This EASY One Pan Marry Me Chicken and Gnocchi is the perfect weeknight meal! Pillowy soft gnocchi and tender chicken simmered together in a creamy sun dried tomato and parmesan sauce in just 20 minutes!
Your whole family is going to love this rich and creamy One Pan Marry Me Chicken and Gnocchi recipe. The most flavorful one pan dish with pillowy gnocchi and tender chicken that simmers all together in a creamy sun-dried tomato and parmesan sauce. The best part about this dish is that the gnocchi soaks up all that delicious flavor making leftovers taste even better the next day! A cozy, flavorful meal perfect for those busy weeknights when you want something quick, but restaurant quality!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Quick and easy – everything cooks together all in one skillet in under 20 minutes for a delicious and flavorful easy weeknight dinner.
- Rich and creamy – pillowy soft potato gnocchi and tender chicken all simmered together in a creamy sauce full of garlic, parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes.
- All in one pan – the gnocchi cooks right in the sauce, so no need to boil it separately. Less dishes means easy clean-up!
- Customizable – switch up the protein, add in more veggies, or swap out the gnocchi for pasta or cauliflower gnocchi to easily customize this meal to your liking.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- gnocchi – the star of this dish! You can also use gluten-free gnocchi or even the cauliflower gnocchi from Trader Joe’s.
- chicken – I like to use shredded rotisserie chicken because it is quick and easy with so much flavor, but any cooked chicken breasts or chicken thighs will work including any leftover chicken or turkey.
- sun-dried tomatoes – you can use dry packed sundried tomatoes or oil-packed sun dried tomatoes from a jar.
- olive oil – I like to use the oil that the sun dried tomatoes are packed in from the jar for maximum flavor, but any type olive oil will work or even butter.
- chicken broth – this is used for the base of the sauce that the gnocchi will simmer in which adds so much flavor. You could also use vegetable broth or chicken stock.
- half and half – makes the sauce nice and creamy. You can also use full fat coconut milk for a lighter option or even heavy cream if that’s all you have.
- garlic – you can use fresh chopped garlic or minced garlic from the jar.
- spinach – adds a boost of nutrition and a pop of color.
- cheese – shredded cheese adds to the creaminess of this dish and adds more flavor! I used freshly grated parmesan cheese, but other options include shredded Asiago cheese, pecorino romano cheese or gruyere.
- fresh basil – adds even more flavor that pairs perfectly with this chicken gnocchi. Other herbs such as fresh thyme or fresh oregano would taste great too.
- salt + pepper – to season and add flavor to this dish. You could also add in some red pepper flakes for a kick of spice.
How to Make Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi
- Heat up skillet. In a large skillet over medium heat, drizzle olive oil (I like to use the oil from the jar of sun dried tomatoes!) and sauté sundried tomatoes and 4 cloves garlic until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Cook the gnocchi. Add uncooked gnocchi, breaking apart any that are stuck together, then mix in chicken broth, half and half and season with salt and black pepper. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, until gnocchi are cooked through and fluffy.
- Add chicken and spinach. Remove cover and mix in the shredded chicken and spinach leaves with the tomato cream sauce, cooking an additional 3 to 5 minutes until spinach is wilted.
- Mix in the cheese. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and cook until melted. Top with fresh basil, extra parmesan and enjoy.
Substitutions and Variations
- Instead of chicken, try using ground Italian sausage, ground chicken or ground beef for a different flavor.
- To make this spicy, add in some crushed red pepper flakes or mix in some chopped peppers.
- Swap out the chicken broth for dry white wine for a different flavor. Don’t forget to pour yourself a glass!
- This recipe calls for fresh baby spinach, but you could also mix in kale or other leafy greens or fresh herbs.
- Instead of the gnocchi, feel free to use orzo or other type of pasta you like best, just make sure to follow specific package instructions.
- Add in some extra veggies such as chopped broccoli, asparagus, peppers, onion or shallots.
- To make the sauce lighter in fat and calories (and dairy-free), feel free to use full fat canned coconut milk in place of the half and half. Cream cheese would also make this nice and creamy as well.
How to Serve
- With a salad – a crisp salad makes the perfect contrast to the creamy sauce in this dish. Try serving with this lemon arugula salad or healthy caesar salad.
