This velvety Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi recipe is one of my favorite one-pot meals because it’s easy, you can make it in under thirty minutes, it’s filling, and it’s big-time delicious. Like I’m-not-going-to-stop-eating-this-until-it’s-all-done delicious. Pillowy gnocchi drenched in a rich buttery cream sauce, with pops of juicy chicken and earthy spinach? Ummm, yeah. You’re going to love this one!
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What Is Gnocchi?
Gnocchi are small two-inch dumplings made with mashed potatoes, flour, and eggs. They are served sauteed with butter, tomato, or cream-based sauce. In this dish, we pair gnocchi with diced chicken thighs in a buttery cream sauce. It’s basically an elevated meat and potatoes dish, with spinach thrown in because Beth says we need to cook more veggies.
What You’ll Need
You won’t need loads of time or pots and pans, that’s for sure. Everything in this dreamy, silky dish comes together in one skillet in under thirty minutes! Here’s what you’ll need to make Creamy Chicken And Gnocchi:
- Gnocchi – you can find them frozen or fresh, but I prefer the dried ones as they are more economical, plus I have more room in my pantry than I do in my freezer. You’ll find them in the pasta section of your grocery store.
- Chicken Thighs– You can also use chicken breast, but be careful not to overcook it, as you want juicy chicken, not dry, chicken-flavored cotton balls. In a pinch, sub the thighs with Italian sausage and skip the seasoning.
- Heavy cream and Butter– this is a cream sauce, so it is dairy-heavy. You need the fat found in these ingredients to create the velvety sauce that brings everything together. You can substitute the heavy cream with full-fat coconut cream and the butter with vegan butter
- Parmesan– does double duty, adding savory saltiness to the sauce while also thickening it. Asioago or feta make great substitutions. If you can’t do dairy, use a couple of tablespoons of nutritional yeast, but keep in mind that your sauce will be much looser.
- Vegetable broth– is used to hydrate the dried gnocchi and helps create the base of our cream sauce. Substitute it with chicken broth or in a pinch, with a cup of water with a tablespoon of tomato sauce mixed in.
- Onion and Garlic– these aromatics are fried in the chicken thigh fat and help flavor the gnocchi. You can substitute the onion with one tablespoon of onion powder and the garlic with 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Spinach- brings earthiness and a beautiful color to the dish. You can substitute spinach with kale, though it will take a little longer to soften.
- Italian seasoning – creates an easy flavor base. If you don’t have Italian seasoning, substitute it with one teaspoon of dried oregano, one teaspoon of dried thyme, and one teaspoon of dried rosemary.
- Smoked paprika – using this spice is optional, but I use it to add a dank, smoky note that helps round out the sharpness of the Italian seasoning. It also lends a golden hue to the sauce.
What To Serve With Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi
This dish is heavy, so pair it with a Simple Side Salad or Panzanella. You can also lean into the heaviness and make Garlic Bread to sop up all the creamy sauce. (It is AMAZING with garlic bread. And garlic counts as a vegetable!)
Storing and Reheating
Because you make this dish with a cream-based sauce, I don’t recommend freezing it, as the cream gets grainy when it thaws. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a microwave until steaming.
Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi
Servings 4 servingsIngredients
- 1.25 lbs chicken thighs (4 to 5 thighs) ($4.23)
- 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning ($0.30)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.04)
- 1/4 tsp pepper ($0.02)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced ($0.32)
- 2 garlic cloves ($0.11)
- 2 Tbsp salted butter, divided ($0.30)
- 1 lb potato gnocchi (dry) ($1.13)
- 2 cups fresh spinach ($0.60)
- 1 cup vegetable broth ($0.08)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream ($0.71)
- 1/4 cup Parmesan ($0.44)
Instructions
- Dice the chicken thighs into 2-inch pieces. Add the chicken to a bowl and top it with Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined.
- Place a large, deep skillet over medium heat and add the cooking oil. Once it's shimmering, add the chicken and cook undisturbed until well browned, about 3 minutes. Stir and brown on the other side, about 3 more minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan when it's cooked through and leave the fat in the pan.
