Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi
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!
“This was totally delicious and a good recipe with good techniques! Definitely making this again!”
KRISTEN
In this dish, we pair store-bought gnocchi, though sometimes, if I’ve got the time and inspiration, I’ll whip up this recipe for potato 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. Everything in this dreamy, silky dish comes together in one skillet in under thirty minutes!
Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi
Cost $8.41 recipe / $2.10 serving
Ingredients
- 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)
Video
Instructions
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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.
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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.
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Add the onion and garlic to the skillet. Saute until the onions have softened and the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes
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Add the gnocchi and 1 tablespoon salted butter to the skillet and brown for 2 minutes.
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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.
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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.
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Take the skillet off the heat. Add the parmesan to the pan and stir until it melts, creating a velvety sauce.
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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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Notes
**Use frozen or fresh gnocchi, 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.
***You can substitute the heavy cream with full-fat coconut cream and the butter with vegan butter.
****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.
Nutrition Information
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Creamy Chicken And Gnocchi Step-by-Step Photos
Prepare the chicken: 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.
Cook chicken: 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!
Serve and enjoy!
serving suggestions
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.
Try These Easy Gnocchi Recipes Next!
- I love a dinner like our Cheesy Gnocchi Skillet because it tastes cozy and indulgent, but it still comes together fast enough for a random weeknight.
- Homemade Potato Gnocchi takes just a few humble ingredients and turns them into soft little dumplings that feel like a very good use of a bag of potatoes.
- Gnocchi with Spring Vegetables is everything I want from a spring dinner, with pan-seared gnocchi, asparagus, peas, mushrooms, lemon, and Parmesan.
- For a lighter, non-creamy option, Gnocchi with Sausage and Fall Vegetables roasts the gnocchi with smoky sausage and plenty of fall vegetables for an easy all-in-one sheet pan dinner.
