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This easy one pan chicken bacon gnocchi recipe is the ultimate comfort food! You will love the pillowy gnocchi, crispy bacon, and tender chicken in a creamy garlic sauce.
Try my Creamy Chicken Bacon Mushroom Pasta or Chicken Bacon Spinach Pasta for similar delicious flavors.
Why you’ll love it
While I have plenty of one pan gnocchi recipes on here, this was my first with chicken. My lovely readers have said their families rave about this chicken gnocchi dish with bacon and have called it “so completely amazing” and “restaurant worthy”! I think it’ll easily make it into your dinner rotation.
The gnocchi cooks right in the sauce, so no need to pre-cook it. Fewer dishes, a tasty 30-minute meal, and ingredients you already have on hand make this simple gnocchi recipe a no-brainer. It definitely does not disappoint, and there are no unusual ingredients.
What you’ll need
- Bacon – the crispy, savory quality of the bacon complements the creamy sauce
- Chicken – we’re using chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- Garlic – a touch of garlic adds even more flavor
- Chicken broth – for moisture and the base of the sauce
- Heavy cream – it adds that luxurious quality
- Italian seasoning – this blend of flavorful dried herbs comes in one jar, making it a convenient way to add herby flavor to sauces
- Gnocchi – I buy the shelf stable gnocchi that’s found in the dry pasta aisle
- Parmesan – it’s always best to grate your own
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- A pair of kitchen shears is great to effortlessly cut up the bacon.
- Use a garlic press to mince the cloves without even needing to peel them, and store the rest in a cute garlic saver.
- I always suggest freshly grating parmesan using a Microplane zester because it melts better and has superior taste.
- My favorite cooking spoon doesn’t scratch pots and pans.
How to make chicken bacon gnocchi
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a skillet, fry the bacon until crispy. Remove it from the pan, leaving behind a little bit of the fat. Add the diced chicken to the pan, and cook until it’s white on the outside, stirring often. Add the garlic, and give it a stir.
Reduce the heat and add the broth, cream, Italian seasoning, and gnocchi to the pan along with returning the bacon. Stir, cover, and cook for a few minutes. Remove the lid, then cook until the sauce thickens up. Add the parm, season with salt & pepper, and enjoy.
Helpful tips
- The gnocchi releases starch to thicken the sauce as it cooks right in it.
- Homemade gnocchi is normally too delicate for the one pan technique, so I don’t recommend using it for this one.
Substitutions and variations
- You can definitely use pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken. Just skip the step where you cook the chicken.
- I tested this with specific liquid measurements and ingredients, so substitute at your own risk. I think half-and-half could work instead of cream, but the sauce is likely to have a different consistency.
- We haven’t tried it, but a number of readers enjoy adding in mushrooms and/or spinach in this one.
What to serve with this chicken gnocchi recipe
- It’s pretty rich, so I’d serve it with a side salad. Try my zesty Homemade Olive Garden Dressing or this bright Avocado Greek Salad as a complement.
- A dinner roll or slice of fresh crusty bread is always a good idea to balance the richness.
Leftovers and storage
- I prefer eating this one sooner rather than later, but it’ll keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in a sealed container.
- Reheat over a low heat in a saucepan, and give it a splash of broth or cream if desired.
- I don’t recommend freezing leftovers of this gnocchi recipe. It would probably turn grainy.
If you made this easy creamy chicken and gnocchi recipe, please leave a star rating and review below and tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram! Questions? Ask in the comments.
Chicken Bacon Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon cut into small pieces
- 2 medium chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 large clove garlic minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 pound uncooked potato gnocchi
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a deep skillet, over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until it’s crispy (about 10 mins.). I use kitchen shears to make cutting the bacon up quick & hassle-free.
- Once the bacon is done, take it out of the pan, and leave about a tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pan. Discard the rest of the fat or save it for another use.
- Add the chicken to the pan and cook it for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, or until the chicken turns white on the outside. If the chicken is sticking when you try to stir it, give it a little more time to release naturally.
- Add the garlic to the pan and give it a good stir.
- Reduce the heat to medium and then add the chicken broth, cream, Italian seasoning, gnocchi, and bacon back into the pan (stir well). Cover the pan and cook for 4 minutes.
- Continue cooking the gnocchi, uncovered, for a few more minutes until the sauce reduces/thickens to your liking (stir every so often).
- Stir in the parmesan cheese and season with salt & pepper as needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
- I use the shelf stable gnocchi found in the pasta aisle. No need to pre-cook the gnocchi (it cooks right in the sauce).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on February 23, 2019. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
Does it work well to make ahead and reheat?
In my experience, cream sauces don’t reheat so great, and chicken can dry out as well. You could try reheating it on a really low heat, and you may need to add a little more liquid (like cream or chicken broth perhaps) to get it back to its saucy consistency.
Made this for my family tonight and it was a hit! Was a bit long to prep, but worth it. Didn’t have whipping cream so substituted for half/half and it seemed to turn out OK. Other cheeses may also work.
I’m so happy it went over well!
Absolutely Delicious!! Thank you! I added fresh organic broccoli and fresh organic spinach to get some good for you greens 😉 I also used frozen cauliflower gnocchi 😊
You’re very welcome!!
This was absolutely delicious and super easy to make! It has all of the things that I love. Will definitely make again and it’s also so filling! Very yummy
I am so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂 XO!
Absolutely delicious! My family gobbled it up and I sent it to friends. Looking forward to trying another one your recipes.
Awesome!! So glad you liked it, Sarah! Thanks for taking the time to write me a comment. 😀
My husband and I generally eat low carb, but decided with the social isolation we would give ourselves a treat on St. Patrick’s Day. Delicious! Thank you for the perfect recipe.
I’m so happy you two enjoyed it! 🙂
I absolutely love this recipe! Do you think there would be any issue with doubling it? Thanks!!
So glad to hear it! ♥️🤗 I think doubling it should be fine as long as it fits into your pan. Let me know how it goes!
I made your creamy tomato gnocchi and it was the best dinner I have made. I am going to make this dish but was looking for an alternative to the bacon bits. Do you have any suggestions?
I’m so happy you enjoyed the other one – that’s great!! Hmm this one is a bit of a toughie since the bacon is quite a large component. You could use pancetta, but that’s fairly similar. Not sure if you don’t want pork at all? You could leave it out, and I’d sub olive oil or butter for the bacon fat that the chicken is cooked in.
I used butter and olive oil and added kale instead if bacon. It was delicious.
Great!!
I made this recipe today. A few days ago I was looking for a quick and easy gnocchi recipe and came across your recipe. We ate this with Texas toast and the family enjoyed it. Thank You!
Excellent!! So happy it was a hit. I love Texas toast…
This was amazing. I was out of cream and being lazy so swapped with 1/4c sour cream and 1/4c milk. Also tried adding fresh basil and some sun dried tomatoes. So lovely. Even my husband who normally is not a huge gnocchi or pasta guy (I know- I couldn’t believe it either. Who doesn’t love it?) said it was amazing and he would love it again.
I stumbled across this and will definitely be visiting this page more often. Thanks!
Wow that’s great!! I’m so happy you found me! ♥️☺️
Woke up this morning for work and first thought is, what am I going to make for dinner? I went to an app and put in Chicken, bacon and cheese, then this amazing recipe popped up and I’ve always wanted to try Gnocchi, I bought a cpl ingredients, made this recipe and OMG! IT WAS A HIT!!
THANK YOU!!
Great!! So pleased you liked it! 🙂