- Add the onion and garlic to the skillet. Saute until the onions have softened and the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes
- Add the gnocchi and 1 tablespoon salted butter to the skillet and brown for 2 minutes.
- Add the spinach and the broth to the skillet. Cover the pan. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the spinach has wilted and the gnocchi has hydrated.
- Add the heavy cream and the remaining 1 tablespoon of salted butter to the skillet. Stir until the butter has melted and the cream is steaming hot but not boiling.
- Take the skillet off the heat. Add the parmesan to the pan and stir until it melts, creating a velvety sauce.
- Finally, return the cooked diced chicken to the skillet. Mix gently into the gnocchi and cream sauce. If desired, garnish with parsley.
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Equipment
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Creamy Chicken And Gnocchi – Step by Step Photos
Dice 1.25 pounds of chicken thighs (about 4 to 5 thighs) in 2-inch pieces. Add the chicken to a bowl and top it with 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Mix until combined.
Set a large deep skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the chicken and cook undisturbed until well browned, about 3 minutes. Stir and brown on the other side, about 3 minutes more. Remove the chicken from the pan when it’s cooked through and has reached an internal temperature of 160°F. Leave the rendered fat in the pan.
Add 1 diced onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic to the skillet. Saute until the onions have softened and the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add 1 pound of dry potato gnocchi and 1 tablespoon of salted butter to the skillet. Brown the gnocchi for 2 minutes.
Add 2 cups of spinach and 1 cup of vegetable broth to the skillet. Cover the pan. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the spinach has wilted and the gnocchi has hydrated.
Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 1 tablespoon of salted butter to the skillet. Stir until the butter has melted and the cream is steaming hot, but not boiling. You’re about to add cheese to the sauce, and cheese curdles at high temperatures, so make sure it isn’t boiling.
Take the pan off the heat. Add 1/4 cup of parmesan to the pan and stir until it melts, creating a velvety sauce.
Finally, return the cooked diced chicken to the skillet. Mix gently into the gnocchi and cream sauce. If desired, garnish with parsley. Serve this dish piping hot, then sit back and enjoy what took you less than a half hour to make!
Made this for my mother and it ended with her literally licking the bowl clean.
Used chicken stock since I had an open carton in the fridge.
Great! I made it once following the recipe perfectly and it turned out very good, then made it a second time with changes and it was excellent. The second time I used chicken broth instead of veggie broth (mainly because it’s what I had but it did make a positive difference), I used a meat and veggie seasoning mix rather than Italian seasoning on the chicken, used more spinach, and added chili flakes for flavor at the cream adding step. It was SO GOOD!!! If you like a little more flavor I recommend these adjustments.
I loved this recipe…hubby was on the fence! It’ll go into rotation as a “sometimes” meal. Easy to prepare, flavorful and one pan – what’s not to like? Served with crusty garlic bread. Again, what’s not to like? 😊
The recipe turned out ok, but it’s not really my sort of thing. The spinach cooks down into the sauce and together with the chicken and gnocchi, there’s not much texture to the dish. If I made it again I would use crunchier vegetables or even just swap the spinach for kale.
This is amazing! I didn’t have spinach but found a few sprigs in a mix I had then used frozen kale I use for smoothies. The kids said is was delicious although they are teenagers and said something like “fire”. There wasn’t any left!
Quick, easy and delicious. Thank you! I’ll definitely be making this again.
So easy and delicious! This is my first time cooking with gnocchi and it tastes lovely.
I just put this together with plans to reheat at a gathering tomorrow.
Can you suggest the best way to reheat this without scorching the cream sauce.
The microwave is your best bet! I would just heat in 30 second increments, stirring after each until warmed through.
Made with hot Italian sausage instead and oh my goodness how delicious it was! Thanks for a fun and tasty recipe. =)
This is comfort food at its finest. No only is it comfort food, but it is cheap and easy to make. I just can’t understand why someone gives a poor review on a recipe, when they don’t even like the ingredients!
