If you love fried appetizers like fried mozzarella sticks then you’ll definitely want to fry up a batch or two of these crispy Fried Raviolis for your next backyard BBQ or party snack platter! Frozen raviolis are breaded in a seasoned panko or breadcrumb coating and then deep fried into a perfect bite-sized snack.
Fun Fact
The sensation of fried breaded ravioli stuffed with cheese or other equally delicious filling options is said to have originated when a St Louis chef in the Italian-American neighborhood (The Hill) accidentally dropped some fresh ravioli into the deep fryer instead of a pot of boiling water. Whether this was in fact the start of fried (a.k.a toasted) ravioli is somewhat disputed although I think we’ll all agree that it was a happy accident nevertheless!
This quick and easy appetizer or snack is best served freshly fried with a helping of marinara sauce on the side and is sure to be loved by all who try it. Add them to a party snack board with these Jalapeno Poppers and Buffalo Chicken Meatballs.
Table of contents
What are Fried Raviolis?
Fried Ravioli are store-bought ravioli that are breaded, seasoned, and fried in a Dutch oven until crispy golden brown. They’re perfect appetizers and snacks to be enjoyed at parties or other social gatherings.
Fried Ravioli Ingredients:
- buttermilk – you can sub in whole milk if you prefer, buttermilk adds some tang, but regular milk will do the trick
- egg – this helps everything hold together.
- Italian herb breadcrumbs – I love that these come with lots of seasoning already mixed in; if you would like to use panko or classic breadcrumbs, I would add a teaspoon of Italian seasoning along with some garlic salt and onion powder
- grated parmesan cheese – this goes in the breading and makes a lovely crisp texture, plus adds flavor
- refrigerated or frozen raviolis
- 4-6 cups vegetable oil or vegetable shortening for frying
- Fresh parsley finely chopped (for garnish)
- marinara sauce for serving
How to Make Ravioli Appetizers
The first step is to bread the raviolis. Mix the buttermilk and egg in one bowl and combine the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a second bowl. Dip the raviolis into the milk mixture, then toss in the breadcrumb mixture and set aside. I like to use a sheet pan to hold all the breaded raviolis.
Start heating the oil – use a digital thermometer or clip a candy thermometer on the side of the pan to monitor the temperature. The oil takes a while to heat. Heat until it is precisely 350°F. Once the oil is to temperature, gently drop in the raviolis, a few at a time, and cook on both sides until deep golden brown.
Variations and Substitutions
- While I’ve fried these ravioli in a Dutch oven, you can cook them in an air fryer instead should you prefer to cook with reduced oil. Frying these ravioli in a skillet or frying pan in a good depth of oil is another option.
- Use seasoned breadcrumbs for coating your ravioli or use plain breadcrumbs and add your own combination of seasoning and spices for a personalized fried ravioli appetizer.
- Make these gluten-free by using gluten-free breadcrumbs in this recipe.
- Use ravioli stuffed with your favorite flavors such as cheese ravioli.
- I’ve used refrigerated ravioli but you can use frozen ravioli. I do recommend thawing them first though otherwise they may not good through properly without risking burning the exterior.
Yes, you can. While these fried ravioli are best enjoyed crispy out of the fryer, you do have the option of storing any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days once completely cool.
To reheat, pop your ravioli on a lined baking sheet for 10-15 minutes at about 350℉ in the oven till they crisp up. Or, if you have an air fryer, crisp them back up by placing them on the air fryer tray for a few minutes, and flipping them mid-cook which will ensure that they get a nice even crisp on both sides.
Technically, yes, although I’m of the opinion that these fried ravioli will taste the best when made and served fresh.
If you do store fried ravioli, first flash freeze them on a lined baking tray before transferring them to a freezer-safe container or a Ziploc bag for storage of up to 3 months.
Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat either in the oven or using an air fryer to crisp them up again.
Yes! You can either bread your raviolis to store in the refrigerator for about 4 hours prior to frying them or you can freeze your breaded and fried raviolis and then heat them just prior to serving to family or guests.
Heating frozen fried raviolis in the air fryer works like a charm and doesn’t require any prior defrosting. Just give the frozen fried raviolis a light spritz of oil and cook them at 375℉ in the air fryer for 3-4 minutes.
