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).
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
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!
Nat Turner says
Awesome!!! Miss15 really wanted to cook gnocchi so we googled to find your recipe. Absolutely delicious and easy. So incredibly full of flavours.
Thank you so much 🙏
Natasha says
I love that!! You're very welcome!
Christine Leusch says
This is my favorite!!! I add mushrooms and sometimes spinach. Always delicious!
Natasha says
Thank you so much!
Michelle says
Hi Natasha, I served this for dinner, wow it was so tasty, the whole family loved it. I pre cooked the whole chicken breast on a griddle pan so it had charred bits and then sliced it, I also added a small onion in with the garlic and just before I put the parmesan in I added a bag of spinach. This recipe is now going to be in my rotation. Do you think you could freeze this recipe? I like to prep meals for my daughter to take to work.
Natasha says
So glad you liked it! 😀 I would say creamy recipes typically don't freeze/reheat too well, but you could give it a try.
Amy says
Very rich dish! I added cherry tomatoes with the garlic and it came out great!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Love those additions! Glad you enjoyed it, Amy.
Abbie Griffin says
Delicious and easy recipe!
Natasha says
Thank you so much, Abbie!! Happy you enjoyed it. 😀
Karen says
Best comfort food ever. It's become a family fave all year round. Thanks so much!
Natasha says
Yay!! You're very welcome! 😀
Katy says
This was a hit for everyone in my family! My kids loved it and my husband said it’s going into the regular dinner rotation!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Fantastic to hear, Katy!! Happy your whole family liked it.
Sarah says
This looks amazing! I’m gonna use pork chops instead of chicken and add in veggies. I’m so excited to make this tonight. I don’t have the things I normally use for gnocchi, but I need something new to try
Natasha says
I hope you will enjoy it, Sarah!
Sarah says
It was amazing! It’s a definite make again!
Natasha says
Thank you!!
Elesha says
I made this tonight with the help of my 8 year old son. (I LOVE cooking with him!) Not only did we have a great time in the kitchen, but everyone, including my very picky 17 year old, is raving about how yummy this dish is. I wanted to add veggies, but our 17 year old has an aversion to anything in the vegetable family (insert side eye here), so I made a salad for my hubby and I to balance things out. Love, love, love this recipe. Definitely adding it to the arsenal. Thanks for sharing!
Natasha says
Awww I love that!! I'm so happy it was a hit!! 🙂
Christina says
Can I use frozen gnocchi? That's all Walmart had.
Natasha says
Should be fine! 🙂 You may need to cook it for a tad longer.
Michelle Hunt says
Just made this for first time from first bite everyone is raving about they reckon I have make it more often
Natasha says
That's great!! 😀
Andronic says
Natasha,
My sister turned me on to this recipe. I am a foodie and she thinks I’ll like it. Gf is getting ingredients for it. Looks like a winner. Winner, winner gnocchis for dinner!
Natasha says
Oooh let me know how it goes!! 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!!
Judy Tiziani says
Hi, those looks great but can I use homemade gnocchi in it? My hubby and bŕo in law are Italian and hate bought gnocchi...
Natasha says
Hi! I wouldn't recommend the one pan method with homemade gnocchi as it's quite delicate and may fall apart. You could make the sauce separately, but then I'd recommend making a roux to ensure it thickens properly.
Beth Phillips says
Wow, Natasha, this recipe was so completely amazing!!! This was my family’s introduction recipe using gnocchi & we thank God that we chose your recipe!!! I honestly don’t know if we’ll even try another one after this! 💕💕💕
The only thing I would mention is that, for me, you can’t cut up the bacon with a scissors, because by breaking it up with your fingers means that you get to lick the bacon grease off!!! 😃
This is definitely going to the top part of our list of recipes!!! Thanks bunches!!!
Natasha says
I'm so happy everyone loved it! 🙂 Thanks for your sweet comment! Lol good point about the bacon.
Cheryl says
Delicious. My bf who isn’t even usually a fan of gnocchi loved it! I added mushrooms, and instead of frying the chicken and bacon, I put them in the oven for 30 mins (after coating the chicken in a little bit of Cajun seasoning and oil). I mixed the crispy bacon in whilst the sauce was thickening, and once plated, I put the sliced chicken on top. If I was to change anything next time, I’d probs just use a bit less Parmesan. First recipe I’ve used from this site and can’t wait to try some more!
Natasha says
That's awesome!! Glad you enjoyed it and let me know if you try anything else, Cheryl. 🙂
L says
Would gluten free gnocchi work?
Natasha says
Hello! I haven't personally tested, but I think you could give it a try. As long as it still contains potatoes, the starch will help thicken the sauce up, but possibly not as much as gnocchi that's made with flour. Let me know how it goes!
