’d dare say even better! If you have never used an air fryer before, make sure to check out my YouTube channel where I tell you everything you need to know about how to use an air fryer.

Ingredients and Supplies You’ll Need to Make Air Fryer Fried Tortellini:

Ingredients:

Refrigerated three cheese tortellini
Panko or breadcrumbs
Freshly grated Parmesan
All-purpose flour
Garlic powder
Dried basil
Cayenne pepper
Salt
Large eggs, beaten
Marinara sauce, for dipping

Supplies:

Large mixing bowl
Colander
Paper towel
Small mixing bowl
Parchment paper or oil sprayer
Air fryer (Cosori Pro II is the one I choose to use)

Can I Use A Different Type of Tortellini?

You most definitely can! We just love using the cheese tortellini, but give spinach and cheese or beef tortellini a try and let us know what you think.

The rest of the steps would be the same still.

Doesn’t the Tortellini Need to Boil Longer?

Surprisingly enough, no! The tortellini pasta even when you aren’t serving it as an appetizer has a fairly short cook time even though it is thicker.

However, the pasta itself isn’t thick, it is just stuffed with delicious cheesy goodness.

Dipping Sauce to Use for Fried Tortellini

We serve our air fryer fried tortellini with marinara sauce and it is absolutely delicious. But, there are more options you can try too!

Cheese sauce
Salsa
Guacamole
Sour cream
Ranch

How to Make Air Fryer Fried Tortellini:

Step 1: Cook the Tortellini

Start by cooking the tortellini by placing it in a large bowl and pouring boiling water over the top of it and let the pasta sit until it is softened.

This should be about 5 minutes or so. Then drain the water from the pasta and then do your best to dry the tortellini with paper towels.

Step 2: Preheat the Air Fryer

Once you have the tortellini cooked, preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F or 200 degrees C for 5 minutes, but do not put anything in while it preheats.

Step 3: Create the Breading

Now, combine the panko crumbs with the Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, basil, cayenne pepper, and salt, and then stir it all together.

Step 4: Create an Assembly Line for Tortellini Breading

When that is done, place the flour into a bowl, the beaten eggs in a bowl, and then the panko breading in its bowl.

Then dredge the tortellini in the flour, egg, and lastly the panko mixture, pressing it slightly to make sure it coats the outside.

Continue until all the tortellini are coated in breading.

Step 5: Cook the Tortellini

When you are ready to begin cooking, spray the inside of the air fryer basket with oil using an oil sprayer or air fryer parchment paper.

Then place the breaded tortellini in the air fryer, making sure not to overcrowd the basket. You will probably have to work in batches.

Now, spray the top of the tortellini and close the air fryer and turn it on to 350 degrees F or 175 degrees C for 9 minutes or until the tortellini is golden and crisp on the outside.

You will need to shake the basket or flip the tortellini halfway through cooking to make sure it’s all cooked through evenly.

If they don’t seem to be crisping up, you may want to add a little more oil to the outside with your sprayer.

Step 6: Serve and Enjoy!

After the tortellini is done cooking, simply remove the fried tortellini and serve it with some marinara sauce or any other of your choosing and enjoy!

Air Fryer Appetizers

The air fryer is such a great way to cook up appetizers, and fast! Plus they are always crowd-pleasers because they come out nice and crunchy and not soggy or dried out.

Air Fryer Appetizer Recipes:

Final Thoughts

Air Fryer Fried Tortellini is one of our family’s new favorite appetizers to make. Plus sometimes I will even serve it over top of even more spaghetti and not only does it add great flavor and cheese, but a nice crunch too!

Would you serve this as a side, appetizer, or main dish? – I think I could be all of them!

Desserts to Make in the Air Fryer:

Air Fryer Dessert Hand Pies

Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls in 15 Minutes!

Candied Nuts in the Air Fryer

Gooey Mini S’mores Pies in the Air Fryer

Delicious and Easy Air Fryer Puff Pastry Danishes

Air Fryer Hocus Pocus Buns – Easy Halloween Breakfast or Dessert Recipe

Our Favorite Monkey Bread Recipe in the Air Fryer!

Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies

Air fryer tips and tricks