This Creamy Chicken Gnocchi with Spinach has to be the ultimate comfort food! Ready in under 20 minutes this family friendly dinner is so easy to make!
Pillowy gnocchi, in a creamy garlic alfredo sauce, shredded chicken and bright spinach all finished with parmesan and plenty of black pepper. Creamy, delicious and comforting, plus quick and easy!
You can use the long-life shelf stable gnocchi that is in the pasta aisle for this recipe, grab a rotisserie chicken whilst you're there and dinner is a breeze!
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Creamy Chicken Gnocchi
As the weather cools down and evenings get that fall chill, it is time for a big bowl of something warming and delicious. And that is where this Creamy Chicken Gnocchi with Spinach comes in!
The gnocchi is pillowy and light, while the rich parmesan and garlic sauce, coats the shredded chicken and makes everything taste amazing.
What chicken to use in Creamy Chicken Gnocchi
You can use any cooked chicken for this. So leftovers from your Sunday roast, a storebought rotisserie chicken, poached chicken breasts (see my easy method) or you can fry off some chicken breasts before you start the sauce.
I tend to have cooked chicken breasts on hand all the time, as it makes a great last-minute dinner item and also I can stuff it into sandwiches for an easy lunch. Or make my favorite chicken salad with it!
You can use cooked chicken breast or chicken thigh for this creamy chicken gnocchi.
Once you have your cooked chicken, it needs to be shredded or chopped into bite-sized pieces. To quickly shred chicken I use the paddle attachment on my kitchen aid. It can break down 2 chicken breasts in about 30 seconds and I don't get itchy messy fingers! (Am I the only one who gets itchy fingers when she shreds chicken?)
What is Gnocchi?
Gnocchi are small dumplings made from mashed potatoes and flour (although many other varieties exist). They are a variety of pasta and when cooked become, light, tender, fluffy pillows.
They make a hearty meal, so you need far less than you expect!
FUN FACT: Throughout Italy, the restaurant special on a Thursday is typically a gnocchi dish.
You can make gnocchi from scratch, and it is amazingly light, but for a quick midweek meal, the long life shelf-stable packages that you can buy on the pasta aisle are perfect.
They cook quickly and will keep for months in the pantry.
When you buy those packages, the gnocchi will seem hard and dense, don't worry, as you cook them they will puff up and become light and fluffy.
How to cook Gnocchi.
Just like pasta gnocchi is cooked in boiling liquid until tender.
The key is to really salt the water and bring it to a rolling boil. Once boiling add the gnocchi quickly. The gnocchi will sink to the bottom of the pan. As it cooks it will start to float. Gnocchi takes about 3-4 minutes to cook. Don't overcook it or it can become a bit gummy and chewy.
Once all of your gnocchi is floating, you can drain the gnocchi or use a slotted spoon to remove it and add it to your sauce.
You can cook the gnocchi in the sauce, but I find this can make the sauce very thick and also the texture of the gnocchi isn't quite as fluffy.
Because gnocchi doesn't take long to cook, the sauce is prepped first and left to simmer gently whilst the gnocchi is boiled.
How to make a rich creamy garlic sauce
This is creamy chicken gnocchi, so the sauce needs to be creamy and delicious!
With this easy method, you can make a deliciously creamy sauce with only ¾ of a cup of heavy cream. That is far less than many alfredo sauces!
The garlic is cooked slowly in oil and butter, until aromatic and soft, flour is then added and the mixture will turn like wet sand. This is perfect.
You then slowly whisk in chicken broth and bring the sauce to a simmer. It will thicken up. Then add in the heavy cream, parmesan, and shredded chicken. This is then all simmered gently whilst the gnocchi is cooked.
Once the gnocchi is added then the spinach is added so that it wilts in the heat of the dish but still stays fresh and green.
What to serve with Creamy Chicken Gnocchi
This is a rich creamy dish, we like to serve it with a simple side salad and some fresh bread. The bread is perfect for mopping up all the garlic cream sauce. Trust me you don't want to leave that in the bowl.
Alternatively, serve it with some garlic green beans or roasted broccoli.
What wine to drink with Creamy Gnocchi
A rich buttery Chardonnay complements the rich creamy texture of this dish, and the hints of tropical fruits can balance the cream. Another white wine to choose would be a dry Viognier. The higher alcohol content and dry finish allow the garlic and cream to really shine through.
If you are a red lover, then try a Barbera, the acid of the red can really work well with the rich parmesan in the sauce.
