Creamy Garlic Chicken Gnocchi (Printable)

All-in-one skillet dinner featuring tender chicken, soft gnocchi, and spinach in a rich garlic Parmesan cream sauce.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meat

01 - 4 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (about 1.5 lbs)

→ Vegetables

02 - 3 cups fresh baby spinach
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
04 - 4 garlic cloves, minced

→ Gnocchi & Dairy

05 - 1 lb shelf-stable potato gnocchi
06 - 1 cup heavy cream
07 - 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

→ Pantry & Seasoning

08 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
09 - 0.5 cup low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
11 - 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
12 - 0.25 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
13 - Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Set oven to 400°F and allow to fully preheat.
02 - Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season both sides evenly with salt, pepper, and Italian herbs.
03 - Heat olive oil in large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs skin-side down and sear for 4–5 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer to plate.
04 - In same skillet, add diced onion and sauté for 2–3 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Stir in gnocchi and toast for 2 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and heavy cream, bringing mixture to a simmer.
06 - Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted. Fold in fresh spinach until just wilted.
07 - Nestle seared chicken thighs into creamy gnocchi mixture. Spoon sauce over chicken pieces.
08 - Transfer skillet to preheated oven and bake uncovered for 15–18 minutes until chicken reaches internal temperature of 165°F and gnocchi is tender.
09 - Remove from oven and allow to rest 5 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with additional Parmesan and red pepper flakes if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one pan, which means less cleanup and more time actually enjoying dinner.
  • Bone-in chicken thighs stay incredibly juicy while the gnocchi absorbs all that garlicky cream, turning into something almost magical.
  • It's restaurant-quality comfort food that tastes like you've been cooking all day, even though you haven't.
02 -
  • Don't skip patting the chicken dry—moisture is the enemy of that golden crust, and that crust is where half the flavor lives.
  • If your gnocchi pieces are large, break them in half before cooking so they cook evenly and don't overwhelm the other components.
  • The cream will look thin when you first pour it in, but the Parmesan and gnocchi starch will thicken everything into a beautiful sauce as it simmers.
03 -
  • Toast your gnocchi for those full two minutes even though it seems unnecessary—it prevents them from becoming gluey and gives them a subtle nutty flavor.
  • Add the cream slowly and whisk constantly so it emulsifies smoothly with the broth rather than breaking or becoming grainy.
  • If your sauce seems too thin after adding everything, let it simmer on the stovetop for a few minutes before transferring to the oven—the starch from the gnocchi will thicken it naturally.
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