- Crusty bread – serve with garlic bread, crusty Italian bread, focaccia or breadsticks to soak up all that delicious sauce!
- Roasted veggies – add a boost of nutrition to your meal by serving with a side of your favorite vegetables. Roasted broccoli, asparagus, green beans and zucchini all make great options.
Prepping and Storage
Leftovers should be stored in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator and will last up to 3 to 4 days. Keep in mind, the gnocchi will soak up a lot of the sauce as it sits overnight in the fridge so this dish tastes best enjoyed fresh as possible. Feel free to add a splash of cream or chicken broth to loosen up the sauce when re-heating.
Frequently Asked Questions
The name “Marry Me Chicken” comes from the rich, creamy, and incredibly flavorful sauce that’s said to be so delicious it could inspire a marriage proposal! While the name is playful, there’s no denying this comforting dish is packed with irresistible flavors from garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and fresh basil.
Absolutely! Rotisserie chicken is one of the easiest ways to make this recipe come together quickly. Simply shred or dice about 2 cups of cooked chicken and stir it in toward the end of cooking until heated through.
Yes! Dice 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper, then sauté in the oil for 5–7 minutes until cooked through before adding the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Continue with the recipe as directed.
Yes! Frozen gnocchi works well in this recipe and doesn’t need to be thawed first. Simply add it directly to the skillet. You may need to increase the cooking time by 2–3 minutes until the gnocchi are tender.
Yes! Shelf-stable gnocchi, refrigerated, and homemade gnocchi all work well in this recipe. Since cooking times can vary slightly between brands, simply cook until the gnocchi are tender, fluffy, and heated through.
Definitely! Use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, reduce the Parmesan slightly if desired, and use lean chicken breast. You’ll still have a creamy, flavorful sauce with fewer calories.
Absolutely! This recipe is very versatile. Try adding mushrooms, broccoli florets, chopped asparagus, zucchini, kale, cherry tomatoes or roasted red peppers. Simply sauté firmer vegetables before adding the gnocchi or stir in quick-cooking vegetables with the spinach.
This recipe is best enjoyed fresh since gnocchi are at their softest right after cooking. However, leftovers reheat very well, making this a great option for meal prep.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in a skillet over medium-low heat or in the microwave, adding a splash of chicken broth, milk, or half-and-half if the sauce has thickened.
You can, but the texture of the gnocchi and creamy sauce may change slightly after thawing. If freezing, allow the dish to cool completely and store it in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating gently.
Since this is already a complete one-pan meal, all you really need is a simple side. It pairs perfectly with a crisp green salad, roasted vegetables, steamed broccoli, asparagus, garlic bread, or warm crusty bread for soaking up every last bit of the creamy Parmesan sauce.
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Hope you all enjoy this Marry Me Chicken and Gnocchi! If you love this as much as we do, please leave me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny!
One Pan Marry Me Chicken and Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp oil from the sun dried tomatoes jar (or olive oil)
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
- 12 oz gnocchi
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup half and half (or heavy cream)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (I used rotisserie)
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, drizzle olive oil and sauté sun dried tomatoes and garlic until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Add uncooked gnocchi, breaking apart any that are stuck together. Add in the chicken broth, half and half and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, until gnocchi are cooked through and fluffy.
- Remove cover and mix in shredded chicken and spinach leaves, cooking an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until spinach is wilted.
- Mix in the freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil and continue cooking until cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was an absolute home run! It was such a huge hit at our house—I doubled the recipe to feed my teenage twin boys, and they still went back for seconds. We barely had any left over. So easy to throw together and packed with incredible flavor. This is definitely going into our regular dinner rotation!
Super easy and very good! I substituted the sun dried tomatoes with fire roasted red peppers and added red pepper flakes for heat. Loved it!
Delicous, easy, & quick! The gnocchi was filling. I will say it was very salty. I think I’d skip adding any additional salt and consider adding some tomato paste to balance the flavors.
This was certainly easy to make! Mine was a bit too salty, tho. Any ideas why or suggestions to fix it?
Just make sure to use low-sodium chicken broth and you could even rinse the sun-dried tomatoes because the oil they are packed in has added salt. After that if it’s still too salty for you, go lighter on the parmesan cheese as that can be on the saltier side as well. You can also mix in a little bit of water or an extra splash of half and half to dilute the sauce 👍🏼 Hope these suggestions help!