Enjoy x
For more delicious creamy pasta dishes why not try:
- Creamy Lemon Salmon Pasta
- Pan Seared Salmon with Creamy Lemon Pasta
- Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta
- Easy Creamy Four Cheese Pasta
- Creamy Pepper Pasta with Steak Strips
- Roasted Cauliflower Pasta with Creamy Garlic Sauce
- See all 50+ Pasta recipes
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Recipe
Creamy Chicken Gnocchi with Spinach Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves - minced
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoon AP flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken -see note 1
- 1-2 cups grated parmesan -see note 2
- 16 oz gnocchi - see note 3
- 1 cups packed fresh spinach
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Add the butter, olive oil and minced garlic to a large skillet and cook over low heat for 3-4 minutes until the garlic is soft but not colored.
- Add in the Italian seasoning and flour, stirring well.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth and whisk to combine with the flour.
- Simmer for 5-7 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
- Once simmered add in the shredded chicken, heavy cream and grated parmesan. Allow the mixture to simmer over low heat.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to a boil. Once boiling, add 1 tablespoon of salt and then the gnocchi. Cook until the gnocchi floats to the top then drain or remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon.
- Add the drained gnocchi to the sauce, season with salt and pepper and taste. Add more seasonings as needed.
- Finally, stir through the spinach and let it wilt in the hot sauce.
- Serve with extra parmesan and black pepper.
Notes
- You can use any cooked chicken for this. So leftovers from your Sunday roast, a storebought rotisserie chicken, poached chicken breasts (see my easy method) or you can fry off some chicken breasts before you start the sauce. You can use cooked chicken breast or chicken thigh for this creamy chicken gnocchi.
- The amount of cheese will depend on how rich you like your pasta. 2 cups gives you a really cheesy dish. Feel free to use one cup of parmesan and then a cup of a milder cheese, to give you a rich but less intense sauce. (calories are worked out for 2 cups of cheese)
- The long-life packets of gnocchi come in 16oz or 17.5oz packets (450g/500g). Either will work for this dish. You can use fresh gnocchi if you are lucky enough to find it.
Helene Vasily says
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. It is simple, elegant, and absolutely perfect. Thank you also for the link to poaching skinless and boneless chicken breasts perfectly. It was the first time I ended up with juicy poached chicken to be used in this recipe. The broth in which the chicken was poached also served as the broth for the recipe. Everything fit together just right.
I also wanted to point out that I learned from your descriptions. Most importantly, I did not know that gnocchi tend to turn gummy if cooked for longer than 4 minutes. This explains a lot, namely my less than perfect gnocchi from previous attempts. Well, this time they were pillowy and heavenly! You are amazing!
Claire McEwen says
Helene,
This message brought a tear to my eye!!!
After a really hard day, I sat down to reply to comments on the blog and yours was the first I read.
I am so very happy that you loved the recipe, both for the gnocchi and the poached chicken. It honestly makes me smile so much to know someone loves a recipe.
Thank you for taking time out of your day to post a comment, it was really appreciated!
Cx
Helene Vasily says
Thank you so much, Claire! I'm actually making the dish again tonight (which is why I looked at your recipe again and found your nice reply). By the way, last time I had left over gnocchi and chicken, so wanted to reheat gently the next day. I added chicken broth (from the poached chicken I had made) to the dish and it turned out very soupy...ended up with a fantastic chicken gnocchi soup that puts Olive Garden's version to shame.
I will most definitely continue to follow your fantastic recipes and very helpful suggestions and explanations on how to do a lot of things. It's funny because I've been cooking since I was 12, and am now in my 50ies. Yet you are still teaching me very useful techniques. As far as I'm concerned, you would be a great addition to the Food Network channel.
Claire McEwen says
Helene, thank you for commenting again, I am definitely going to try turning any leftover chicken gnocchi into a soup (although we rarely have leftovers!!)
Thank you so much for your kind words, they made me tear up. I am so glad I can be helpful from my little spot on the internet.
Sorry it has taken me so long to reply, we have been moving house and I have been a bit slow at getting back to work on the blog!
Have a lovely day,
Claire x
Rachel says
This was absolutely gorgeous. I made it for my hubby and I, but I'll be making it for the next time I entertain guests! Maybe with some posh garlic bread on the side and a crunchy salad. Thank you for posting this, greetings from England!
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased.
I love the side of posh garlic bread 🙂
It is a great dish for guests as it is so comforting but still a little elegant.
Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment.
Cx
Elaine says
I’m going to make this tomorrow, but I want to add a can of fire roasted tomatoes (my husband won’t eat “white” food lol. I’m also going to add broccoli for a one pot meal. Do you think the tomatoes would be ok?
