This ground beef gnocchi recipe has a creamy tomato sauce and turns store-bought gnocchi into pillowy deliciousness. This one pan meal is quick and sure to be a family favorite!
Ok, so I have a ridiculous number of one-pan gnocchi recipes on here, but I somehow never made one with ground beef. I don't think so, anyway. 😛 In any case, I figured it was time. Beef and gnocchi is a good combo (this is kinda like a creamy gnocchi bolognese, actually). And this recipe makes plenty of sauce. The longer you cook it, the more it thickens up.
I'll link to a few more of these gnocchi recipes like my sausage gnocchi, this gnocchi with tomato sauce, and my creamy spinach and mushroom gnocchi (the original that started it all back in 2017). Now I see these one pan gnocchi recipes everywhere... hmm. If you want the rest, you can just type "gnocchi" into the search bar on my blog and they'll all come up. 😉
This hamburger gnocchi recipe is sorta reminiscent of Hamburger Helper. I had a thought while I was cooking this... if you replaced the parm with some cheddar, you could definitely make it more like HH.
I think this dish would be delicious if you replaced the chicken broth with white wine... yes please!
Pro tip: I always get questions if the cream in recipes can be replaced with something else such as half-and-half or milk. With this one, I'd be cautious because the tomatoes and heat are likely to curdle the sauce or at least make it grainy if you don't use cream.
What kind of gnocchi to use?
I use the shelf stable gnocchi that you can find in the dry pasta aisle. You can use the refrigerated kind as well. Since I started making these one pan gnocchi recipes, Trader Joe's cauliflower gnocchi has become immensely popular, and I know a lot of readers have used it in various gnocchi recipes. You can use it, but you may need to use something like flour or cornstarch to thicken the sauce up a bit. The magic of using potato gnocchi is that the starch thickens the sauce quickly as it cooks. I don't recommend using homemade potato gnocchi - some readers have tried it with other recipes in the past, and the one pan method seems to be a bit too much for the delicate pasta.
There is no need to pre-cook the gnocchi. It cooks right in the sauce.
Other ground beef recipes you'll love:
- Easy Hamburger Soup
- Easy Taco Casserole Recipe
- Easy Beef Bowls
- Beef Ramen Noodles (Stir Fry)
- Creamy Taco Soup
- Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe
Do you love gnocchi as much as I do?
Questions? Leave me a comment below!
Ground Beef Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 dash Italian seasoning
- 1 (14 fluid ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
- 1/3 cup chicken or beef broth
- 3/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1 pound uncooked potato gnocchi
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef and onion in a skillet over medium-high heat for 7-10 minutes. If there's lots of excess fat, spoon most of it out.
- Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning.
- Add the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, cream, and gnocchi to the pan, and give it a good stir. Once the sauce starts to bubble again, cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Uncover the pan, stir it, and let it cook for another few minutes, or until the gnocchi has cooked through and is nice and soft and the sauce has thickened to your liking.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese and salt & pepper as needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
- There is no need to pre-cook the gnocchi. It'll cook right in the sauce.
- This dish would be excellent with fresh basil stirred in at the end.
- 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.
Linda Waite says
Made this for dinner tonight. Realized I didn’t have any heavy cream so I asked “Alexa” what to substitute and she said 1/3 cup butter and 2/3 cup milk heated in microwave and whisked together. So that’s what I used. I thought it turned out great. Will definitely make again using heavy cream and see if I can tell the difference.
Natasha says
I'm so glad it worked out, Linda!! 🙂 Thanks for your review!
Andrea says
I hate when people completely change the recipe and then give their review. Hopefully I'm not guilty of that 🙂 We're also affected by the heavy cream shortage, so I used half & half and added 3 tablespoons of cream cheese to try to add a little extra creaminess. Otherwise I planned on making it according the the recipe, but I think the package of ground beef I used was more than a pound, so there just wasn't quite enough sauce or tomato. Mine looked nothing like the picture. I added about 1/2 cup more half & half and about 4 tablespoons of tomato paste and a couple more shakes of Italian seasoning and left it simmer a little longer. It was good and I will make it again, but could definitely use a little more seasoning and flavoring. Thanks for sharing!
Natasha says
You're very welcome!
K says
Great easy recipe! Apparently there's currently a heavy and light cream shortage as noted at the supermarkets so I wasn't able to use that. I found vanilla flavored whipping cream and used that instead. The subtle vanilla flavor added a bit of sweetness to the dish which I kind of liked. The dish was a bit soupy at the end of the suggested cooking time so I let it simmer for a couple minutes longer to thicken up. Next time I may add in some frozen veggies near the end of the cooking time.
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Oh I'm sorry to hear that they were out of heavy cream!! Glad it worked out anyway, and thanks for giving it a try! 🙂
Shannon says
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious!!! It’s very easy to make too, it would be a good weeknight meal. We all enjoyed it, kids and adults both 😊 I will definitely make again!
Natasha says
That's great to hear, Shannon! 🙂
Patricia A good says
Made this with pumkin gnocchi was really good
Natasha says
That's great! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it, Patricia!
Leanne says
This was lovely!! Didn’t have any Italian herbs but was brilliant without. Would definitely make this again
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
So glad you enjoyed it, Leanne!
