By: Merritt Taylor

If you have every had marry me chicken, also called Tuscan Chicken by Olive Garden, then you know just how delicious a plate of cream covered chicken can be. I kept putting off trying out different marry me chicken recipes but I am so sad I waited so long! Once I tried it, I knew I had a combination I would make over and over again. Nothing is more comforting than perfectly cooked chicken in creamy cheese sauce all paired with fluffy gnocchi pasta.

This recipe for marry me chicken gnocchi is my version of this delicious chicken dish made with a few of my favorite ingredients. You will love the flavors of the classic marry me chicken made with gnocchi, extra spinach, and garlic.

This post will walk you through how to make marry me chicken, different substitutions for some variations of this dish, and how to store leftovers!

Notes and Tips For Marry Me Chicken Pasta made with Gnocchi

For faster and easier preparation, buy pre-prepared gnocchi from the grocery store. My favorite version is the shelf stable kind. You can buy a few packets and keep them in your cupboard so you can whip up this recipe with little notice.
Using chicken tenderloin will cook faster than chicken breast. If you use chicken breast, I suggest cubing it or butterflying it so that it will cook evenly and quickly.
Buying pre mixed Italian seasoning is an easy way to flavor the dish without having to worry about having lots of spices on hand. I love having Italian seasoning to add to roasted veggies, soups, or even salad dressings, so do not worry if you have leftover spice because it can go in many other dishes.

Common Questions For Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi

How to Make Dairy Free Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi?

If you want to make dairy free marry me chicken there are a couple of options for adding creaminess. Instead of heavy cream you can full fat coconut milk. Similar in composition, the coconut milk is a delicious way to use a dairy free option. You can leave the cheese out but I suggest adding extra garlic and olive oil to add some additional flavor.

What kind of sun-dried tomatoes does this recipe use?

Sun dried tomatoes come as oil packed or dry packed. I usually make this recipe with dry packed sun dried tomatoes. Oil packed would be a great way to add a little extra flavor, especially if you want to make a dairy free marry me chicken. Either version is good and you can not go wrong.

What else is in marry me chicken gnocchi?

Marry me chicken is seasoned with Italian seasoning, which is usually made of rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, and basil. Each version you can buy may be a little different and you can make up your own version based on your favorite spices but those are the major components. Other aromatics include shallot and fresh garlic. You can use yellow onion if you prefer!
Marry me chicken also has spinach. I like to use A LOT of spinach in my version but you can use a much or as little as you want.
Parmesan cheese is also a major component of this dish. It adds extra creaminess and flavor. You can also use pecorino as a cheese in this dish.

What are some variations for Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi?

Try making marry me chicken pasta with your favorite pasta shape. These flavors would go great with shells, rotini, or bow-tie pasta.
Instead of spinach, you can use green cabbage, broccoli, or leeks. Most vegetables go great with these flavors so use your favorite.

What goes with Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi?

Marry me chicken gnocchi is a filling pasta dish that goes great with some easy vegetable dishes. I have listed my favorites below.
Salad with arugula and spinach is a healthy and fibrous pairing that goes great with creamy chicken.
Roasted baby broccoli with parmesan and garlic is right on theme for marry me chicken! Try roasting a pan and of broccolini and enjoy it alongside your marry me chicken gnocchi.
Kale salad with beets and feta is a bright and delicious pairing! Made with beets and crunchy kale, this pairing will be healthy pairing!

How to Store Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi?

You can store both the chicken and gnocchi together in the fridge for about a week. You can also freeze this recipe if you want to store it for a rainy day! The cream may separate slightly but you can swirl in a little fresh cream and cheese and it will taste just as good as the day you made it!

Ingredients for Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi

Recipe: Serves 4

1 lb chicken I use chicken tenderloin or chicken breast
1 lb gnocchi storebought and shelf stable works great!
1 large shallot a small yellow onion works great too.
2-3 garlic cloves the more the merrier!
1 pinch red pepper you can leave this out if you do not like spice
2 tsp italian seasoning plus more if desired
2 Tbs cooking oil plus more as needed. I use olive oil or butter. The amount may vary based on how your chicken cooks in your pan!
1 cup chicken stock veggie stock works great too.
5 oz sundried tomatoes oil packed or dry packed works well
3-4 large cups of spinach You can use less spinach if you want
1/3 cup cream see above for dairy free option

Gnocchi

Sun-dried Tomatoes

Chicken Breast or Chicken Tenderloin

Spinach

Cream and Chicken Stock

Spices

How To Make Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi

Cook the Chicken
1. Over medium to high heat, add 1 Tbs oil to a pan
2. Pat your chicken dry and when the oil is bubbling, add the chicken. You should hear a slight hiss as you add. Do not overcrowd the pan or the chicken will not brown. You may have to work in batches.
3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
4. Flip the chicken once the skillet-side has browned and is getting crispy. You can flip the chicken every few minutes until just cooked. This will be around temperature 155 as the chicken gets added back into the sauce. Add more oil at this step if needed.
5. Remove the chicken to rest.
Prepare the vegetables and gnocchi
1. Finely chop the shallot and garlic.
2. To the same pan that you cooked the chicken, add the shallot and garlic along with a little more oil if the pan is getting dry.
3. Saute for one minute and then add the gnocchi, red pepper, Italian seasoning. Saute for 2-3 minutes until the shallot is translucent and the gnocchi is browned.
4. Add in the chicken stock and deglaze the pan.
5. Add in the spinach and the sun dried tomatoes. Allow the spinach to wilt by working it into the gnocchi and veggies.
Combine the sauce and chicken
1. Once the spinach is wilted, add in the chicken back in.
2. Add the cream and mix to combine.
3. Turn the heat off and allow everything to meld for a couple of minutes.
4. Enjoy!

Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi