One Pan Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi is the ultimate comfort food dish. Pillowy soft gnocchi, tender chicken, and a rich cream sauce flavored with sundried tomatoes and spinach, this one pot chicken dish is a winner and a 30 minute dinner!
You may have heard of Olive Garden's famous chicken and gnocchi soup, but this one pan creamy chicken and gnocchi recipe is a little different.
There are a lot of similar components, chicken, baby spinach, potato gnocchi, and cream. But instead of a soup, this is more of a very saucy dish, similar to a stew. It is still made all in one pan for ease of cooking and cleaning.
While this one pot gnocchi with chicken is simple and quick enough for a weeknight dinner, this would be the perfect date night meal. It's easy but still a show stopper. We love it any night of the week. For another quick chicken dish, try Creamy Boursin Chicken.
Ingredients
- Chicken. Boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs that are browned to seal in the juices. A tasty protein source and perfect for mopping up all that delicious sauce.
- Store Bought Gnocchi. I love keeping a package or two of potato gnocchi in the pantry because they last for months but are a great addition to lots of different recipes. They are soft and delicious, like a cross between a noodle and a dumpling.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes. We keep a jar in our fridge and it lasts for a while. These little guys are packed with sweet, deep flavor and they add a nice color to the dish.
- Heavy Cream. Add a richness to this sauce with heavy whipping cream. It really elevates the flavor and makes this dish that much more luscious.
- Spinach. We need a little bit of veggies in there, don't we? Truth be told, I love the spinach in this. It cooks down just ever so slightly and becomes silky in texture.
How to make one pan creamy chicken and gnocchi
Add 2 tbsp. butter to a large skillet over medium heat.
Season chicken with salt and pepper and place into skillet. Allow to brown and then flip to brown other side, about 5-7 minutes per side. Once they reach 165 degrees F internally, remove to a plate to the side.
To the same pan, add remaining 1 tbsp. of butter and saute garlic until fragrant, around 1-2 minutes. Add sundried tomatoes and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
Add chicken stock, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Stir and add in uncooked gnocchi. Simmer for 10 minutes until the gnocchi are cooked through.
Add spinach and heavy cream and stir to wilt spinach and warm cream. Place chicken back into the skillet to warm and serve.
Recipe Tip
If you want to prepare this dish even quicker you can cook the gnocchi on the side in boiling water while browning the chicken. I prefer to cook the gnocchi in the skillet because they are then flavored with the rich broth, but either way will be delicious.
Substitutions and Variations
- I used chicken breasts but chicken thighs would be awesome here as well. You can certainly use bone in, but boneless skinless will cook much quicker and be easier to eat.
- Make this creamy chicken gnocchi spicy by adding a dash (or several) of red pepper flakes.
- Add sliced baby bella mushrooms to bulk up the dish and add a nice earthy flavor. If you want, you can even omit the chicken and use only mushrooms! If you need this dish to be vegetarian, just be sure to replace the chicken stick with veggie stock.
- Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese for a bit more creaminess and saltiness.
- Use kale instead of spinach for the green if you prefer. Kale takes a bit longer to wilt down, so add it with your chicken stock and gnocchi instead of at the very end.
Storage
This chicken gnocchi recipe makes great leftovers. We often will have a portion or two leftover and it keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Simply microwave or place in a pan on the stove to reheat.
More creamy chicken dishes
- crockpot creamy tuscan chicken
- creamy instant pot pesto chicken
- greek yogurt chicken
- chicken in lemon shallot sauce
- olive garden chicken veronese
- bone in chicken breast with garlic compound butter sauce
- chicken and dumplings
One Pan Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 tbsp. butter divided
- 1 16 oz. package potato gnocchi
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- ¼ cup sundried tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
Instructions
- Add 2 tbsp. butter to a large skillet over medium heat. If chicken breasts are particularly large, cut in half.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper and place into skillet. Allow to brown and then flip to brown other side, about 5-7 minutes per side. Once they reach 165 degrees F internally, remove to a plate to the side.
- To the same pan, add remaining 1 tbsp. of butter and saute garlic until fragrant, around 1-2 minutes. Add sundried tomatoes and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Add chicken stock, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Stir and add in uncooked gnocchi. Simmer for 10 minutes until the gnocchi are cooked through.
- Add spinach and heavy cream and stir to wilt spinach and warm cream. Place chicken back into the skillet to warm and serve.
Sarah Baumeister
Made this tonight! Always so tasty.