LC says
Excellent recipe. My first time cooking gnocchi. Followed recipe, except for the Italian seasoning ( don't have it) I used fresh basil and added baby bella mushrooms (needed to use them desperately 😬) Thank you for sharing a great recipe, that I have gladly added to my collection.
Natasha says
I'm so glad it was a hit!! 😀
Dan Martek says
Can I make this without heavy cream or half n half or milk? Maybe a mix of broth wine and extra cheese?
Natasha says
You could experiment, but it won't be creamy... I guess that's what you're going for? Let me know how it goes if you try!
DAVID SCOTT JEFFREY says
Delicious Recipe!! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Natasha says
You're very welcome, David!!
Steve says
Very good. Pretty easy to make as well. It took awhile for the sauce to cook down but maybe I added too much broth.
Natasha says
I'm happy you enjoyed it, Steve! 😀
Mary says
Made this last night....it was fabulous!.....I used frozen gnocchi and threw in some fresh basil from our garden.....will definitely be making it again❤
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Awesome to hear, Mary! Love the fresh basil idea!
Lydia says
Frozen gnocchi?
Natasha says
Hi! There's a paragraph in the blog post that explains what kind of gnocchi to use if that's what you're asking. Frozen gnocchi should be fine, but I use the kind found in the pasta aisle typically.
Lorraine Goyeau says
Superb and so easy!!!
Natasha says
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it! 😀
AngelaML says
Hi again Natasha,
I made this last night - substituted with ground turkey instead of ground beef. It was so delish!!!! I also added in some frozen peas to make it a one pot meal. Love it!
Love your gnocchi recipes - please keep them coming! I always had them at restaurants only until I found your blog and found how easy to make at home. Game changer! Family very happy with the meals!
Natasha says
Hi!! I'm so glad you're loving the gnocchi recipes, Angela! 😀
IramC says
Very delicious recipe and easy! Thank you for sharing!
Natasha says
You're very welcome! 🙂
Diane says
Delicious, easy to follow & not many dishes! Absolutely love it & recommend.
Natasha says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it!! Appreciate your kind comment, Diane!
SuzyK. says
My husband made this for me tonight because I wasn’t feeling well. It was perfect comfort food. My husband is not a seasoned cook so this recipe was easy enough for him to prepare. He was very proud of how the recipe turned out and so was I.
Natasha says
I'm so happy it worked out, and I hope you're feeling better! 🙂
Heaven says
Am I the only one wondering what kind of tomatoes and onion ? What brand is recommended for the tomatoes and is the onion white or yellow ?? Plus, I know you gave the option to pick either chicken or beef broth but which one should I go with ? And what brand and which is better ? Sry, I’m a gen z tryna learn how to cook finally 😩😩
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Hi Heaven! Those are totally valid questions, and we're so excited you're learning to cook! For the onion, our kitchen prefers sweet (Vidalia) onions, but yellow or white will work just fine. As for diced tomatoes, use whatever brand you can find. We like DeLallo and Mutti, but you can't really go wrong with what is at your grocery store. As for the broth, this was tested with chicken, but beef works too for a little bit of a richer, deeper flavor. Brands don't really matter too much for broth. Let us know how it turns out and if you have any other questions! 🙂
Hope says
Me and my mom love this recipe the first time I could find the gnocchi anywhere so I use mini bow tie pasta and found gnocchi in Kroger‘s the and Walmart after a few mouths and remade it super yummy thank for the recipe it will be passed out though my family for generations to come
Natasha says
That's so nice to hear, Hope! 🙂 I appreciate you taking the time to review my recipe.
Nicole says
Love this thanks for sharing the recipe. Could leftovers be frozen?
Natasha says
You're welcome! You could try, but there's a chance the gnocchi may change texture a bit, and the sauce may get a bit gloopy when you reheat as more starch is released. You may need to add another splash of cream or broth when reheating.
Mike O says
Can you use crushed tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes???
Natasha says
You could try! I'd just keep an eye on it in case you need to adjust cooking time. Crushed tomatoes are thicker but now you'll also have more liquid. Hope you enjoy the recipe, Mike!
Jennifer Beilke says
Made this tonight for dinner to appease my new obsession with gnocchi. I found it a little bland at first but super delicious after adding a dash of my favorite seasoned salt. I'll be making this again.
Natasha says
So glad you enjoyed it! Yup, salt is definitely important to flavor!
Nancy C says
I just made this for dinner last night and it was so good
I will definitely be making it again 😀
Natasha says
Awesome!! 😀
Cassandra says
My husband and I have made this recipe so. many. times! It’s a household favorite! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
Natasha says
Yay!! That's so nice to hear. Appreciate you taking the time to write me a review, Cassandra!
Lynn says
I have made this several times with the frozen cauliflower gnocchi, using two bags. I just wait and add it after the covered simmer, and cook for just a few minutes until the gnocchi have the desired texture. I also add frozen peas and sometimes chopped spinach to this recipe at the same time as the gnocchi, making it more of a complete meal.
Excellent!
Natasha says
Love that!! Thanks for the tips, Lynn!
Samantha Homan says
So good and tasty 😋
Natasha says
Awesome!! Thank you