This Marry Me Chicken and Gnocchi is the best one pan dinner!
Whether for a weeknight meal or dinner with friends, the creamy sun-dried tomatoes sauce that envelops the tender chicken and pillowy gnocchi hits the spot.
It’s packed with flavor thanks to sun-dried tomatoes, freshly grated parmesan, and whole milk which creates a creamy sundried tomato sauce.
I love recipes with the viral ‘marry-me’ flavours of sundried tomatoes, fresh basil, parmesan cheese and oregano. My Marry-Me Butter Beans and Marry-Me Slow-Cooker Chicken recipes are popular for good reason! But, this one pan chicken is a new favourite since it’s paired with fluffy gnocchi that cooks along with the chicken.
Why you’ll love this marry me chicken recipe
- Easy: This recipe requires minimal effort for big flavor, especially from the delicious sauce!
- Meal Prep: This is a great recipe for mealprep; divide into containers and take to work for lunch.
- Versatile: It’s an easy chicken dinner for a weeknight but can also be served for a dinner party.
Ingredients needed to make this marry me chicken gnocchi recipe
Olive oil: you’ll need just 2 tbsp oil to sear the chicken in
Chicken breasts: you’ll need 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts to make this one pan chicken dinner. But you could also try boneless, skinless chicken thighs if desired.
Sundried tomatoes: sun-dried tomatoes are a must to make the classic ‘marry-me’ sauce
Gnocchi: use a store-bought shelf stable gnocchi
Onion: use a yellow onion to start making the sauce in the pan
Seasonings: garlic cloves, dried oregano, dried thyme, pinch of red pepper flakes, kosher salt, ground pepper and a touch of balsamic vinegar round out the flavours
Chicken broth: chicken broth helps to make the creamy sauce
Whole Milk: I like to use whole milk to make the creamy sundried tomato sauce but you could substitute with 2% milk. For a dairy-free option, try using canned full-fat coconut milk.
Fresh herbs: fresh basil is key to the flavour of the sauce but if you can’t find fresh basil, try substituting with 1-2 tsp dried basil to round out the flavours
Spinach: this is optional but you can stir in fresh spinach at the end of the cooking time
Parmesan cheese: stir in freshly grated parmesan cheese at the end of the cooking time for more flavour
How to make marry-me chicken and gnocchi
- Season the chicken breasts generously with kosher salt and ground pepper and set aside on a plate.
- To a large high-sided skillet or braiser add 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil and turn to medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, sear the chicken, 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. Set aside on a plate.
- Turn the heat to medium. Add 1/2 tbsp olive oil and the diced onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened. Then add the minced garlic, dried oregano, dried thyme, kosher salt, ground pepper, chili flakes and chopped sundried tomatoes. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, stirring often.
- Add the milk and broth to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom to release any browned bits. Bring to a simmer over high heat and once simmering, stir in the gnocchi. Nestle the chicken breasts and their juices into the pan. Bring to a simmer again and once simmering, reduce heat and keep at a simmer at medium-low heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir the gnocchi occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Once the chicken is cooked through (to an internal temperature of 165F), remove the chicken from the pan and stir in parmesan cheese, fresh chopped basil, spinach (if using) and balsamic vinegar and cook a few more minutes until the sauce has slightly thickened and the spinach is wilted.
- To serve, slice the chicken breasts and serve on top of the gnocchi, garnished with more fresh basil if desired.
Tips & Tricks
- Sometimes fresh basil is hard to find in the Winter. So, if you can’t find fresh basil, I do suggest adding the 2 cups fresh spinach and then 1-2 tsp dried basil to round out the flavours.
- I use a shelf-stable gnocchi in this recipe but you can also use gnocchi that is found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Using this type of gnocchi is key because it releases starch as it cooks, helping to thicken the sauce. I do not recommend using your own homemade gnocchi as it’s likely to bread down in the sauce since it’s very delicate compared to store-bought.
- If you want to add a dose of greens to this recipe, I suggest adding 2 cups fresh spinach when you stir in the parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
- Servings suggestions: green beans, roasted broccoli, Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad or green peas make wonderful vegetable side dishes for this marry me chicken gnocchi recipe.
Common questions
To make this recipe gluten-free, use a gluten-free shelf stable gnocchi, generally found in the dry pasta aisle of the grocery store and gluten-free chicken broth. All of the other ingredients in the recipe can remain the same.
Many similar recipes use heavy cream which does create an even creamier sauce. I like to use whole milk as it lends itself to a creamy but not overly heavy sauce.
I have only tested this recipe with potato gnocchi. The potato gnocchi will help add starch to the lemon sauce when cooking to help it thicken whereas the cauliflower gnocchi won’t. If you want to use cauliflower gnocchi, you might want to add some cornstarch to the sauce to help thicken it.
how to store leftovers
Keep leftover chicken and gnocchi in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. Reheat in a baking dish with 2 tbsp – 1/4 cup more chicken broth at 400F, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through. Alternatively, you can reheat in the microwave to you desired temperature.
More one pan chicken dinner recipes to love from the blog
- Easy Healthy Baked Lemon Chicken (quick dinner!)
- Peanut Chicken Power Bowls
- Easy One Pan Creamy Lemon & Garlic Chicken Gnocchi
Easy One Pan Marry Me Chicken & Gnocchi Dinner
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 – 1.5 lb total)
- kosher salt and ground pepper
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- pinch of chili flakes
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk
- 450 g (16oz) shelf-stable gnocchi
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup fresh chopped basil
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves (optional)
- garnishes: fresh basil, grated parmesan cheese and chili flakes
Instructions
- Season the chicken breasts generously with kosher salt and ground pepper and set aside on a plate.
- To a large high-sided skillet or braiser add 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil and turn to medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, sear the chicken, 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. Set aside on a plate.
- Turn the heat to medium. Add 1/2 tbsp olive oil and the diced onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened. Then add the minced garlic, dried oregano, dried thyme, kosher salt, ground pepper, chili flakes and chopped sundried tomatoes. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, stirring often.
- Add the milk and broth to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom to release any browned bits. Bring to a simmer over high heat and once simmering, stir in the gnocchi. Nestle the chicken breasts and their juices into the pan. Bring to a simmer again and once simmering, reduce heat and keep at a simmer at medium-low heat. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir the gnocchi occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Once the chicken is cooked through (to an internal temperature of 165F), remove the chicken from the pan and stir in parmesan cheese, fresh chopped basil, spinach (if using) and balsamic vinegar and cook for 1-2 more minutes, until the sauce has slightly thickened more and the spinach is wilted.
- To serve, slice the chicken breasts and serve on top of the gnocchi, garnished with more fresh basil if desired.
Notes
- To make this recipe gluten-free, use a gluten-free shelf stable gnocchi, generally found in the dry pasta aisle of the grocery store and gluten-free chicken broth. All of the other ingredients in the recipe can remain the same.
- Sometimes fresh basil is hard to find in the Winter. So, if you can’t find fresh basil, I do suggest adding the 2 cups fresh spinach and then 1-2 tsp dried basil to round out the flavours.
- I use a shelf-stable gnocchi in this recipe but you can also use gnocchi that is found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Using this type of gnocchi is key because it releases starch as it cooks, helping to thicken the sauce. I do not recommend using your own homemade gnocchi as it’s likely to bread down in the sauce since it’s very delicate compared to store-bought.
Photography by: Kaeleigh Pugliese
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