Perfect Fried Ravioli | Oven-Baked, Air Fryer, Or Pan-Fried (2024)

These delightful Fried Ravioli bites are crispy on the outside with a hot, cheesy filling. Toasted ravioli are a great make-ahead appetizer and can be fried in oil, baked in the oven, or air-fried. Instructions are included for all of these methods!

I’ve made Fried Ravioli countless times with all different kinds of fillings. Spinach-artichoke is a favorite, but any of your favorite flavor combinations such as lobster, sausage, chicken, veggie or mushroom will work. I’ve fried them, baked them, even made them in our air fryer. The fried ravioli recipe below has instructions for all!

Do you have to thaw frozen ravioli before cooking?

It depends on the recipe. For ravioli pasta that will be boiled and simmered in water, then served with a sauce, it won’t need to be thawed first. For toasted, air-fried, or pan-fried ravioli, start with either fresh, refrigerated ravioli or thaw the amount of frozen ravioli you’ll need for the recipe.

How to make Fried Ravioli in an Air Fryer

To cook these in an air fryer, preheat your air fryer to 350F. Prepare as directed then place the breaded ravioli in a single layer in the basket. Cook them for about 9 minutes or until they’re golden brown and crispy. Repeat the process until all the ravioli have been fried.

Can you make Fried Ravioli without breadcrumbs?

You can easily make fried ravioli without breading! The process will be different as you’ll fry it in a pan versus the air fryer or baking them in the oven. (directions are included in the recipe for each of these methods). This fried ravioli recipe calls for breadcrumbs and I highly recommend using them, since they turn simple ravioli into a crunchy, delicious appetizer. However, if you still opt for no breadcrumbs here is how:

How to Make Unbreaded Fried Ravioli in a Pan

1. Simply pan fry thawed ravioli in a skillet with melted butter and a little oil for a few minutes until they’re browned on both sides and cooked through. If you’ve ever pan-fried pierogi, it’s basically the same process.
2. Once they’ve been fried to a golden brown, you can either toss them with a sauce, enjoy them on their own tossed with a little melted butter, grated parmesan, and a pinch of crushed red pepper, or dip them into anything you like. See the suggested dipping sauces a few paragraphs down.

Can you make Fried Ravioli ahead of time?

Yes, there are two ways!

Fry, Freeze, Reheat:

Make the fried ravioli as directed in the recipe at the bottom of this post. Allow them to cool completely, then place them in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and pop it into the freezer. As soon as they’re frozen, about 1 hour, place them in a resealable freezer bag and put them back into the freezer.

When ready to serve, place the frozen ravioli on a sheet pan lined with foil or parchment paper (lightly spray with cooking spray) and bake at 400F for about 15 minutes, or until they’re heated through and crispy. Give them a light coating with cooking spray halfway through baking to help get them extra crispy.

Prepare 3-4 Hours Prior, Then Fry:

Toasted ravioli can also be made ahead of time by following the recipe through step 3 (just until they’ve been breaded), then placed in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, covered, for 3-4 hours. Then follow the directions as usual.

Fried Ravioli Dipping Sauces(Toasted Ravioli)

If I’m serving these at a party, I try to have at least two sauces for dipping. A good marinara dipping sauce is the most common dipping sauce for toasted ravioli. Basil pesto or a creamy alfredo sauce are also a great choices. Try ranch dressing or even a little melted garlic butter!

Add a little cream to either marinara sauce (tomato cream sauce) or basil pesto if you love those flavors but prefer a creamier sauce. Make it a cheesy marinara sauce by adding cream cheese.

Fried Ravioli

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

See Also

5 Easy Ways To Cook Frozen Ravioli | Front Range Fed

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Fried Ravioli are easy to make and perfect for an appetizer, dinner or a party! Here is how to make fried ravioli in a pan, pot, air fryer or oven.

Ingredients

• 1 24-oz package refrigerated cheese ravioli (you can use frozen but they'll need to be thawed first)
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
• oil for frying
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• marinara sauce for serving

Instructions

Frying:

1. Whisk the eggs and milk together in a small bowl.
2. Place the breadcrumbs on a plate or in a shallow dish.
3. Dip each ravioli into the egg mixture, then into the breadcrumbs, coating them completely. Place them on a sheet of waxed or parchment paper as you go.
4. Place a large pot on the stove and pour enough oil in to go up the sides approximately 3 inches or so.
5. Add enough ravioli to the pot so it's not crowded (usually about 8-10 ravioli, depending on the size of your pot. Fry them until they're golden brown, about 3 minutes.
6. Repeat until all of your ravioli are cooked.
7. Place the fried ravioli on a serving platter, then sprinkle with the parmesan and parsley. Serve with a small dish of marinara sauce for dipping.

Air Fryer:

1. To cook these in an air fryer, preheat your air fryer to 350F. Prepare as directed through step 3, then place the breaded ravioli in a single layer in the basket.
2. Cook them for about 9 minutes or until they're golden brown and crispy. Repeat the process until all the ravioli have been fried.

Oven Baked:

1. Prepare as directed through step 3, coat them with cooking spray, then bake at 400F for about 15 minutes, or until they're golden brown and hot. (Check them early and often to make sure the filling isn't oozing out the sides.)

Notes

For pan fried ravioli simply add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan and follow the frying directions.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 347Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 860mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 16g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.

Serving only appetizers is such a fun way to entertain or to serve game day food. For one particular party, I made 4-ingredient Crispy Lemon Pepper Wings, Hot Ham and Cheese Party Sandwiches, Portobello Fries, and Beef Wellington Bites. What a party menu! It was a bit of work to put them all together, but most of the steps could be done in advance, and utilizing the help of my air fryer helped to cut down on the time spent on the day of the party.