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Creamy Chicken And Gnocchi is a bold yet comforting combo of tender chicken, pillowy gnocchi, and flavorful spinach and mushrooms. A great recipe for date night or any night!
Why You’ll Love Creamy Chicken And Gnocchi
- Balanced Textures and Flavors: The combination of tender chicken, soft gnocchi, and the earthy flavors of spinach and mushrooms creates a comforting meal that appeals to a wide range of tastes.
- Versatility for Occasions: This recipe is versatile enough to be a hit for date nights and regular family dinners.
- Layered Cooking Technique: By cooking the chicken, spinach, mushrooms, and gnocchi separately with their own seasonings, the recipe builds complex, layered flavors. This approach ensures that each ingredient contributes its maximum flavor, resulting in a more delicious final dish.
Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs: Look for skinless and boneless chicken thighs – bone-in thighs won’t cook through in time.
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
- Olive Oil: For sautéing.
- Butter: For sautéing.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic, minced. You could substitute garlic powder, but the taste won’t be quite as bright.
- Baby Spinach: Or regular spinach torn into bite-sized pieces, with long stems broken off.
- Mushrooms: Cleaned, sliced cremini or baby bella mushrooms.
- Cream and Broth: Heavy cream and chicken broth make the sauce rich and tasty.
- Parmesan Cheese: A small amount of grated parmesan cheese brings the sauce together.
- Gnocchi: Homemade is great, but I use pre-made, store-bought potato gnocchi. It’s convenient!
How To Make Creamy Chicken And Gnocchi
This is a simple one-pot dish that will make your weeknight (or weekend, or date night, or whatever!) so much better. Here’s how to make comfy, creamy chicken & gnocchi:
- Season and Cook the Chicken. Combine the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a small dish, and mix them with a spoon or fork. Rub this mixture onto the chicken thighs, coating them evenly, and cook them in a large skillet over medium-high heat. They’ll take about 3 minutes on each side to get browned and crispy, and about 10 more minutes to cook through and become tender.
- Cook the Spinach. Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean plate, and then add some butter to your skillet. Once it melts, add the garlic and cook for one minute, followed by the spinach. Cook the spinach just until it wilts, adding a pinch of salt for seasoning.
- Brown the Mushrooms. Move the spinach to a clean plate. Melt more butter in your skillet, and this time cook the mushrooms until they are tender and browned. Mushrooms typically give off plenty of liquid at first, and then brown nicely after it evaporates, so be patient. Once they’re browned, season with a bit of salt and pepper and set them aside.
- Build the Sauce. Finally, melt butter for the sauce in the same skillet. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two, followed by the heavy cream and chicken broth. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and add the parmesan cheese to melt. This can take a few minutes – don’t stop stirring until the cheese is fully melted. Taste the sauce, and season as needed with salt and pepper.
- Make the Gnocchi. Cook gnocchi according to package directions, and drain in a colander.
- Mix It All Up! Add your cooked gnocchi to the skillet of sauce, and stir gently. Then add the cooked chicken, the spinach, and the mushrooms. Stir to combine, and you’re done!
Recipe Tips
- Spinach Options: I usually use spinach in this recipe, but you could substitute kale or another cooking green if you prefer. For even more texture, quickly blanch some broccoli or cauliflower and add that instead!
- Gnocchi Options: This recipe is great with store-bought potato gnocchi, homemade gnocchi, and even low-carb cauliflower gnocchi.
- Skillet: Use a large, heavy skillet for this recipe so that you can get a good sear on the chicken, and so that you can comfortably stir together the finished dish.
- Thicker Sauce: For a thicker sauce, you can mix two tablespoons of cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold water, and add this to the skillet along with the heavy cream and chicken broth. This will help to thicken the sauce and give it a creamy consistency.
- Garlic: If you prefer a milder flavor, you can reduce the amount of garlic in the recipe or omit it entirely.
- Heat: For a little heat, try adding some diced jalapeños or a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce.
Serving Suggestions
Serve up this creamy chicken gnocchi with homemade Easy Garlic Knots or a tasty Caprese Stuffed Avocado. Our Roasted Brussels Sprouts are also a wonderful side dish, as are my Garlic Butter Roasted Asparagus.
How to Store and Reheat the Leftovers
- Store leftover chicken and gnocchi for up to two days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer.
- Reheat it in a covered skillet over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally. If it seems a bit dry, add a splash of cream or milk and stir well.
More Skillet Dinners
Creamy Chicken & Gnocchi
Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi is a combination of tender chicken, pillowy gnocchi, and flavorful spinach, and mushrooms.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1½ pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Spinach
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic,, minced
- 4 cups baby spinach
- pinch of salt
For the Mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cups sliced baby bella mushrooms
- salt and fresh ground black pepper
For the Gnocchi
- 16 ounces potato gnocchi,, pre-made or store-bought
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic,, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
- sea salt and fresh ground black pepper,, if needed
Instructions
For the Chicken
- In a small bowl, mix together the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Rub the seasoning mixture onto the chicken thighs, coating them evenly.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs to the skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until they are browned and crispy.
- Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook the chicken for 10 minutes, until it is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
For the Spinach
- In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 20 seconds or until it is fragrant. Add the spinach and a pinch of salt and sauté until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Remove the spinach from the skillet and set it aside.
For the Mushrooms
- In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they are tender and browned. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the mushrooms from the skillet and set them aside.
For the Gnocchi
- Meanwhile, cook the gnocchi according to package directions. Drain in a colander and set aside until assembly.
- In the skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 20 seconds or until fragrant. Add the heavy cream and chicken broth to the skillet and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the grated parmesan cheese and whisk until it is melted. Taste and, if necessary, season the sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- In the skillet with cream sauce add the cooked gnocchi and stir gently to coat the gnocchi in the sauce. Add in the cooked chicken, spinach, and mushrooms to the skillet and stir to combine.
- Serve the creamy chicken gnocchi hot and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 523kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 174mg | Sodium: 1309mg | Potassium: 614mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2733IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Did you make a recipe? Leave a rating
This is exactly the kind of dish I love making for the family. It’s so hearty!
I hope everyone enjoys it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Such a good hearty and delicious meal for these cold months ahead!
I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Such a fabulous dinner! I would love to make this!
Thank you, Erin! I hope you enjoy it!! 😊
I make gnocchi every week! I will make your recipe next time! Love how creamy it looks!
I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂
My family would love this! Looks incredibly delicious!!
Thank YOU! I hope everyone enjoys it! 🙂
Made this last night and it was a favorite of everyone’s. I did not here one complaint from any of my kids and that is a pretty big deal around my house.