Garlic Butter Sheet Pan Gnocchi Dinner

An Easy Sheet Pan Dinner

I will forever sing the praises of sheet pan dinners! Whether it’s sheet pan quesadillas or my savory sausage sheet pan dinner, you just can’t beat the convenience of cooking an entire meal on one pan. And this garlic butter sheet pan gnocchi dinner is my current favorite!

Not only does this one pan dinner come together quickly, it also packs a TON of flavor. You’ve got juicy, tender chicken breasts, caramelized broccoli florets, and golden gnocchi. And then there’s the garlic butter sauce! Anything that involves garlic butter, I am all on board. (Can you relate? Try my garlic butter steak bites!)

Sheet Pan Dinner Jackpot

I love creating easy sheet pan dinners! Less dishes is always my goal and these meals are easy, flavorful, and fun to make. At this time I have over 28 sheet pan dinner recipes to choose from (chicken, pork, beef, salmon, shrimp!), with more being added all the time!

Sheet Pan Gnocchi With Chicken

Gnocchi in an entirely new way. Gnocchi is usually boiled in water and then transferred to a skillet to be fried, tossed in a sauce, or both. Baking it in the oven means you won’t have an extra pot to wash, and the gnocchi toasts until it’s crisp and chewy. And don’t worry, you still get the buttery sauce!

Effortless cleanup. With everything cooking on one pan, cleanup is a breeze.

Perfect for busy weeknights. This recipe requires minimal prep time and relies on a lot of pantry staples, so it comes together quickly with minimal effort. Just stir together all of the ingredients and roast them in the oven, then toss with the garlic butter sauce right on the sheet pan.

Customizable. Feel free to switch up the veggies, seasonings, and garnishes in this recipe to make it your own. I share some ideas later in this post, too!

Ingredient Notes

• Gnocchi: Shelf-stable or refrigerated gnocchi will both work. There’s no need to boil them first!
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts: Because there’s no bones, it’s easy to cut into bite-sized pieces. Make sure the pieces are fairly uniform in size so they all finish cooking at the same time.
• Broccoli: You can break a broccoli crown into florets or streamline your prep time by buying a bag of pre-cut broccoli from the produce section.
• Olive oil: Oil adds flavor, and it also helps everything get a nice golden finish in the oven. You can use another oil you like, such as avocado oil.
• Seasonings: I like to use easy pantry seasonings like garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. You can omit the red pepper flakes, or add more or less to adjust the heat level to your tastes!
• Butter: To make the garlic butter sauce, you’ll melt a couple of tablespoons of unsalted butter (you can use your microwave oven).
• Garlic: Pressed or finely minced, garlic infuses the butter sauce with rich flavor.
• Parmesan cheese: Did I mention that this is a cheesy garlic butter sauce?! Stir a quarter cup of grated cheese into the sauce and serve more cheese on the side. I often use the shelf-stable green can of grated Parmesan cheese, but if you want to take it up a notch, freshly grated Parmesan is definitely more flavorful.
• Parsley: Garnish with chopped fresh parsley to add some herbaceous flavor to finish.

How to Make This Sheet Pan Gnocchi Dinner

Prepare. Preheat your oven to 425°F and grease a large rimmed sheet pan, approximately 18 x 13 inches. You can use nonstick cooking spray, an olive oil spray, or simply smear olive oil onto the pan.

Season. Toss the gnocchi, diced raw chicken, and broccoli florets with the olive oil and seasonings in a large bowl. Everything should be evenly coated with the oil and seasonings.

Bake. Spread the gnocchi mixture evenly on the sheet pan, and when the oven is preheated, bake the sheet pan dinner for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, give everything a good stir, then bake 10 minutes more, or until the chicken is 165ºF on an instant-read thermometer and the broccoli is lightly browned, with tender stems.

Make the garlic butter. While the sheet pan dinner is baking, melt the butter. You can use a small saucepan on the stovetop, or a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave. Stir in the garlic. The garlic will infuse the butter with so much flavor!

Finish. When the sheet pan gnocchi dinner is finished baking, remove the pan from the oven. Drizzle the garlic butter over the gnocchi, chicken, and broccoli, and sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese. Toss lightly to combine. Garnish with the parsley and serve with additional Parmesan.

Easy Recipe Variations

• Swap out the broccoli. Try cauliflower, zucchini, or asparagus instead of broccoli. 
• Try another cheese. Instead of Parmesan, try using Pecorino Romano or a meltier cheese like fontina or mozzarella. (If you use a melty cheese, you can sprinkle it over the sheet pan gnocchi during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.)
• Experiment with a different herb. Swap in fresh thyme, basil, or rosemary for the parsley.
• Add crunch. Toasted slivered almonds or pine nuts will add another layer of texture to this meal.
• Don’t want to turn your oven on? I have more one pan gnocchi recipes! Try skillet gnocchi with kale and sun-dried tomatoes, or creamy one pan gnocchi with sausage and zucchini. My creamy gnocchi soup is pretty amazing, too.

Serving Suggestions

• Bread. While this is a complete meal on its own, you can stretch it a little further by serving Texas toast garlic bread on the side.
• Salad. A simple green salad with a light vinaigrette like this lemon basil vinaigrette dressing would also make an excellent side dish. A classic house salad is always a good idea.
• Veggies. To bulk up your dinner even more, make a batch of sautéed spinach or another favorite vegetable on the stovetop.

Refrigerator: Store leftover garlic butter sheet pan gnocchi in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Freezer: Freezing isn’t ideal, but if you can’t eat your leftovers within 4 days, you can pop them in the freezer. Place them in a freezer bag and press out the air, or put your leftovers in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw before reheating. 

Reheating: To reheat on the stovetop, place the gnocchi, broccoli, and chicken in a skillet set over medium heat; cook until warmed through. The microwave also works, but I’d avoid the oven, as the chicken may get tough.

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a large rimmed sheet pan, about 18 x 13 inches.

• In a large bowl, toss together the gnocchi, diced chicken, and broccoli florets. Drizzle with olive oil and add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes (if using). Mix well to coat everything with seasonings.

  1 pkg. (16 oz.) shelf-stable or refrigerated gnocchi, 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces, 4 cups broccoli florets, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

• Spread the mixture evenly on the prepared sheet pan in a single layer.

• Bake for 15 minutes, remove the pan from the oven, stir well. Continue baking for 10 more minutes until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F), and the broccoli is lightly browned.

• Meanwhile, melt the butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove. Stir in the minced garlic.

  2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced

• Remove the sheet pan from the oven and drizzle the garlic butter over the chicken, gnocchi, and broccoli. Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese, and lightly toss everything together. Top with fresh parsley, if desired.

  ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional garnish

• Serve warm with extra Parmesan on the side.

• Variations: Try cauliflower, zucchini, or asparagus instead of broccoli. You could garnish with a different fresh herb, such as sage, oregano, basil, or chives.
• Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an covered container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet on the stove, or in the microwave oven. 

Serving: 4oz. chicken with 4 oz. gnocchi, broccoli, sauce, Calories: 519kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 93mg, Sodium: 951mg, Potassium: 752mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 1041IU, Vitamin C: 85mg, Calcium: 139mg, Iron: 6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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