The perfect comforting recipe for a cold, busy night is this one for Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi!
Made with homemade chicken meatballs, store-bought gnocchi, and the most delicious creamy sauce with spinach, your family will ask you to make this crock pot recipe over and over again.
When life gets busy, it’s always a good idea to have some easy slow cooker recipes ready. Simple recipes like this one for Tuscan chicken meatballs can be thrown together ahead of time, and then cooked just a few hours before you plan to eat.
Because we’re making meatballs in the crock pot rather than large cuts of meat, this recipe only takes 2-3 hours in the slow cooker, so it’s a great option if you didn’t plan ahead too!
If you’re looking for more delicious slow cooker recipes with chicken, be sure to try my Slow Cooker Butter Chicken, Creamy Crockpot White Chicken Chili, and the best comforting Slow Cooker and Chicken Gravy recipes next!
Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs Recipe Highlights
- A Complete Slow Cooker Meal – All the parts of a hearty, filling meal are in the crockpot, including lean chicken, creamy potato gnocchi, and healthy spinach. There’s no need to make any extra side dishes, although this meal pairs perfectly with a simple Caesar salad if you have the time.
- Rich, Creamy Sauce – This delicious sauce is similar to an alfredo, made with garlic, parmesan, and cream. To make it slightly lighter, I’m using half and half rather than heavy cream and thickening the sauce with a bit of cornstarch.
- Juicy Homemade Chicken Meatballs – I love making meatballs with lean ground chicken! These Tuscan-inspired chicken meatballs are flavored with Italian seasoning, garlic, and sundried tomatoes, and are incredibly tasty.
Ingredients In Recipe (or key ingredients)
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Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Ground Chicken: One of my favorite inexpensive proteins, I think that gound chicken is at its best when turned into tasty meatballs. This recipe works well with ground turkey too.
- Breadcrumbs: To help hold the chicken meatballs together. I like panko breadcrumbs, but any type of crumbs will work. For a gluten-free option, you can even use almond flour.
- Egg: One large egg also helps to bind the meatball mixture together. While I don’t always add an egg to meatballs, it’s necessary in this recipe since the meatballs will be cooking low and slow. They’re likely to fall apart otherwise.
- Garlic and Onion: To add a savory base layer of flavor.
- Seasonings: Dried Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and ground black pepper.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes: This, along with the spinach is what makes this recipe “Tuscan”. I love the bright flavor that these add, especially when paired with a rich, cheesy sauce. Look for tomatoes that are packed in oil, rather than dry ones.
- Gnocchi: Fresh potato gnocchi found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, or shelf-stable, ready-to-heat gnocchi are the best options for this recipe. Dried gnocchi won’t work here, and frozen gnocchi can work, but it will tend to break apart during cooking.
- Parmesan Cheese: This adds salty, cheesy flavor. I highly recommend grating fresh parmesan cheese directly from a wedge rather than buying pre-shredded parmesan.
The full ingredient list and all of the details are below. You should note that many of the seasoning and flavor ingredients are divided. Some goes directly into the meatballs and the remainder is used to season the sauce.
How To Make Slow Cooker Tuscan Meatballs with Gnocchi
Tip!
Prep Ahead Tip! Make the meatballs a day ahead of time and keep them chilled in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to make dinner, sear them and continue the recipe as written.
Recipe Tips
- Avoid overmixing the meatball mixture. If you handle the ground chicken too much, the meatballs can turn out dry. I like to use gloved hands to mix the meat gently, only until the ingredients are combined.
- For extra flavor, sear the meatballs with sun-dried tomato oil! You can also add a splash of dry white wine to the sauce before slow cooking, or garnish plates with fresh basil.
- Thickening the sauce with cornstarch is optional. The sauce may thicken perfectly on its own, and this will depend mostly on the type and brand of gnocchi that you use. Only mix in a cornstarch slurry if the sauce is too thin.
- Plan Ahead. Unlike some slow cooker recipes that cook all day, this one only cooks for 2.5 to 3.5 hours in the crock pot. Use this recipe on a day when you can start cooking about 3 hours before you want to eat.
Storing Tips
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
What To Serve With Slow Cooker Tuscan Meatballs
One of the best parts of this recipe is that it doesn’t require any side dishes! Your meat, pasta/potatoes, and veggies are already included.
That said, you will love serving this meal with some crusty bread, garlic bread, or breadsticks to help sop up any of the delicious cream sauce left in your bowl.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make this recipe on the stovetop?
You absolutely can! Instead of cooking the meatballs in the crock pot, cook them in the broth and seasonings in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Follow the rest of the recipe as written.
This recipe is also very similar to my stovetop creamy chicken and gnocchi recipe, which you may enjoy just as much!
Can I make chicken meatballs in an Instant Pot?
I have not tested this recipe using an instant pot, but if you try it, please let me know how it works for you!
Do I have to brown the meatballs before slow cooking them?
Yes, this is an important step! If you don’t brown the meatballs first, they will likely fall apart in the cooking liquid.
More Chicken Meatball Recipes
Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
Chicken Pesto Meatballs
Slow Cooker Chicken Tuscan Meatballs are going to be your family’s newest favorite dinner! Pick up ground chicken and gnocchi on your next grocery trip so that you can make this recipe ASAP.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450 g) lean ground chicken
- 1 small yellow onion grated
- 6 cloves garlic minced (divided)
- ½ cup dried breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup chopped sundried tomatoes packed in oil and drained (divided)
- 1 cup (85 g) grated Parmesan cheese divided
- 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt divided
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper divided
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- 2 cups (480 ml) chicken stock
- 1 cup (240 ml) half-and-half single cream in the UK
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch cornflour in the UK, see Note 1*
- 16 ounces (450 g) packaged gnocchi
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, grated onion, 3 cloves of garlic, breadcrumbs, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, egg, ½ cup sundried tomatoes, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper.
- Mix the ingredients gently by hand or with a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion approximately 1-tablespoon-sized meatballs.
- Roll each portion gently between your hands to form balls. Place them on a plate or sheet pan.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the meatballs to the skillet and sear them on two sides until lightly browned. Remove them from the skillet; they do not need to be fully cooked.
- Transfer the seared meatballs to a slow cooker.
- Add the remaining garlic, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, black pepper, and chicken stock to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Cover with a lid and cook on LOW for 2-3 hours, or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160°F (74°C).
- Stir in the half-and-half, gnocchi, remaining Parmesan cheese, and remaining sundried tomatoes.
- Cover with the lid and cook for an additional 20 minutes.
- If the sauce needs thickening, mix 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of water or some sauce from the crockpot. Stir the mixture into the sauce.
- Add the spinach to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the spinach is wilted.
Notes:
- Optional Thickening Step. Depending on the brand of gnocchi used, the sauce may thicken naturally during cooking. If the sauce is thinner than desired, you can thicken it easily.
To do this, mix 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of water or a small amount of sauce from the slow cooker to make a slurry. Stir the slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker. Cover and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reaches your preferred consistency.
This step is optional and should only be done if the sauce needs thickening. - Avoid overmixing the meatball mixture. If you handle the ground chicken too much, the meatballs can turn out dry. I like to use gloved hands to mix the meat gently, only until the ingredients are combined.
- Plan Ahead. Unlike some slow cooker recipes that cook all day, this one only cooks for 2.5 to 3.5 hours in the crock pot. Use this recipe on a day when you can start cooking about 3 hours before you want to eat.
- Prep Ahead Tip! Make the meatballs a day ahead of time and keep them chilled in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to make dinner, sear them and continue the recipe as written.
Nutrition Information
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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