The combination of spices make a very nice sauce. Browning the gnocchi gives it a depth of flavor and you cannot beat a bit of butter to make it even richer. I seriously wished I could keep eating it, but it is very filling.
This recipe comes together fast, but if it is one of those nights where you have a band concert, baths and homework, you could shorten your time more. If you didn’t want to take time to clean the chicken thighs, which I do even when they are boneless and skinless, you could use chicken breast tenderloins. That would cut down on time, but they would not be as moist. I would suggest cutting down on cook time. You could also buy minced garlic and onion already chopped from the store. If you did these things, this meal would be faster than Mac n cheese and better!
Thank you for such a great meal! We are going through, creating a list of our all time favorites from Budget Bytes, to make coming up with a meal list, even faster, and this one is at the top!
This is good, but I would definitely recommend checking the salt content of the gnocchi you buy and not using salted butter at all. Gnocchi can be very salty on its own, some chicken thighs have been rinsed with a sodium solution, and the fresh parmesan is definitely going to add saltiness to the dish. Next time, I plan to use shredded mozzarella for a softer cheese flavor. For me, also, this recipe would work better without seasoning the chicken thighs first, but, instead, putting those seasonings (aside from the salt) into the sauce which will still allow for all the flavors to be incorporated. Definitely double the fresh spinach as someone else suggested. And, I ended up using 24 ounces of gnocchi (as I could find it here only in 12-ounce bags so bought two) and 1 1/14 cups of cream to compensate for the extra gnocchi… for those who can’t find exactly one pound of it.
My niece wanted to try this recipe. I got the ingredients and she made it for supper today……OMG!!! This was sooo good…I’m not a big cooked spinach fan but if you use fresh spinach….yumm. I would definitely recommend making this.
Not a fan, but I think I just don’t like italian seasoning. I’ve tried it twice and it’s not great IMHO. And gnocchi— you either love or hate it. It’s like if mochi was made out of potatoes. Personally, I can’t stand the texture. 3* because while I don’t like it, I’m probably just not a fan of Italian.
If you like those seasonings, you’ll adore the chicken.
Loved this recipe! I doubled the recipe figured out just to not double the vegetable broth but everything turned out great! I couldn’t get the gnocchi to brown but still turned just fine also!
We just made this for dinner and it was incredible. I portioned fir 4 servings but I’m a little sad about that because I want to eat the whole pan. Definitely keeping this recipe.
Followed the recipe exactly, parmesan does not incorporate and dish turns out as a soupy mess full of parmesan globs no matter how long I stirred. I did use grated parmesan but if the recipe requires a specific type that should be included in the recipe.
I’ve made this a few times and never had an issue. Are you sure you did the liquid measurements correctly? Also the Gnocchi absorbs some liquid so if you don’t use a proper amount of that it won’t work either. Lastly you probably do have to use shredded parmesan, technically it shouldnt matter but the grated stuff, like you’d put on spaghetti is usually coated in anti-caking agents so you can shake it freely which is probably what is causing your issue.
Did you use the kind in the container? That’s powdery? Because that doesn’t work. The kind Elena is talking about comes in a bag or tub and it’s shreds not powder. I used that and it did mix fully.
If that is what you used, did you take the skillet off the heat? I let it sit for a moment.
Delicious! The timing was inaccurate for me (chicken took longer) but everything else was on-time.
Next time, I’ll add more spinach. It really cooked down, and then there weren’t enough greens for me.
Also I overcooked the gnocchi, so I will be following the timing more closely next time!
It’s definitely a rich comfort food, so I don’t know if I can add it to my daily rotation. But it’s good in a pinch and super quick if making without chicken :)
Wow! Frying the gnocchi and then simmering them in cream and broth leads to something extraordinary.
This is the most comforting comfort food ever. I used frozen spinach (instead of fresh) and half and half (instead of heavy cream) and I feel like I could eat this at least a couple of times a week for eternity. I love gnocchi and this is such an easy and delicious alternative to a tomato-based pasta sauce–one pan, creamy deliciousness, perfect!