Ke Clarke says
Great Recipe
How many people will this recipe serve?
Thank you
Natasha says
Hi Ke! It says the serving size in the recipe card for all my recipes. In this case, it's 4 servings.
anne marie says
Added mushrooms and peas for a little veggie action, really good.
Natasha says
Great! Glad you liked it! 🙂
Connie says
I don’t have any gnocchi but I do have packaged “fresh” tortellini that I froze. Do you think that would work if I cooked it a bit longer?
Natasha says
Hi Connie! I think it could probably work, but I'd definitely keep an eye on it and adjust liquid levels if needed.
Connie says
Natasha, it worked awesome! I doubled the chicken broth (and I use milk instead of cream, for less calories lol) and cooked it a bit longer. I’ve made this with gnocchi before and that was great too but very happy with the “fresh” packaged pasta as well! Either will work. Thanks so much😊
Natasha says
Excellent!! You're welcome!
JGibson says
I took your recipe and fussed it up a bit:
I quick-brined my chicken breasts, oven baked my bacon until crisp - used the fat to sear the chicken until it was crisp on the first side, added garlic near the end so it didn’t burn - added the broth first to deglaze the chicken pan, added marinated artichoke hearts as the gnocchi was cooking, diced roma tomatoes just as I turned the heat off, sprinkled the crisp crumbled bacon over the top after adding the cheese -
It was the best (and first) creamy chicken anything I’d ever made. Restaurant-quality, indeed. Still, I thought about cheesy-bread made from enough mayo to hold the mozza/cheddar/herb/red pepper flake blend together on thick-sliced italian bread as it toasts - and maybe adding something green (lightly cooked) like finely-chopped kale or frozen spinach to the chicken/gnocchi for next time - and there will be a next time.
So good, thank you for sharing!!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks for your detailed comment.
Gordon Ramsay says
lol i just added broccoli.
Anne says
I made this dish dairy-free by omitting the cheese and replacing the heavy cream with 2/3 cup rice milk mixed with 1/3 cup light extra virgin olive oil.. It was very good!
Natasha says
Awesome!!
Dawn Gilbert says
Loved this! As many others have said, your recipes are great because they call for ingredients you usually have on hand! Loved the creaminess and I used sour cream and milk in place of the heavy cream and still delicious!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Wonderful! We aim to make dinner easier, so that's really nice to hear, Dawn 🙂
Sue says
This is a great recipe. I added a couple things: chopped portabella and mild pepper with onion. Also a splash of white wine and 1/2 cup diced tomato b cause I needed to use up these ingredients. It was great but I think the original recipe would be just as good. It’s a keeper.
Natasha says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it, Sue!
Melanie says
My entire family loved this and deemed it restaurant worthy!! I also love that I always have every ingredient in stock and that it was so quick and easy.
Natasha says
That's fantastic!! Thanks so much for your review, Melanie! 😀
Rose says
I made this last night without the Italian seasoning and it was still delicious! I wanted to add spinach but I didn't have any on hand so I added chopped mushrooms. Was still very delicious! Love your recipes!
Natasha says
Wonderful!! I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Rose! 😀
Gabriel says
I’ve made this recipe several times, it’s one of our favorites! It’s so easy and comforting and amazingly delicious. When cooking the bacon I like to fry a little extra and set some aside to garnish with.
Natasha says
Fantastic!! 🙂 Thanks for your review!
Terri says
Loved this! I doubled the recipe (I have 3 teenaged boys) and used refrigerated gnocchi because that is what I had. I cooked the gnocchi in butter first, as I usually do, so it did not absorb much of the liquid. The dish ended up too soupy, so I threw in a couple of handfuls of instant mashed potato flakes, which helped, but then I just served it in bowls. I thought I would reduce the liquids next time, but on reflection, I think I will make it exactly the same.
Natasha says
Thank you!! I'm so happy it worked out.
Joan says
Wonderful
Natasha says
Thank you!!
JENNIFER HAMANN says
Delicious, quick & really easy
Natasha says
Thanks so much, Jennifer!!
Harriet says
Can this recipe be frozen?
Thanks
Natasha says
Hi Harriet! I don't recommend it. Creamy sauces typically don't reheat well, and I imagine the gnocchi may develop a bit of a weird texture. If you happen to have leftovers, you could experiment. I'd just be sure to warm them up on a low heat and possibly add another splash of cream to revive the sauce if needed.
Andrew A-K says
Stuck to the recipe as our vegan/ vegetarian offspring were on holiday with their respective partners’ families. Very naughty but very nice! Teamed it with a nice bottle of Gavi. My wife declared it restaurant standard but all I did was follow the instructions. Great recipe so I’ll be returning to your site for further inspiration.
