A chicken and dumpling skillet with gnocchi is a yummy shortcut on the classic that yields creamy comfort food your family will love! It is the perfect way to make a dumpling stew any night of the week.

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We love chicken and dumplings.

But dumplings can be hard to get right and take a while to make.

So I came up with this delicious alternative that uses gnocchi instead of traditional flour dumplings.

It is super simple and comes together in about 20 minutes for an easy dinner any night of the week.

What is gnocchi?

Gnocchi are an Italian dish that is a cross between potato dumplings and pasta.

You can find it readymade in your grocery store in the dry pasta section and in the frozen foods, normally by the ravioli and tortellini.

Ingredients

Here is what you’ll need for these chicken and gnocchi dumplings.

Gnocchi – I use gnocchi you can find in the pasta section, but frozen could work too.
Frozen peas & carrots – Get a combination bag of frozen peas and carrots or a bag of each ingredient.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – Make sure you cut them into about 1 inch cubes.
Flour – This coats the chicken and helps thicken the sauce.
Fats – You’ll need both extra virgin olive oil and butter to cook the chicken and veggies.
Veggies– Thinly sliced celery and chopped onion
Seasonings – You’ll need dried thyme leaves, dried oregano, garlic powder, chicken bouillon base, seasoned salt, salt, and pepper.
Gnocchi water – Make sure you save the water the gnocchi cooked in.

How to make

First, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. While waiting, separate any stuck together gnocchi.

When the water is boiling, carefully add the gnocchi to the pot and cook them for 2 minutes.

They will start to float to the top when they are done.

After they are cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove the gnocchi to a waiting strainer and run them under cold water, stirring as needed, to stop the cooking process and prevent sticking.

Set them aside.

Next, add the frozen vegetables to the pot of hot water and let them cook just until soft. This should take about 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove two cups of the water from the pot and set aside for later.

Once the veggies are ready, add the chicken to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle the flour over top. Toss until evenly coated.

Next add the olive oil to a large skillet set over medium high heat.

Once it becomes hot, shake the chicken so that any excess flour falls back into the bowl and then add the chicken to the skillet.

Season the chicken with salt & pepper, stirring occasionally, and cook until all the pieces are browned on all sides.

Carefully remove the chicken to a waiting plate.

Next, melt the butter in the same skillet and then add in the vegetables along with the thyme and oregano.

Give everything a good stir to combine and then cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 to 7 minutes or until the vegetables are tender yet still crisp.

Next, sprinkle the reserved flour evenly out over the veggie mixture and stir to combine or coat.

Next, pour in the broth, using a sturdy spoon to scrape the bottom of the skillet to deglaze.

The stew should come together and thicken.

Next, add the chicken back into the skillet and stir to combine. Let the mixture simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

Finally, stir the gnocchi, the peas & carrots, garlic powder, and the seasoned salt and stir to combine.

Let the mixture simmer for 2 to 3 more minutes before ladling into bowls and serving.

Serving and storing

This dish is best served hot and fresh. But like other soups, it can taste even better the next day.

This is the perfect make ahead meal.

To store, allow it to cool and then place in an airtight container.

Place the container in the fridge for about 4 to 5 days.

To reheat, you can place the stew in a large pot or microwave individual servings.

Tips and tricks

Make the chicken chunks roughly the same size. I find 1 inch cubes makes it easiest to cook.
Don’t over cook the veggies before adding to the stew. They will become mushy.
Make sure to only cook the gnocchi for about 2 minutes and rinse immediately with cool water to prevent them from getting too soft.

Other comfort foods you might love

This chicken and dumpling skillet with gnocchi is a timesaving twist on a classic comfort food.

If you make this tonight, you’re family will love it too!

Here are some other great comfort food ideas that you’re family will love:

If you’ve tried these CHICKEN AND GNOCCHI DUMPLINGS, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!

Chicken & Gnocchi Dumplings

4.34 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Casserole, Dinner

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 25

Servings:

Calories: 353kcal

Author: Meaghan @ 4 Sons R Us

Ingredients

1 16 oz pkg gnocchi
1 16 oz pkg frozen peas & carrots
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed of fat and cit into roughly 1" cubes
1/3 cup flour
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp butter
salt & pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups celery thinly sliced
1 white onion peeled & sliced
1 1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp dried oregano
2 cup gnocchi water (from cooking) + 1 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon base
1/2 tsp garlic powder
seasoned salt to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. While waiting, separate any stuck together gnocchi.
Once boiling carefully add the gnocchi to the pot and cook them for 2 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the gnocchi to a waiting strainer and run them under cold water, stirring as needed, to stop the cooking process and prevent sticking. Set aside.
Add the frozen vegetables to the pot of hot water, and let them cook just until soft. Remove two cups of the water from the pot an set aside.
Add the chicken to a large mixing bowl, and sprinkle the flour out overtop. Toss until evenly coated.
Add the olive oil to a large skillet set over medium high heat. Once hot shake the chicken so that any excess flour falls back into the bowl, and then add the chicken to the skillet.
Season the chicken with salt & pepper, stirring occasionally, and cook until all the pieces are nicely browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer all of the chicken to a waiting plate; set aside.
Melt the butter in the skillet, and then add in the vegetables along with the thyme and oregano. Give everything a good stir to combine, and then cook (stirring occasionally) about 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables are tender yet still crisp.
Sprinkle the reserved flour evenly out over the veggie mixture, and stir to combine/coat.
Pour in the broth, using a sturdy spoon scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze while the stew mixture comes together & thickens.
Add the chicken back to the skillet, stirring to combine. Let the mixture simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Stir the gnocchi and the peas & carrots into the stew mixture.
Add the garlic powder and the seasoned salt, stirring to combine. Let the mixture simmer for 2-3 more minutes before ladling into bowls and serving.

Notes

Make the chicken chunks roughly the same size. I find 1 inch cubes makes it easiest to cook.
Don't over cook the veggies before adding to the stew. They will become mushy.
Make sure to only cook the gnocchi for about 2 minutes and rinse immediately with cool water to prevent them from getting too soft.

recipe adapted from Chew Nibble Nosh

Nutrition

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This post may contain affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full Disclosure Policy for details. As always, all opinions are my own.