One Pan Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi
Gnocchi lovers get ready for an easy, comforting meal made for weeknights! This one pan creamy chicken and gnocchi recipe features tender chicken breasts nestled in a creamy sauce with pillowy gnocchi, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes.
Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
- Deep skillet or saute pan
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon EACH: kosher salt, paprika and dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan butter
- 1 medium shallot thinly sliced
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup white wine (or chicken broth)
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 16 ounces potato gnocchi gluten-free if needed
- 1 cup heavy cream or full fat coconut cream (dairy-free option)
- 2 cups chopped baby spinach
- 4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes drained from oil (we used julienned tomatoes)
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast (dairy-free option)
Instructions
- Mix the salt, pepper, paprika, red pepper flakes and oregano in a small bowl.
- Slice the chicken breast in half lengthwise to make them thinner, so they cook faster. Pat them dry well, place them in a large bowl, and drizzle them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle the seasoning on top and toss to coat.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet, like a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Pan fry the chicken until golden and cooked all the way through, 4-5 minutes per side. If the chicken is starting to burn or get too crispy before it’s cooked all the way through, add 3-4 tablespoons of water to the pan at a time. The target internal temperature for the chicken is 165°F, so i like to remove the chicken at 155 - 160°F to allow for carryover cooking. Remove the cooked chicken to a clean plate.
- To the same skillet, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes, then add the minced garlic and Italian seasoning and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
- Add the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping any brown bits from the bottom. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn the heat down to a simmer and reduce the liquid for 3-4 minutes to thicken the sauce and allow the alcohol to cook off.
- Stir in the heavy cream or coconut cream and the uncooked gnocchi and simmer until the sauce thickens and gnocchi is cooked through, 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, a squeeze of lemon, and parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast). See notes for making a slurry to thicken the sauce if desired.
- Add chicken back and top with fresh parsley, thyme or rosemary.
Video
Notes
Dairy-free: use vegan butter, nutritional yeast, and coconut cream.
Gluten-free: find a gluten-free gnocchi (we like Delallo) or try cauliflower gnocchi or sweet potato gnocchi (like Trader Joe's). Cauliflower gnocchi may alter the thickening of the cream sauce so see the recipe notes below for options.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Remember the gnocchi will continue to release starch and thicken the sauce over time. Add more cream or chicken broth when reheating to thin the sauce if needed.
*Nutrition information is based off of 4 ounces of chicken and 1/6 of the gnocchi. The pictures show 4 large chicken breasts, which are larger than 4-ounce portions, so adjust the nutrition information accordingly if you are serving large chicken breasts.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 488kcal | Carbohydrates: 43.9g | Protein: 34.2g | Fat: 19.5g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 677mg | Fiber: 3.7g | Sugar: 8.3g | Vitamin A: 202.4IU | Vitamin C: 12.2mg