Absolutely! If you’re looking for a healthier method of making crispy fried raviolis then the air fryer is definitely the way to go.
Preheat the air fryer to 350℉ and them place the breaded raviolis in a single layer on a greased tray in the air frying basket to cook for 3-4 minutes. How many you plan to make will dictate whether or not you batch fry your raviolis since they shouldn’t be crowded or else they won’t be as crisp as they are intended to be.
There are various fillings of raviolis offered in stores and online. I haven’t specified which specifically to use since it’s totally up to personal preference although cheese or beef stuffed raviolis are always delicious. Other tasty options include: spinach and ricotta, spinach and artichoke, three cheese asparagus and sausage with marinara.
Of course, if you love making your raviolis from scratch, then it’s even easier for you to adapt them to include whatever kind of yummy filling you and your family love the most.
Whatever you opt for, consider making an assortment of fried raviolis, especially if you are catering to a larger crowd!
Tips For Making Fried Raviolis
- The raviolis are first going to sink a bit in the pot before floating to the top. It’s important to only flip them over once they are brown on one side to ensure even cooking.
- Make sure that you use enough oil when frying your raviolis. The oil should be at 3-4” deep in the Dutch oven.
- I love using bread crumbs that already have a herb seasoning added to it as it means one less recipe step to include. Adding some parmesan cheese into the bread crumb mix also works really well. If you don’t have seasoned bread crumbs, you can easily add in a few teaspoons of Italian seasoning or create your own seasoning mix to combine with the plain bread crumbs. Consider combining garlic powder or salt, onion powder, dried oregano, and dried basil.
- These fried raviolis taste very similar to fried mozzarella sticks (if you’ve opted for raviolis with cheese filling) and taste the best right out of the frier.
- Getting the temperature of the oil right is quite important. If the oil is too cold then the raviolis will soak up too much oil but if it’s too hot then they risk browning too quickly before they are able to cook through. I recommend using a food thermometer to check that the temperature of the oil is exactly at 350℉ before adding the raviolis.
- These breaded raviolis can also be baked in the oven at 400℉ for 15 – 20 minutes or pan fried by adding enough oil to cover the bottom of your pan instead of using a Dutch oven.
- Go ahead and make use of frozen raviolis for this recipe. Just ensure that they are completely thawed prior to moving forward with the recipe otherwise you can air fry raviolis from frozen.
- Allow the fried ravioli to rest on a paper towel prior to serving to soak up any excess oil.
Other Fried Recipes You’ll Love
Fried Raviolis
Ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 cups Italian herb breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
- 20 oz. package refrigerated raviolis
- 4-6 cups vegetable oil or vegetable shortening for frying
- Fresh parsley finely chopped (for garnish)
- 1 cup marinara sauce for serving
Instructions
- Combine buttermilk and 1 egg in a shallow bowl.
- Combine breadcrumbs and ¼ cup grated parmesan in a second bowl.
- Begin heating the cooking coil in a heavy stock pot or Dutch oven. Heat the oil to precisely 350°F (this will take 15 minutes or so).
- While the oil is heating, dip raviolis into the buttermilk mixture, coating on each side. Move the dipped raviolis into the breadcrumbs, again coating on each side.
- Set the coated raviolis aside (a sheet pan holds lots of raviolis!)
- When the oil is heated, add raviolis, several at a time and fry on both sides. When the raviolis are browned, remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and set them on a paper-towel lined plate (or another sheet pan) to drain.
- Continue frying batches of raviolis until they are all cooked.
- Serve hot with marinara sauce and a sprinkle of chopped parsley and parmesan cheese.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Raviolis are best while still crispy right out of the fryer.
Notes
- The ravioli will sink a bit when first added to the oil and then will float up to the top. Be sure to flip them over after they brown on one side so that both sides get browned.
- Be sure that the oil is at least 3-4” deep.
- Bread crumbs with herb seasoning already in them works great and combines well with a little parmesan cheese mixed in. If you only have non-seasoned breadcrumbs, you can mix in your own seasoning – garlic powder or salt, onion powder, dried oregano, dried basil, etc.
- These taste a lot like fried mozzarella sticks and are best right out of the frier.
- If the temperature of the oil is too cold, they will soak up too much oil; if it’s too hot, they will brown too quickly before the ravioli can cook.
Nutrition
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