Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi
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This creamy chicken and gnocchi is packed with soft-pillowy gnocchi, a garlicky cream sauce, tender, juicy chicken, and sneaked-in greens!
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Absolutely delicious! I love that this recipe is quick to whip up, and can easily be changed also. We didn’t have kale, so I added a can of cannelini beans. Next time I’ll add some anchovies, some greenery, and use better wine. Whole family loved it!
Why you’ll love this Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi
- Restaurant-quality comfort food. If you need one of those nights in with a tall glass of white wine (that you can also use in this recipe) and the best kind of comfort food you can eat in the most comfortable sweatpants, this is for you. It’s hearty, it’s cozy, and it’s super easy to whip up.
- Incredibly flexible recipe. You can use store-bought potato gnocchi or you can go that extra mile and use homemade gnocchi instead. You can also sub breasts for thighs, or spinach for kale. The recipe is so giving with what you have on hand!
- The cream sauce is pure gold. The cream sauce is velvety, garlicky and completely irresistible, and the gnocchi soaks up every single drop of flavor.
How to make creamy chicken and gnocchi
- Prep the gnocchi. Cook the gnocchi first in a large pot of boiling water, removing the gnocchi with a slotted spoon as soon as they rise to the top. Pro tip: avoid overcooking the gnocchi or they will get mushy.
- Cook the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Then melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat, cooking the chicken in batches until golden brown and cooked through (165°F). Set aside and keep warm.
- Build the cream sauce. Melt the remaining butter and sauté the aromatics until fragrant. Whisk in the flour, then stir in the chicken broth and wine until slightly thickened. Finally, stir in the half and half, seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Combine. Stir in the cooked gnocchi and kale until wilted.
- Finish. Return the chicken to the Dutch oven and sprinkle with Parmesan before baking until golden brown and bubbly at 400°F, about 10-12 minutes.
- Serve. Serve warm with crusty bread for sopping.
what to serve with chicken and gnocchi
Tools For This Recipe
Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken breasts?
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken.
Do I have to use white wine?
Additional chicken broth can be used for white wine as a non-alcoholic substitute.
What is half and half?
Half and half is equal parts of whole milk and cream. For 1 cup half and half, you can substitute 3/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream or 2/3 cup skim or low-fat milk + 1/3 cup heavy cream.
What can I substitute for the kale?
Spinach, cabbage, swiss chard and collard greens are all excellent swaps.
How can I store leftovers?
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Is this freezer-friendly?
Unfortunately cream-based sauces do not freeze well as they become grainy upon thawing.
Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi
This creamy chicken and gnocchi is packed with soft-pillowy gnocchi, a garlicky cream sauce, tender, juicy chicken, and sneaked-in greens!
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce)package cauliflower potato gnocchi
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 medium shallot, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup half and half
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan, about 2 ounces
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven of boiling salted water, cook gnocchi according to package instructions; drain well.
- Season chicken with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large oven-proof skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Working in batches, add chicken to the skillet in a single layer and cook until golden brown and cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 4-5 minutes per side; set aside.
- Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Add shallot, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in chicken broth and wine, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in half and half until thickened, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Stir in gnocchi and kale until the kale has wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Return chicken to the skillet; sprinkle with Parmesan.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place into oven and bake until bubbly, about 10-12 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Equipment
Notes
- Make it lighter. Cauliflower potato gnocchi is a great option as it is slightly lighter and less dense than traditional gnocchi.
- Homemade gnocchi goes a long way. In a pinch, we love using cauliflower potato gnocchi but we also highly recommend using homemade gnocchi if you have the time. It makes all of the difference!
- Choose a wine you will drink. A dry white wine (pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc) is great here – it does not have to be anything fancy or overpriced. Just something you don’t mind sipping on since you will have an open bottle.
- Add in leafy greens. This is a great recipe to sneak in all the greens (kale, spinach, cabbage, swiss chard or collard greens) for those picky eaters.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!
Did you make this recipe?
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Oh my goodness! This is the best thing I’ve eaten in a long time! Made it for dinner tonight. Doubled the sauce and gnocchi and sautéed some shrimp on the side for the non-meat eaters. Added some extra seasonings {onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and Tony Chachere’s} to the chicken {and btw, I’m so not a thigh fan, but I went with them anyway and I’m glad I did!}. Also added those seasonings to the sauce. And speaking of that sauce, I could drink it by the cupful – it’s that damn delicious! Love the way the kale still has a bit of crunch to it, but I think spinach would be good, too, in a pinch. Oh, and didn’t have wine, so I used extra broth.
Damn Woman! You make good food!
I too had to make do with some substitutions for things I didn’t have on-hand. Chicken tenders, spinach, onion, vegetable broth, dried thyme; it was delicious but next time I will try the original… -and yes! there will definitely be a next time! So good!
Made this last night. My only substitution was baby spinach instead of kale because it was what I had on hand. The sauce….sooooo good. The whole family loved it. Very easy and delicious. Love your recipes.
This was delicious as are all of your recipes I have tried!
I made it and we all loved it!! The only thing I would do differently next time is DOUBLE THE RECIPE!! You are my go to every time I’m looking for recipes. Love your recipes!!
I used onions instead of shallots, breast instead of thighs, dried thyme instead of fresh, spinach instead of kale and extra broth instead of wine. I didn’t precook the gnocchi. I threw some mozzarella on top. BUT OTHER THAN THAT I COMPLETELY FOLLOWED THIS RECIPE. Lol! I was damn delicious!
Turned out great! I know it’s called “Garlicky” for a reason. It was a little too strong for me so I’ll probably take the garlic down a notch and add mushrooms next time. Thank you!
OH MY GOD!
I just found this recipe today on Instagram and decided to cook it for dinner. It was a hit with the whole family. My brother who is incredibly picky even loved it. It’s the first time I’ve ever come across a recipe from you and I can’t wait to find more.
Hi! I actually made this today after getting the email. This recipe is perfect for a nice cozy night in. I would like to share a few edits I made, as I always find everyone’s suggestions helpful:
A) I love garlic, so I used a whole bulb and more butter. I would recommend Kerrygold.
B) I used two shallots
C) I made the suggested non-alcoholic substitution and didn’t miss a beat. Thank you for providing!
D) I seasoned the chicken with a pinch of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion salt, and a bit of garlic salt.
Thank you so much for sharing these delicious recipes with us!!
Rachel