Marry Me Chicken with Gnocchi — Creamy in 30 Minutes
The chicken is seared and set aside, and the same pan becomes a sauce of cream, stock and sun-dried tomatoes. The gnocchi cook straight in it — no separate pot of water. Spinach, parmesan and the chicken go back in at the end. 30 minutes, one pan.
The name is a promise this dish genuinely keeps: creamy sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan and gnocchi that cook right in the sauce, releasing the starch that binds it all together. The best part is practical — no second pot, no draining, no waiting. It all happens in one pan.
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 680 g Chicken breast (cut into bite-size pieces)
- ¾ tsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp Paprika powder
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
For the sauce
- 450 g Gnocchi (shelf-stable or chilled)
- 2½ dl Double cream
- 1.8 dl Chicken stock
- 3 cloves Garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1 tbsp Tomato purée
- 75 g Sun-dried tomatoes (in oil, cut into strips)
- 50 g Parmesan (freshly grated)
- 60 g Baby spinach
- ½ piece Lemon (juice only)
- 1 tsp Salt
- Pepper
- ½ bunch Basil (optional)
Method
- 1
Season the chicken
Toss the chicken pieces with the Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper until evenly coated.
- 2
Sear the chicken
Heat the olive oil in a large pan until hot. Fry the chicken in a single layer for 3 to 4 minutes a side until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- 3
Soften the garlic
Melt the butter in the same pan over medium heat. Finely chop the garlic and cook for 40 to 60 seconds until fragrant — it must not brown.
- 4
Build the sauce
Add the cream, stock and tomato purée, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, scraping the browned bits off the base of the pan.
- 5
Cook the gnocchi
Add the gnocchi and sun-dried tomatoes to the sauce, cover and simmer for 4 minutes, until the gnocchi are tender. They release starch and thicken the sauce.
- 6
Bring it together
Return the spinach, parmesan and chicken to the pan. Season with the lemon juice and stir until the spinach has wilted. Serve with basil and extra parmesan.
Tips
- The lemon juice at the end matters more than it sounds. Without it the sauce feels heavy; with it, the tomatoes and parmesan come through far more clearly.
- Use the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar to fry the chicken — it is full of flavour and saves a spoonful of olive oil.
- The sauce thickens considerably as it cools. Add a splash of milk or stock when reheating and it turns creamy again.
What can I substitute?
Pasta will not cook in the sauce, so you need a second pot. Add a little cooking water to the sauce so it still binds.
Both are lighter and thicken less. Let the sauce reduce for 2 minutes longer to compensate.
For the vegetarian version. Fry the mushrooms hard first, until their liquid has evaporated.
Fresh tomatoes are milder and less salty. Add them with the gnocchi so they soften.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the name Marry Me Chicken come from?
The name comes from American food blogs and jokes that the dish is good enough to prompt a proposal. Culinarily it is chicken in a creamy sauce with sun-dried tomatoes — the hyperbole belongs to the name, but the recipe does deliver.
Can I really cook the gnocchi straight in the sauce?
Yes, and it is actually better this way. Gnocchi need only about 4 minutes and release starch that thickens the sauce. What matters is enough liquid — the cream and stock together should just cover them.
Why does my sauce turn grainy?
Usually the heat is too high, or the parmesan went into a boiling sauce. Take the pan off the strong heat for the cheese and stir it in slowly. The lemon juice, too, belongs right at the end.
Can I prepare this dish in advance?
It is best fresh, since the gnocchi keep absorbing liquid. You can, however, sear the chicken and start the sauce ahead — both keep a day in the fridge. Cook the gnocchi fresh in the reheated sauce.
Where do I find gnocchi in Switzerland?
At Migros and Coop they sit in the chilled section with the fresh pasta, and sometimes as a shelf-stable version too. Both work for this recipe; the chilled ones are usually a little softer.
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