Claire McEwen says
I've ever tried adding tomatoes, but I think it would definitely work.
Hope your hubby enjoys it
Cx
Brenda says
This was absolutely amazing,made it for the first time tonight for my husband and I and 2 of our dear friends,everyone loved it. I did cook two boxes of Gnocci,parmesan reggianno, fried some panchetta to crumble on top and a lttle bit more cream. Thank you so much for posting this recipe. Definitely having again,
Claire McEwen says
Oh thank you Brenda, so happy that you all enjoyed it!
Two boxes of gnocchi sounds perfect, always good to have plenty of food when you have people over for dinner 🙂
Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment.
Cx
Sarah says
Is the 835 calorie for the entire dish or just per serving?
Claire McEwen says
I doubled checked the figures and it is a little lower than that. For some reason the nutrition app I use was pulling in flour tortillas instead of AP flour. So it has come down to 719kcal.
But sadly gnocchi is really high in calories, so it definitely isn't a meal for everyday. But as a comforting treat it is perfect.
You could reduce the calories by using half and half (or single cream) and only adding 1 cup of parmesan.
That would bring the total down to just under 600 calories.
I hope that helps
Cx
Jaime says
Made this tonight. I prepared it almost exactly as the recipe calls for, but I used a blend of parmigiano reggiano, pecorino romano and asiago cheeses. I also added a grind of nutmeg to each bowl before serving... perfection!
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased you enjoyed it. Your cheese combo sounds amazing!
Cx
Ashley says
Made gnocchi for my 10 year old for the first time and used this recipe. He absolutely LOVED it. I did add additional Italian seasoning and pepper to taste, and more spinach but this came out amazing. And super easy to make! Will definitely be making this again
Michelle says
Can you cook the gnocchi in the sauce?
Claire McEwen says
You sure can, just add it in after the sauce has simmered for 5 minutes.
You may need to thin out the sauce a little with some chicken broth as the gnocchi will thicken the sauce up.
Hope that helps
Cx
Steph says
I wanted to try a nice creamy dinner with some gnocchi and I came upon this recipe, decided to try it and let me tell you how DELICIOUS this dish was. It was the perfect amount of creamy and wasn’t too cheesy (I used only 1 cup of parm/Romano mix), which was perfect because there are some picky eaters in this family. Will definitely be bookmarking and saving this for future use!!
Deedee says
Made this tonight my husband and I Loved it this is a keeper
SC says
This was so good! Very quick weeknight meal. Everyone in my family loves it. I didn’t have Parmesan so I subbed in mozzarella. Highly recommend.
Bee says
Made this for supper because I had some leftover chicken and a bag of spinach that I had forgotten about...which amounted to closer to 2 cups of spinach (cuz spinach, no matter the amount, shrinks to nothing so I wasn't going to sweat it!). Made a big green salad to go along as a side with candied cranberries, red onion, mandarin pieces and sliced almonds. Served it for our family of five with three children between 10-14 (a picky age...but then again, isn't EVERY age a picky age?!?) and it was a HIT across the board! Thank you! Saved it as a do again for sure!!! And I would not hesitate to serve this to company in a pinch! Quick, easy and absolutely delicious!
KC says
Pure decadence. I am always hesitant to try blog recipes, but I'm glad I took the chance this time. This recipe is amazing, and I'm really picky. xD
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased KC!!! This is one of my favourite winter comfort dishes! Rich creamy and like you say a bit decadent.
So happy you enjoyed it.
Cx
Franchesca says
Yummy. Only had 1/2 and 1/2, so subbed that for the heavy cream. Used a combo of the green shaker parmesan plus shredded colby and cheddar cheese, to equal 1/4 cup. Used kale instead of spinach. Hubbs said, good job dear!!! We will have this again!
Claire McEwen says
So pleased you managed to sub things in! (Shopping at the moment is stressful!)
I bet kale was fabulous!
Cx
Sarah says
I made this the other night and it did come out super good...although... I might try to substitute the Parmesan cheese for a different kind I’m partial with Parmesan and it was kinda strong for my liking but my husband loved it! It was sooo filling!
Claire McEwen says
Definitely play about with the cheese combination and find a mixture that you like.
Some milder Colby Jack could work in there 🙂
Cx
Laurie says
This was absolutely excellent!!! Definitely making this again. Easy and not time consuming.
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased you enjoyed this Laurie 🙂
mimi rippee says
This would definitely be fabulous with turkey, especially the lovely dark meat! Great idea!