Cozy up with Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi. Creamy, flavourful, and balanced for an easy weeknight dinner!
Chilly weeknights call for a cozy, comforting, and low-effort option, and that's where this recipe comes in. These Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi are creamy, hearty, and full of flavour, making them the perfect weeknight dinner when you want something homemade without spending all evening in the kitchen.
If you've tried some of my other cozy season recipes like my Creamy Chicken and Tomato Pasta (One Pan) or my Biscuit and Chicken Pot Pie Casserole then you'll love this one. Simple, flavourful, and made with wholesome ingredients that make busy weeknights feel a little more special.
You'll start by quickly searing the meatballs, then let the slow cooker do the rest. A few hours later, you'll have a delicious dinner the whole family will love. Whether you're meal prepping for the week or looking for a simple dinner to throw together after work, this recipe is the perfect balance of convenience and comfort.
Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved
- Freezer-friendly meal! Healthy eating feels so much easier when you have meals ready to go. These chicken meatballs freeze well, so you can prep them ahead of time and have a quick, homemade option on hand for busy days.
- Great for a weeknight meal. This recipe is simple, satisfying, and easy to throw together after work. With a quick sear and a few hours in the slow cooker, you get a cozy dinner with minimal effort.
- Balanced option with lean protein, veggies and carbohydrates! Each serving has a mix of lean protein from the chicken, carbs from the gnocchi, and fiber-filled spinach for a well-rounded, feel-good meal.
Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs With Gnocchi Recipe
Ingredients
Ground chicken. To make our ground chicken meatballs, we use lean ground chicken!
Egg. The binder used to hold the meatballs together.
Breadcrumbs. To help absorb any additional moisture in the meatballs- you can use italian seasoned or original breadcrumbs!
Sun dried tomatoes. I use jarred, julienned sun dried tomatoes (stored in oil) in this recipe for a burst of tomato flavour!
Onion. You will need one yellow cooking onion for this recipe!
Garlic. Fresh garlic is always best when cooking, I like to peel and press my garlic fresh for optimal flavour and freshness.
Chicken broth. Look for low sodium chicken broth if it is available to you, this way you can customize the amount of salt based on your preference later in the recipe.
Tomato paste. To increase the depth of flavour in this recipe, creating a rich tomato based sauce!
Spinach. You can use fresh or frozen spinach! I personally use frozen spinach as a budget friendly no prep- option!
Gnocchi. Any ready to cook gnocchi package will work!
Parmesan cheese. For added flavour! I always recommend shredding your parmesan cheese fresh!
Spices. Italian spices pepper, salt, paprika, red pepper flakes are the only spices you will need.
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Instructions
- Make the meatballs by combining the ground chicken, egg, bread crumbs, sun dried tomatoes, paprika, Italian seasoning blend, salt an black pepper in a large bowl. Use your hands to mix the ingredients until fully combined. Divide the mixture into 16 equal sized balls.
- On a hot skillet over medium-high heat (or crockpot if your crockpot has a sautée function) add olive oil. Once hot, add the meatballs and sear each side- about 2 minutes per side (it is ok if they are not fully cooked, we just want to brown the outsides).
- To make the crockpot meal add the seared meatballs to the crockpot along with the onion, chicken broth, garlic, and tomato paste. Cover and place on high for 2.5 hours.
- After 2.5 hours, stir in sun dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, cream, spinach, gnocchi, lemon zest and Parmesan cheese. Cover and place on high for 30 minutes.
- To serve- top with additional Parmesan cheese, lemon juice and fresh basil.
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: gnocchi is not typically a gluten free option as it does contain flour. If you are looking for a gluten free gnocchi option, the Rummo brand is very good!
To make dairy-free: substitute half and half cream with full fat coconut milk and parmesan cheese with a dairy free cheese option of choice
To make nut-free: this recipe is naturally nut free!
For added protein: Add 1 can of chickpeas into the crockpot along with the spinach etc.
For added vegetables: add cauliflower rice for some additional hard to detect veggies!
Ground chicken can be replaced with any ground meat of choice!
Equipment
Storage
These Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs With Gnocchi can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Once cooked, this meal can be placed in an airtight container and frozen for up to 3 months, defrost in the fridge and reheat when ready to eat. Please note I have not tested freezing this recipe prior to cooking! If you decide to try please let me know how it turns out.
Top Tips for Success
To make this even easier, make the meatballs ahead of time, cook (all the way through) and freeze! Frozen meatballs can be added directly to the crockpot - no searing required!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes you absolutely can! If you decide to do this you may skip the searing step.
I don't recommend adding everything at once as the cream may curdle if cooked at a high temperature for too long and the gnocchi will overcook!
More slow cooker dinner recipes
If you liked these Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs, try these recipes:
- Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken Bowls
- High Protein Slow Cooker Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Crockpot Lemon Garlic Chicken and Rice
See you in the kitchen!
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make these Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs With Gnocchi
Ingredients
For the chicken meatballs:
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (original can also be used)
- ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes (stored in oil), finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the tuscan chicken gnocchi:
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1.5 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 6 cloves garlic, pressed
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes (stored in oil), julienned
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning blend
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup half and half cream
- 1 cup frozen spinach (or 3 cups of fresh spinach) * if using frozen, you do not need to thaw it first
- 500 g ready to cook gnocchi
- zest of ½ lemon
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- fresh basil, for serving
- lemon juice, for serving
Instructions
- Make the meatballs by combining the ground chicken, egg, bread crumbs, sundried tomatoes, paprika, Italian seasoning blend, salt an black pepper in a large bowl. Use your hands to mix the ingredients until fully combined. Divide the mixture into 16 equal sized balls.
- On a hot skillet over medium-high heat (or crockpot if your crockpot has a sautee function) add olive oil. Once hot, add the meatballs and sear each side- about 2 minutes per side (it is ok if they are not fully cooked, we just want to brown the outsides).
- To make the crockpot meal: add the seared meatballs to the crockpot along with the onion, chicken broth, garlic, and tomato paste. Cover and place on high for 2.5 hours.
- After 2.5 hours, stir in sundried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, cream, spinach, gnocchi, lemon zest and parmesan cheese. Cover and place on high for 30 minutes.
- To serve- top with additional parmesan cheese, lemon juice and fresh basil.
Lindsay says
I used my dutch oven on low stove top for about an hour and this was fantastic. My foodie toddler loved it. Husband had two servings.
Kendra says
This feels like such a comfort dish, even though I didn't grow up with Gnocchi. I made it with hamburger, because I didn't have ground chicken. It turned out really well. The only thing I would do different is leave out the lemon zest and juice.
Nicole Addison says
QUITE POSSIBLY the coziest meal on the blog! This is the perfect crockpot meal for a cold night! I hope you enjoy.