One Pan Creamy Chicken Gnocchi: Quick and Easy

One pan creamy chicken gnocchi is calling your name! With creamy sauce, pillowy gnocchi and juicy chicken thighs, this is the ultimate comfort food, perfect for cold nights and cozy sweatpants.

If you’re in a comforting meal mood, try my Cheese Tteokbokki or Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.

❤️ Why You’ll Love Creamy Chicken Gnocchi:

Perfect meal when you’re in the mood for a luxurious cream sauce.
This recipe makes gnocchi easy with store-bought gnocchi and simple ingredients.
Use rotisserie chicken to make this recipe even easier.
Kids love this recipe!
This one-pan recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes.

🍲 Ingredients

Boneless skinless chicken thighs add a depth of flavor to the meal. You can use chicken breasts but keep in mind they will have a less rich flavor than thighs.

Unsalted Butter is preferred over salted to ensure your sauce isn’t too salty. Use salted, if needed, but taste before adding anymore salt.

Yellow onion and garlic, because, obviously! The more garlic the better, is my motto.

All-purpose flour thickens the rich sauce.

Store-bought gnocchi. You can find fresh gnocchi in the refrigerated aisle of your local grocery store or purchase shelf-stable gnocchi in the dry pasta aisle. I always prefer fresh, if you can find it.

Fresh spinach adds greens and color to the dish.

Chicken broth flavors the sauce. May also use chicken stock.

Heavy cream is the heart and soul of the cream sauce.

Parmesan cheese because parmesan cheese makes everything better.

Fresh basil or parsley, for garnish.

👩‍🍳 How to Make Creamy Chicken Gnocchi

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Season chicken pieces with salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side. Remove them from the skillet and set aside.
In the same large skillet, add butter and diced onion and sauté over medium heat until it becomes translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
Whisk in flour for about 1 minute. Pour in the chicken broth slowly, whisking until slightly thickened. Stir in heavy cream and grated Parmesan cheese. Stir well to combine.
Add the uncooked gnocchi and baby spinach to the skillet and cook until the spinach has wilted, about 1 – 2 minutes. Return the browned chicken to the skillet.
Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly.
Remove from the oven, garnish with fresh basil or parsley, and serve immediately.

🪄 Tips and Tricks

For babies 6 months and up, serve the gnocchi as is and watch them use their little hands to grab the little dumplings. Make sure chicken pieces are cut into an appropriate size.

🗒 Best served with

Side of fruit, garlic bread or green salad.

👝 How to Store Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Add more chicken broth if the gnocchi has absorbed too much sauce.

🤔 Common Questions

Is this gluten-free?

Gnocchi is not typically gluten-free, however you can find gluten-free varieties. However, all-purpose flour is not gluten-free and I haven’t tested this recipe using a gluten-free flour. If you do, please leave a comment and let me know how it worked out!

Is this dairy-free?

This is a dairy-filled recipe so I don’t recommend attempting to make dairy-free, as it would drastically change the outcome of the dish.