Creamy Garlic Chicken Gnocchi (Printable)

Tender chicken and fluffy gnocchi simmered in a velvety garlic-Parmesan cream sauce with fresh spinach, all made in one skillet.

# What Goes In:

→ Chicken & Seasoning

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
04 - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
05 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Sauce & Gnocchi

06 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
08 - ½ cup dry white wine
09 - 1 cup chicken broth
10 - 1 cup heavy cream
11 - 18 ounces potato gnocchi, fresh or shelf-stable
12 - 3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
13 - ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
14 - ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

→ Garnish

15 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
16 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese for serving

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F.
02 - Pat chicken thighs dry and season both sides with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken thighs for 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer to a plate.
04 - Reduce heat to medium. Add butter and garlic to the same skillet, sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Deglaze pan with white wine, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer for 2 minutes.
06 - Stir in chicken broth and heavy cream. Bring to a gentle simmer.
07 - Add gnocchi to the skillet, stir to coat. Return chicken thighs and any juices to the pan, nestling them into the sauce.
08 - Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes. Transfer skillet to preheated oven.
09 - Bake uncovered for 15–18 minutes, until chicken is cooked through with internal temperature reaching 165°F and gnocchi are tender.
10 - Stir in spinach right after removing from the oven, letting the heat wilt the leaves. Garnish with parsley and extra Parmesan before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • One skillet: Everything cooks in the same pan, which means minimal cleanup and maximum flavor layering.
  • Tender chicken thighs: They won't dry out like breasts do, and they soak up every bit of that creamy garlic sauce.
  • Gnocchi does the heavy lifting: No need for pasta or rice—it cooks right in the sauce and becomes incredibly pillowy.
  • Restaurant-quality taste: Your guests will have no idea this came together so easily.
02 -
  • Pat your chicken completely dry: Any moisture on the surface will steam instead of sear, and you'll miss out on that golden crust that makes this dish taste restaurant-quality.
  • Grate your own Parmesan: I learned this the hard way when pre-shredded cheese made my sauce look grainy instead of silky smooth—freshly grated melts beautifully into the cream.
  • Don't skip deglazing the pan: All those brown bits stuck to the bottom are concentrated flavor, and scraping them up with wine or broth transforms the sauce from good to unforgettable.
  • Add spinach at the very end: Wilting it in the hot pan rather than cooking it longer keeps it bright and prevents that dark, mushy texture.
03 -
  • Use an oven-safe skillet with a metal handle: This makes the transition from stovetop to oven seamless and prevents any surprises with melting handles.
  • Bring everything to a gentle simmer before the oven: A rolling boil can make the cream curdle slightly, so keep the heat at medium and watch for small, lazy bubbles rather than an aggressive boil.
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