Easy One Pan Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi Dinner – juicy chicken thighs and pillowy potato gnocchi are cooked in a flavorful and creamy Parmesan sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh spinach. It is the ultimate comfort food. I mean, there are potatoes in there!
Whoever came up with making pasta out of potatoes is genius! If you have read my blog then you know that potatoes are my favorite food besides cake. I even have an entire section on this blog for any recipe that contains yummy potatoes.
One pot meals are my favorite to cook and Lee’s favorite to clean up. Not only is this made in one pan, it only takes about 20 minutes to cook. So prep time included this can be on the table in about half an hour, how cool is that?!
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Ingredients
See recipe card below for exact amounts.
Ingredient Notes
While this dish does have quite a few ingredients it is so worth it because it is still an easy recipe that has tons of flavor.
Chicken – I like boneless skinless chicken thighs for this one-pan creamy chicken gnocchi. You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts either pounded thin or sliced in half for quicker cooking.
Gnocchi – we buy the shelf-stable gnocchi that is found on the pasta aisle. You can use homemade fresh gnocchi, All Recipes has what looks to be an easy homemade gnocchi recipe if you want to give that a try. I have not tried this recipe using cauliflower gnocchi but it has fewer calories and carbs if that is important to you.
Butter – I like unsalted butter in this recipe.
Olive Oil – you can use extra virgin, regular or light tasting.
Chicken Broth – I only buy the low sodium variety.
Heavy Cream – this is a key ingredient to make the delicious and creamy sauce.
White Wine Vinegar – we use this to add the same acidity you would get from dry white wine because we always have it on hand. I also don’t want to buy a whole bottle of wine for this recipe.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes – this is another key ingredient because they have so much flavor taking this dish to the next level.
Red Onion – you can use shallots, white onion or yellow onion.
Garlic – this dish has an Italian flair and no Italian dish is complete without garlic!
Flour – we use a little all purpose flour to make a thick and rich sauce.
Spinach – I like fresh baby spinach for this dish.
Parmesan Cheese – we almost always buy the wedge and grate it ourselves.
Seasonings – salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning.
How to Make This Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Recipe
- Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add chicken thighs and cook, covered, until juice runs clear, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and keep warm in a 175° oven. Chop the onion and garlic and grate the cheese while the chicken cooks.
- Melt butter in the same skillet add onion and cook over medium heat until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and Italian seasoning and continue to cook stirring often for another 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the white wine vinegar and loosen any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, sprinkle with flour and cook stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Pour in the chicken broth and stir until combined. Add heavy cream, sun dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and gnocchi and cook for about 4-5 minutes minutes stirring occasionally. Add spinach and stir until it has wilted.
- Place chicken (and any juice that accumulates) in the frying pan, stir and then spoon the sauce over the chicken.
This recipe has great flavor. If you want to add a little kick then add a pinch of red pepper flakes, maybe ¼ – 1 teaspoon, depending on how much heat you want.
Name brand gnocchi vs. store brand gnocchi
Not all shelf-stable potato gnocchi is created equal. We buy Gia Russa brand at Walmart because it has much less sodium and slightly fewer calories than the store brand. Kroger brand has the same nutritional value as Gia Russa. Other name brands have higher sodium and calories, this is very important to me so I make sure to read the nutrition facts and select the best option regardless of the price.
What We Love About This Recipe
- It is a delicious and comforting meal and who doesn’t love those?
- We use chicken thighs so it is less expensive than using chicken breasts and results in flavorful and tender chicken.
- There are potatoes in there, and I am a big fan of potatoes!
- The luxurious cream sauce is sophisticated enough for adults and great for kids too!
- It is a one pan meal.
- There is only a small amount of prep work that you can do after you start cooking.
Try These One-Pan Recipes Next!
Alfred Chicken Pasta & Broccoli
Skillet Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash
Easy One Pan Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi Dinner
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs about 3 or 4 ounces each
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup red onion
- 1 tsp garlic chopped
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes
- 1 lb gnocchi
- 3 cups spinach
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt and pepper.4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add chicken thighs and cook, covered, until juice runs clear, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and keep warm in a 175° oven.2 tbsp olive oil
- Chop the onion and garlic and grate the cheese while the chicken cooks.
- Melt butter in the same skillet add onion and cook over medium heat until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and Italian seasoning and continue to cook stirring often for another 2-3 minutes.¼ cup red onion, 1 tsp garlic, 2 tbsp butter, 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Pour in white wine vinegar and loosen any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, sprinkle with flour and cook stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Add chicken broth and stir until combined. Stir in heavy cream, sun dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and gnocchi and cook for about 4-5 minutes minutes stirring occasionally. Add spinach and stir until it has wilted½ cup Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 2 tbsp flour, 1 cup chicken broth, ¾ cup heavy cream, ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes, 1 lb gnocchi, 3 cups spinach
- Place chicken (and any juice that accumulates) in the pan, stir and spoon the sauce over the chicken.
The family loved this recipe!! I got several “Mom, this is so good”. I made a double batch so there would be enough for lunches. Appreciate how you put the ingredients for each step in the step! Now I’m hunting your website for more great recipes!! Thanks Mindy!
I am so glad your family likes it. It’s one of my family’s favorites too!