How would you change the recipe to use frozen gnocchi?
I wanted to love this so much, but somehow it had a very bitter component to it, starting at the chicken and onion phase. What did I do wrong? Did I have a bad onion or cook the onions at too high of a temperature? Did something go wrong with cooking the Italian seasoning? Any suggestions? I’d like to attempt making this again because I think it has so much potential.
That’s quite odd! If I had to guess I would say that the garlic or onion got a bit burnt. Or, like you said, the onion or even the chicken could have been bad. I’d definitely give it another try! I bet the onion and garlic were just a bit scorched because that can definitely give a bitter flavor.
This was a great recipe, but the timing wasn’t very accurate for me. It took longest to cook the chicken. I skipped the onions and added a lot of paprika. Accidentally used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth, which made it salty, but the paprika was a great fix for that. Would love some substitutes for the heavy cream and butter to make this healthier. The people who ate this were a fan! Thank you for sharing.
This recipe is what my wife and I call “Definitely do again” We used chicken broth and we used pesto/mozzarella gnocchi….wow! We often modify online recipes to suit our tastes, but this was excellent…just used more garlic.
You should be able to get no salt added chicken broth at the store(we use Campbells).
Substituted bacon bc it was on sale, turned out great
Everyone in our family enjoyed this recipe, but I thought it was missing a little something. I stirred in some “Better than Bouillon” chicken flavoring before serving and that kicked the flavor up a notch. Thanks for sharing!
Picked up some gnocchi on sale and while at the store googled recipes and found this one. Was super easy and quick to make and everyone loved it, even my picky daughter. I used boneless breasts instead of thighs, also used vegetable stock because I had some in the fridge and unsalted butter.
This was delicious but was very salty for us… the vegetable broth and the added salt. Next time will not add the salt in.
Holy moly this was amazing. Easy and delicious.
Do you think frozen spinach would work in this recipe instead of fresh?
I used 2 cubes of frozen spinach and it tasted fine…sauce takes on a slightly greenish hue over time but otherwise great!
Loved the recipe could probably go lighter on the chicken rub it seemed slightly overbearing but tasty. I may use chicken broth next time instead of vegetable broth. Very good recipe though everyone loves it in my house
More of a question lol if I use fresh gnocchi should I need to change anything?
You probably won’t need as much broth since the gnocchi doesn’t need to be hydrated, but without testing I’m not sure how much to reduce. Also keep in mind that the broth brings a lot of flavor to the dish, so when you reduce the broth you are also reducing the flavor some.
I really liked this recipe!! The only thing I changed was cooking the chicken longer (do you guys really get cooked chicken in 6 minutes?!) and cooking the chicken with the onions and garlic (also cooked longer), I just like the flavor of those cooked together instead of added together at the end. Everything else was the same, served with garlic bread!
Soo good… I made a few hiccups as it was my first try but it still came out amazing!
– Costco grinder Italian seasoning and pepper only
– Trader Joe’s gnocchi and I didn’t realize it had the Gouda cheese in it
– used too much bone broth since the gnocchi wasnt dry… Had to cook it a bit longer but it eventually thickened
– Due to the Gouda I used 2% milk only
– Generous portions of Costco Parmesan!!
I had nearly half of this entire portion it was so good.
Swapped the onions for onion powder, and did everything else as the recipe stated. Delicious! Definitely going to take the recommendations to add a crusty baguette or garlic bread next time; this is definitely going into my rotation of frequent recipes!
Great recipe, I feel like this recipe taught me a lot about making a cream sauce and making an easy one pot dish. First time I made it used wayyyy too much onion, but the sauce was so good so I gave it another try. It was great! I added mushrooms and switched out the chicken for Italian sausage the second time around. Served with a salad, roasted asparagus, and some crusty bread!
Awesome recipe! I like that you can scale the measurements down. Unfortunately I did not trust the process and added a bit too much cream. If I’d added less it would’ve been the perfect sauce. But it was so tasty, and I’ll definitely be making this again!
