Sun Dried Tomato Chicken and Gnocchi
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Tender, juicy chicken thighs in an AMAZING garlicky sun dried tomato cream sauce. So simple, so good.
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My kind of comfort meal. Wine, soft-pillowy gnocchi, juicy chicken thighs, and a light, garlicky sun dried tomato cream sauce with all the crusty bread to sop up that goodness. What more could you need?
reasons to make sun dried tomato chicken and gnocchi
- Quick and easy but also company-worthy. This dish comes together very quickly and easily, perfect to impress even last-minute guests! It is truly a fancy meal without ever leaving the house.
- Best kind of cream sauce. Luscious, velvety and rich, this sun dried tomato cream sauce is sure to be an absolute hit. Perfect to coat chicken, gnocchi, leafy greens, or anything else that needs some dreamy, creamy goodness.
- Flexible recipe. This is a great recipe to use your favorite gnocchi variety, or make it homemade. Prefer white meat? Sub chicken thighs. Not a fan of kale? Use spinach. It is all good. There’s only winning here!
tips and tricks for success
- Use a heavy pot. A heavy bottom pot, such as a Dutch oven, is ideal here for even heat distribution and a better sear.
- Tomato paste adds so much flavor. Tomato paste is a key ingredient, adding body and richness in small amounts without adding too much liquid to the cream sauce. Opt for tomato paste in a tube, using up only what you need at a time without having to open up a whole can.
- 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.
- Use heavy cream for more richness. Heavy cream will have a higher fat content than half and half, yielding a thicker, more velvety smooth consistency. On the flipside, use milk over half and half for a lighter cream sauce.
- Add in leafy greens. This is a great recipe to sneak in leafy greens for those picky eaters. Spinach, kale, collard greens, swiss chard, or arugula are all great options.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!
what to serve with sun dried tomato chicken and gnocchi
Tools For This Recipe
Dutch oven
Sun Dried Tomato Chicken and Gnocchi: Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
Additional chicken broth can be used for white wine as a non-alcoholic substitute.
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.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Sun Dried Tomato Chicken and Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) package cauliflower potato gnocchi
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 medium shallot, diced
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes halves
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cups 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
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large pot 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 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 1 tablespoon butter. Add shallot, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in sun dried tomatoes, tomato paste, 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.
- Place into oven and bake until bubbly, about 10-12 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
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Looks delicious; can i substitute fresh spinach for the kale?
Yes, absolutely!
How can I modify this to use chicken breasts instead of thighs?
Chicken breasts may require additional cooking time depending on the size of the breasts. Hope that helps, Karen!
This looks absolutely delicious and can’t wait to try it (the SUN DRIED TOMATO CHICKEN AND GNOCCHI). A question about what to cook it in. The recipe says a skillet (12″?), but the photo looks like a dutch oven was used. Any clarification greatly appreciated. Thanks.
We recommend using a large skillet or large braiser (as pictured here).
The mushrooms and cauliflower dish was fantastic. A great side and so fast and easy.