Chicken Pesto Gnocchi
Chicken Pesto Gnocchi is a creamy, flavorful dish featuring tender bites of chicken, pillowy gnocchi, and a rich basil pesto sauce. This comforting one-pan meal combines fresh, herbaceous flavors with a hearty, satisfying texture for a quick and delicious dinner!
Chicken Gnocchi
How many possible ways can we make chicken? That is the real question. I’m here to say that there are COUNTLESS ways, my friends! We will absolutely never run out of ideas, and that is very good news.
We have a thing for pesto, especially in the summertime when our basil plants are popping off. So it just makes perfect sense to hand you another delicious recipe to try. Plus it’s a good one – I promise!
Why This Recipe Works:
- QUICK AND SIMPLE – This simple recipe is done completely in one skillet – part on the stovetop and part in the oven. You’ll also need a food processor to make homemade pesto sauce (or use store-bought pesto for a shortcut).
- FULL OF FLAVOR – Juicy chicken, garlicky pesto sauce, and crispy, pillowy gnocchi makes for a perfect meal packed with flavor.
- CROWD PLEASER – Make this one for a quick weeknight dinner for your family or save it for a weekend meal for entertaining friends and family. Either way, your crew will love it.
What You’ll Need:
- Olive Oil
- Chicken Breasts – You’ll need two large chicken breasts for this recipe.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Seasonings – a combo of paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper
- Chicken Broth (lower-sodium)
- Heavy Cream
- Onions, Tomatoes, and Garlic
- Pesto Sauce – We love using our homemade pesto sauce.
- Potato Gnocchi
How to make Chicken Pesto Gnocchi:
Step 1
Make pesto sauce. In a large food processor, combine fresh basil leaves, parmesan cheese, garlic, and toasted pine nuts. Pulse until well combined. Then drizzle in the olive oil as the food processor runs until you get your desired consistency.
You’ll use 1/2 of the batch of pesto sauce, or 1/2 cup. I recommend freezing the other half for another day. (It freezes super well!)
Step 2
Preheat oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Step 3
Prep chicken. Butterfly two large chicken breasts. Pound to flatten if needed.
Step 4
Dredge chicken. Combine flour and seasonings in a shallow bowl. Dredge each chicken piece in the mixture and make sure you coat both sides. Set aside.
Step 5
Brown chicken. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and then the seasoned chicken. Cook until browned on the outsides, approximately two minutes on each side. (Don’t cook too long because you’ll be finishing it in the oven). Remove chicken to a clean plate.
Step 6
Sauté veggies. Then add the onions to the skillet and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add minced garlic, tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste, and stir for another minute.
Step 7
Add remaining ingredients. Remove pan from heat and add the chicken broth, heavy cream, and half of the pesto sauce. Nestle the browned chicken breasts into the mixture and spread the gnocchi on top.
Step 8
Bake. Place the pan into the oven and bake until chicken is done and gnocchi is soft, about 15 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove pan from oven and add remaining pesto sauce, stirring it into the sauce.
Chicken is considered done when a digital thermometer (inserted into the thickest part of the meat) registers 165 degrees. However, we normally meat from heat at 160 degrees, allowing for some carry-over cooking.
Step 9
Serve. Serve chicken pesto with extra freshly ground black pepper and shredded parmesan cheese.
Store leftover chicken pesto skillet in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also add portions to meal prep containers for lunches on the go.
Recipe FAQs:
You can use store-bought potato gnocchi (fresh, refrigerated, or shelf-stable). If you prefer, homemade gnocchi works great too.
No, I recommend allowing the gnocchi to cook completely in the skillet along with the chicken. Adding it to the top makes it slightly crispy too (which is the way we like it best)!
We prefer using either (boneless, skinless) chicken breasts or chicken thighs in this recipe. If using thighs, you may need to cook it slightly longer.
We like to brown the outsides (just par-cook it) of the chicken breasts on the stovetop before finishing the dish in the oven. Browning meat adds incredible flavor to the final product.
Absolutely! Cherry tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, zucchini, or peas pair well and add color and nutrition. You could also just pair this skillet meal with roasted veggies of your choice.
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Chicken Pesto Gnocchi
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts – two large breasts
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon each paprika, onion powder
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
Remaining ingredients:
- 1 cup onion – diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes – halved
- 3 cloves garlic – minced
- 1/2 cup lower-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup pesto sauce – we use our homemade pesto sauce
- 16 oz. packaged gnocchi
Instructions
- Make pesto sauce. In a large food processor, combine fresh basil leaves, parmesan cheese, garlic, and toasted pine nuts. Pulse until well combined. Then drizzle in the olive oil as the food processor runs until you get your desired consistency.You’ll use 1/2 of pesto sauce recipe, or 1/2 cup. I recommend freezing the other half for another day.1/2 cup pesto sauce
- Preheat oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Prep chicken. Butterfly two large chicken breasts and cut in half (four total portions). Pound to flatten if needed.1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Dredge chicken. Combine flour and seasonings in a shallow bowl. Dredge each chicken piece in the mixture and make sure you coat both sides. Set aside.2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon each paprika, onion powder, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Brown chicken. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and then the seasoned chicken. Cook until browned on the outsides, approximately two minutes per side. (Don’t cook too long because you’ll be finishing it in the oven). Remove chicken to a clean plate.1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Sauté veggies. Then add another drizzle of olive oil and onions – and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add minced garlic, tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste, and stir for another minute.1 cup onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- Add remaining ingredients. Remove pan from heat and add the chicken broth, heavy cream, and half of the pesto sauce. Nestle the browned chicken breasts into the mixture and spread the gnocchi on top.1/2 cup lower-sodium chicken broth, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 16 oz. packaged gnocchi
- Bake. Place the pan into the oven and bake until chicken is done and gnocchi is soft, about 15 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove pan from oven and add remaining pesto sauce, stirring it into the sauce.
- Serve. Serve chicken pesto with shredded parmesan cheese and extra black pepper.
Notes
- Chicken is considered done when a digital thermometer (inserted into the thickest part of the meat) registers 165 degrees. However, we normally meat from heat at 160 degrees, allowing for some carry-over cooking.
- Store leftover chicken pesto skillet in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also add portions to meal prep containers for lunches on the go.
Sounds delicious-I’ll give it a try!!
Let me know if you do, Lauri! 🙂
This meal was so delicious!!!! A few tweaks: I made it vegan by using 8 oz soy curls soaked in vegan chicken broth, which I cooked via stove top and then mixed with potatoes at the end. I added a little lemon juice and lemon pepper to the chicken at the end. I used two packages of cherry tomatoes. Also, for the potatoes, I recommend parchment instead of foil, and I also generously applied olive oil. I could eat this every week!!! Thank you!!
I love this recipe. To me, the Pesto and the Chicken Thighs are awesome together!
Thanks, and I agree! 🙂