As usual, this is an amazing recipe! It was just rich enough without being too heavy, and the only changes I made were to add in diced zucchini with the onions at the saute phase, and I added a tiny bit of marsala and half a cup white wine. I realize that makes it more costly, but I love the depth of flavor
How did you complete change the recipe and still give it less than 5 stars that’s crazy lol
Seriously!!!!! “I followed this recipe to a T except for completely not following the recipe. It’s a 4/5 stars for me.”
Your opinion on the recipe is irrelevant the instant you deviated from the list. If you wanna make your own recipe start a youtube channel or a cooking blog.
This is excellent. I followed the recipe exactly.
Oh my, yes. Very delicious, and I was able to get a nice rich sauce using light cream. Good enough to make for guests and I think this will end up in my regular rotation.
Oh my wow! This recipe is so delicious that my husband and I fought over who gets to eat the leftovers. The amount of sauce this has begs for some garlic bread on the side or could easily accommodate tossing in some extra veggies.
Holy cow! This is delicious. Thank you for another fabulous recipe. I’m getting a little tired of chicken but it’s more affordable so I decided to give this a try and I am so glad I did.
Delish!! Made exactly as the recipe reads. I was hesitant to use vegetable broth but I did and it definitely added another layer of flavor to the dish. We sprinkled some crushed red pepper once plated and that gave it a nice bite. Will absolutely make again! Yum, yum, yummy!!
This recipe is SO GOOD. I added some diced fresh tomatoes at the same time as the spinach, and have made it twice in the past 2 weeks. Very easy to put together and tastes great every time. I would recommend a crunchy baguette to get every drop of sauce!!
A showstopper for you gnocchi fans! I feel like I’ve been taken out to the nicest restaurant in town!
This was delicious and easy to make! So creamy and flavorful. Will be making this again.
This is delicious and easy! I added corn because I had two ears to use up and that added a delightful pop! I also used oat milk instead of the heavy cream because I didn’t want my boyfriend to regret this meal 🤣 Definitely adding to our rotation, so dang good!
I just made this for the first time and omg! I can’t believe that I made something this delicious in such a short amount of time! Usually cooking takes forever for me. My finished creation doesn’t look exactly like the photo, good thing I’m not posting a photo of my dinner 😂 taste is what matters most to me! I added mushrooms and most of a bag of spinach, next time I think I will add peas or broccoli. 10/10!
Absolutely loved this recipe. I added a little Adobo seasoning in at the end for a bit more salt and oniony goodness, but this will definitely be one of my comfort food recipes especially cause it was so easy to make!
I haven’t tried this yet, but I’m interested in trying. Can i make my own gnocchi for this?
Hi Samantha, that would probably work just fine, but we haven’t tested it! If you give it a shot, let us know how it turns out.
I made this the other night and it was fantastic! I had some baby portabella mushrooms that needed to be used, so I added them to the chicken. I also used an Asiago, Parmesan, and Romano blend of cheese that I had on hand. It was DELISH!
thanks JT!
This recipe is amazing. Been coming to this site for years. I added pesto to really make this taste pop. It was absolutely amazing
Perfect on a budget and tasty. I added some tomatoes to mine!
This was so good! First time cooking gnocchi, but it was so easy. My sauce looked a little grainy at first, but it came together beautifully. Thanks for the recipe!
The ingredients don’t specify minced garlic, nor do the directions on the recipe itself. It does say minced in the step by step with pictures, however.
Would you have any suggestions on making this without the heavy cream and Parmesan?? I don’t like cheesy things and even just adding heavy cream to sauces makes it taste cheesy to me.
Hi Haley,
Changing the dairy component of the recipe isn’t something we have tested. But there are some other wonderful chicken recipes on the site. Please check those out. You can also check out vegan recipes that don’t have cheese or dairy.
I made this recipe with a plant based heavy cream from Kroger, and it turned out great! I used regular Parmesan, but it’s one of the cheeses with the lowest lactose content.
