Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Lemon Chicken Gnocchi
Soft gnocchi and a creamy lemon sauce make this an especially inviting chicken dinner. Each forkful has a little richness and a bright lemon edge, with spinach folded through at the end.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 14 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cuisine
- American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Make thinner cutlets
Slice the chicken breasts lengthwise before seasoning. The thinner pieces are the ones used for the searing step that follows.
2. Save the browned bits
Scrape the skillet as you stir in broth and lemon juice. Those browned bits become part of the sauce.
3. Watch the sauce body
The sauce keeps thickening as it cools. Stop before it gets overly thick, adding a splash of broth if needed.
Get to know the ingredients
Uncooked gnocchi
Add the potato gnocchi straight to the cream sauce. Its starch thickens the liquid as it cooks, so skip precooking.
Lemon pepper
Check whether the seasoning contains salt before seasoning the cutlets. Add salt to the chicken when the blend contains none.
Heavy cream
Use the listed heavy or whipping cream. Lower-fat alternatives are discouraged because the lemon can cause them to curdle.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 6 steps completeMake room for Lemon Chicken Gnocchi
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Fold in the greens
Remove the skillet from the heat before adding Parmesan and spinach. Return the chicken with its juices and spoon sauce over it.
A little more help as you go
Let the garlic cook briefly
Reduce the heat after removing the chicken. The minced garlic needs only about thirty seconds before the liquids go in.
Keep the gnocchi submerged
Give the pan a good stir after adding the gnocchi. Keep it beneath the sauce during its gentle, uncovered simmer.
A few questions you might have
Can I season the chicken without lemon pepper?
Salt and pepper are an allowed alternative, although the finished dish will taste less lemony without the lemon pepper seasoning.
Should the sauce boil hard?
Let it bubble gently, uncovered, while the gnocchi cooks. Stir occasionally and watch for cooked gnocchi and a thickened sauce.
When does the Parmesan go in?
Take the skillet off the heat first, then stir in the Parmesan with the spinach until the leaves start wilting.
Do I discard the juices on the chicken plate?
Add them back with the cooked chicken at the end. Spoon some of the finished sauce over the cutlets before serving.
How do I check the chicken is cooked?
Use an instant-read thermometer reading of 165 degrees F. The chicken should be cooked through during the searing stage.
Any more cooking tips?
Lemon pepper seasoning is a blend of dried lemon zest, pepper, and often salt and other spices. If you don’t have any, you can season the chicken with salt & pepper, but the overall dish will taste a bit less lemony. I use McCormick brand lemon & pepper seasoning. Sub the cream for something lower fat at your own discretion (I don’t recommend it). The citrus is likely to curdle lower fat alternatives. Chicken is safe to eat when an instant read meat thermometer reads 165F. This recipe is also on page 185 of the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials cookbook.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: saltandlavender.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
