Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi

This creamy chicken and gnocchi is an easy one-pan dinner made with tender chicken, pillowy gnocchi, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes in a rich creamy sauce. It’s cozy, flavorful, and ready in about 25 minutes, making it a great weeknight meal. The gnocchi cooks right in the skillet with the sauce, so you get a quick dinner with less cleanup.

Pillowy potato gnocchi in a garlic, parmesan, and sundried tomato cream sauce with chicken and spinach. Sounds like something you might find on a fancy Italian restaurant menu, right?

You can stay home for this meal though – this recipe will teach you exactly how easy it is to make restaurant-worthy pasta at home!

The flavors in this creamy gnocchi are very similar to those in my Marry Me Chicken and Tuscan Chicken recipes. The decadent blend of heavy cream, garlic, and sundried tomatoes makes everything taste amazing!

So you can call this recipe “Tuscan gnocchi” if you like, or even “gnocchi florentine” due to the addition of spinach.

Be sure to call it something, though – your family will want to ask for it by name, and they will definitely want you to make this easy pasta dish again!

I made this tonight exactly as written, and it was delicious. I love that I used just one pan too. My whole family loved it. Thank you for the recipe.

Penney

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Then, you can try my Creamy Pesto Gnocchi and Gnocchi Al Pomodoro. There are so many delicious ways to cook gnocchi!

Why This One-Pan Chicken and Gnocchi Works

1. Everything cooks in one pan – The chicken is seared first, then the sauce and gnocchi cook in the same skillet. There’s no separate pot of water and less cleanup at the end.
2. The sauce thickens as the gnocchi cooks – Shelf-stable gnocchi simmers directly in the cream sauce, releasing starch as it softens. This helps the sauce cling to the chicken, spinach, and gnocchi.
3. It’s ready in 25 minutes – Once the ingredients are prepped, the recipe moves quickly: sear the chicken, build the sauce, simmer the gnocchi, and stir in the spinach.

The Ingredients in Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi

Here’s what you need to make this amazing pasta dish:

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

• Chicken: 1 pound of chicken breast meat, cut into bite-sized pieces will cook up quickly in a skillet.
• Gnocchi: You’ll find gnocchi at the grocery store, packaged in plastic. It’s generally shelf-stable and often vacuum-sealed for freshness. This type of gnocchi only takes 3-4 minutes to cook. Avoid dried gnocchi or frozen gnocchi for this recipe.
• Sundried Tomatoes: Look for sundried tomatoes packed in oil. You can use the oil from the jar to cook the chicken to add even more complex flavor.
• Garlic: Freshly minced garlic is a must for this savory cream sauce. Two cloves are perfect, but you can always add a little bit more if you really enjoy garlic.
• Heavy Cream: If you’re in the UK, this is called double cream. The rich dairy cream is what makes this sauce heavenly.
• Seasonings: Parmesan cheese, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
• Baby Spinach: I love adding baby spinach leaves to pasta sauces, because you barely need to cook them! Spinach will wilt down into the sauce in seconds.

How To Make Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi

1. Cook the Chicken: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil, then add the chicken. Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and cook for 4-5 minutes, turning as needed, until fully cooked. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside while you make the sauce and gnocchi.
2. Saute Garlic: To the same pan, add butter and garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds, or just until the garlic is fragrant. Deglaze the pan with chicken stock, scraping up the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
3. Simmer the Gnocchi with Cream: Add heavy cream to pan with the garlic, and then add the gnocchi. Reduce the heat if needed to keep the cream at a simmer, and cook the gnocchi for 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the pasta is tender.
4. Finish the Sauce: Lower the heat on the pan to medium-low, add smoked paprika, sundried tomatoes, and parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.

5. Wilt Spinach: Stir in the baby spinach leaves. At this point, you can add a splash of water if needed to thin out the sauce.
6. Add the Chicken Back: Stir in the chicken that you cooked earlier. Remove the pan from the heat and serve your chicken and gnocchi immediately.

Recipe Tips

• This dish pairs well with your favorite dry white wine. You can also use that wine to deglaze the pan instead of using chicken stock. This will give the sauce a richer and more complex flavor.
• Be sure to use packaged, ready-to-heat gnocchi. Frozen gnocchi won’t work well in this recipe.
• Not a fan of spinach? That’s ok, you can leave it out. Basil leaves can also be used.
• Instead of chicken breast meat, try this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
• Don’t throw away the oil from the sundried tomatoes. Use it in this recipe or other recipes in place of olive oil. It adds tons of flavor.

Storing Tips

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding a bit of water to loosen up the sauce.

What To Serve With Creamy Gnocchi

The great part about this meal is that it’s already complete! Chicken, pasta, and veggies are all in the skillet.

That said, you can certainly enjoy creamy chicken and gnocchi with side dishes like garlic bread, Olive Garden breadsticks, or a simple and homemade Caesar Salad.

Recipe FAQs

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

4.97 from 57 votes

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Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 25 minutes mins

Author: Diana

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Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi is a quick one skillet dinner made with tender chicken, ready to cook gnocchi, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, and a creamy Parmesan sauce. The gnocchi cooks directly in the sauce, so the recipe stays simple and comes together in about 25 minutes.

4 Servings

Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi is a quick one skillet dinner made with tender chicken, ready to cook gnocchi, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, and a creamy Parmesan sauce. The gnocchi cooks directly in the sauce, so the recipe stays simple and comes together in about 25 minutes.

Recipe Video

Equipment

• 12-inch stainless steel skillet 30 cm
• wooden spoon
• Instant-read thermometer
• cutting board
• Chef’s Knife
• Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients 

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• ▢ 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil or oil from the jar of sun dried tomatoes
• ▢ 1 pound (450 grams) chicken breast about 2 breasts, cut into ¾ – 1 inch pieces
• ▢ 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons (26 grams) butter
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 cup (240 ml) chicken stock
• ▢ 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream double cream in the UK
• ▢ 16 ounces (450 grams) gnocchi
• ▢ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ ⅓ cup sundried tomatoes chopped
• ▢ ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ▢ 2 cups baby spinach leaves

Instructions 

• Heat the oil in a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, Italian seasoning, salt, and ground black pepper.
• Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C). Transfer the chicken to a plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter in the same skillet. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
• Pour in the chicken stock and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
• Add the heavy cream and gnocchi. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gnocchi is tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the smoked paprika, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese.
• Add the spinach and cooked chicken. Stir until the spinach wilts and the chicken is warmed through, then remove from the heat and serve right away.

Notes:

• This dish pairs well with your favorite dry white wine. You can also use that wine to deglaze the pan instead of using chicken stock. This will give the sauce a richer and more complex flavor.
• Be sure to use packaged, ready-to-heat gnocchi. Frozen gnocchi won’t work well in this recipe.
• You can leave out the spinach if you like. Basil leaves can also be used.
• Instead of chicken breast meat, try this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
• Don’t throw away the oil from the sundried tomatoes. Use it in this recipe or other recipes in place of olive oil. It adds tons of flavor.
• To store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Add a bit of water when reheating to loosen up the cream sauce again. 

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1.5cups, Calories: 734kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 37g, Fat: 43g, Saturated Fat: 22g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 168mg, Sodium: 1151mg, Potassium: 987mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 2936IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 219mg, Iron: 6mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Little Sunny Kitchen

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