Natasha says
I'm so happy to hear that, Andrew! 😀
Nicole says
Very good, I added some spinach at the end with the cheese to create the illusion of health.
Natasha says
LOL 😀 Glad you liked it!!
Nicki says
This is delicious! The only adjustment I made was I added a bit more red pepper flake. I will be making this again. Thank you for a great way to use gnocchi.
Natasha says
Thank you!! 🙂
Diane says
I can only find frozen gnocchi where I live. Will this be alright?
Natasha says
I think that should be fine, Diane. It should thaw quite fast in the pan. Perhaps keep an eye on it and give it an extra few minutes (might need to lower the heat a touch).
Victoria says
This is our favourite gnocchi dish, hands down! We made a few adaptations because of dietary issues. I'm sure the original is delicious because our adapted version is! I use almond milk instead of heavy cream, add some diced peppers, green onion and frozen corn & red pepper flakes to ours. Thank you for this recipe!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
You're welcome, Victoria! So glad you were able to adapt it!
Amanda says
Thank you again for another amazing recipe!! I have tried a few and all are so good and family friendly. I really appreciate you using mainly ingredients most people already have and not having us go out and find weird random things. You have easily become my favorite food blogger and i have sent many friends and family your way who are also LOVING your recipes!!
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! 🙂 And thank you... I am so glad you are finding the recipes simple and easy... I try to use everyday ingredients exactly for that reason! Really appreciate you sharing the recipes!!
Michelle says
This recipe is amazing! It was so easy to make and very flavorful. Thank you!
Natasha says
You're very welcome, Michelle!
Lisa says
So good! A hit with my whole family!
Natasha says
I'm so glad to hear that, Lisa! 🙂 Thank you!
Jenna Hennessy says
This is phenomenal! I had to alter it to be dairy free so I used a tofu based product for the cream but it turned out phenomenal anyway!! So glad I found this! I will certainly make it again!
Natasha says
Thank you so much!!
Mauimama says
Made this last night and eveyone liked it, even the picky eaters! I did use half n half instead of the heavy cream and just whisked some corn starch in with the broth to thicken up the sauce. I also garnished with some fresh parsley before serving. Will definitely make this again for a weekday dinner! Thanks!
Natasha says
That's awesome!! You're very welcome! 😀
Tracey says
Big hit at our house! I also halved the recipe -- and substituted low fat sour cream for the heavy cream.
Natasha says
Wonderful! So glad it worked out for you.
Krisellen Lang says
Cut the recipe in half for 2 of us - used homemade gnocchi and leftover chicken breast - and it was TO DIE FOR!
Absolutely spot on flavors! Thanks for a keeper recipe.
Natasha says
Wonderful!! 🙂 You're welcome!
Amber says
So good. I added mushrooms and spinach but we loved it.
Natasha says
Fantastic!! Thanks for letting me know.
Jessica Fischer says
The recipe calls for Italian Seasoning. Is that Italian herbs seasoning or Italian dressing seasoning?
Natasha says
Hi! I don't know what "Italian dressing seasoning" is. Italian seasoning is a dry herb blend that's a pretty standard mix of herbs but will vary a little from brand to brand. I typically use McCormick.
Sophie Kay says
Cooked this for my family tonight, they loved it! Thank you
Natasha says
You're very welcome, Sophie!
Hannah Judd says
My husband and I were amazed by how good this was! Definitely the best gnocchi dish I've made, and will definitely be coming back to it 🙂
Natasha says
That's awesome!! Thank you!
Bev says
Very good, family loved it...used half & half and added sliced mushrooms
Natasha says
Awesome!!
Meagan says
Where I am I buy the frozen cauliflower gnocchi because that’s all I can ever find. How does this differ for cooking?
Natasha says
Hi! I don't have a Trader Joe's (I'm in Canada), so I have never cooked w. the cauliflower gnocchi. From what I can tell, it won't release starch, so it may not thicken the sauce in the same way. I have had readers say that they've done my one pan gnocchi recipes using it with success, though, so you could give it a try. If the sauce is too thin, just add a cornstarch slurry. Have you checked in the dry pasta aisle and the refrigerated pasta section? Thats where they sell the potato gnocchi here.
Katie says
My family loves it. I made the original way and its amazing. Tonight i subbed shrimp for the chicken and oat milk for heavy crem and its still amazing
Natasha says
I'm so glad to hear that you liked the original and thanks for the tips on the tweaked version!
Manuela says
Love this recipe. So quick and easy to make.
Thank you for sharing 😘
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! 🙂
Richard Maxx says
Wonderful! Made half with cream of mushroom, 2 % milk qtr cup, no stock or heavy cream available . Fresh basil. Same cook time. Used cauliflower gnocchi too! Thanks
Natasha says
You're welcome!