Oh my gosh, so good! Subbed oat milk for the heavy cream, otherwise made as is! Even my super picky son gobbled it up
Tastes soooo good and was really easy. Mine was a little watery though. Any advice to make that better? The gnocchi I used was from the refrigerated section.
If your gnocchi was refrigerated you’ll need less broth because the gnocchi is already hydrated. :) But keep in mind that if you use less broth you’ll be getting a little less flavor and salt, so you’ll probably want to add a touch more salt at the end.
This was absolutely delicious, and it was a big hit with my whole family!
I can’t believe how delicious and easy this is. I subbed chicken broth for the veggie and frozen green beans for the fresh spinach because it’s what I had on hand. So good! Will definitely be making this again.
I was excited to try this new recipe, its easy, fast n delicious. I used chicken broth instead, it came out really good, I love recipes with gnocci!
This is delicious and super easy!
I cooked whole bone-in chicken thighs and the crispy chicken skin is more than worth the longer cook time.
Made this for dinner but used chicken breasts – since that is what I had on hand and made only 2 servings – so I would have some left overs as there is only me. I also added 3 sliced mushrooms just before adding the onions. Will definitely keep this in my rotation. Thanks so much for posting.
I made this for dinner tonight, with the addition of some sliced mushrooms right before the onions step.
The way the starch from the gnocchi thickens the sauce is *chef’s kiss*. I am never patient enough to get a thick sauce, so this was great for me.
Welp I got this in my email this morning and could not stop staring at the photo. My husband reluctantly agreed (he doesn’t really like spinach) but giving it a rough chop was enough for it to be less noticable in the dish– and it was a big win from both of us! I didn’t catch the comments in time to realize you meant 2 TBSP divided… I did 2 with the gnocchi and 1 more with the heavy cream and it came out super creamy and velvety. I’ll probably cut back next time just for calories sake but either way, this was simple and delicious!
OMG butter makes everything better. I’m so glad you tried it! And apologies for the oversight. PS I’m trying to come up with a new gnocchi recipe for fall, so if you have any suggestions, I’m all ears!
I made this tonight and it was seriously so delicious!! I had to stop myself from eating it straight out of the hot pan. It was a true comfort dish. I might have gained two pounds afterwards, but it would have been worth it.
I was eating it straight out the pan, too! 😅
This turned out really delicious! Next time I will double it.
For clarity, I think the ingredient list is incorrect. I believe it requires 4 Tbsp of butter as 2 Tbsp of butter is added twice, as per directions.
In the step-by-step photos, she shows that you use 2 tablespoons with the gnocchi and another 2 tablespoons with the cream.
Apologies! I am forever messing up numbers. It’s 2 tb butter, divided. One for the gnocchi step, and one for the cream step.
Well I can attest to the use of 4 tbsp divided turning out just fine! 😂
I just made this! It took me about 40 minutes from start to finish. I’m eating it right now and it’s very good! I did end up adding around 3x the amount of spinach as what the recipe says, just because it wilts down to almost nothing. I’ll definitely make this again!
Thank you BL! Great call on adding more spinach. xoxo
This looks soooooo good! If I want to use frozen gnocchi (I’m thinking of Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi, which I love!), would I just leave out the veg. broth since they don’t need to be hydrated?
It’s tough to say since I’ve never used Trader Joe’s cauli gnocchi, but I will say that if you skip the veg broth you will also be missing a lot of flavor and salt (to help the flavors pop). So maybe if you have some bouillon paste that you can add without the water that might help.
You have butter listed twice in the instructions but only once in the ingredients. I assume its 4 T total?
I’m so dim I didn’t even realize you could buy frozen gnocchi–always have made mine from scratch, having turned up my nose at dried. I usually make them from sweet potatoes, often baking one of two more from a meal just for this. I bake 2 big extras as the recipe uses 1 egg. I freeze my extras, so I guess I did know about frozen gnocchi.
Using fresh pasta, it will go in toward the end of cooking.