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A Magnifique slow cooker with a batch of Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi ready to enjoy.
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5 from 2 votes

Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi

If you want a warm and cozy dinner that tastes fantastic, this recipe for Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi is the perfect weeknight dinner! Pop it in the slow cooker a few hours before dinner and have a comforting and delicious meal ready to go after work!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Servings 6
Calories 459kcal
Author Alexandria Drzazgowski

Equipment

Ingredients

Meatball Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • ¾ cup breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup Parmesan Cheese Grated
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 Egg
  • 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Pepper
  • 2 Tbsp sundried tomato oil

Sauce + Gnocchi Ingredients

  • ½ yellow onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • ¼ cup White wine I used cooking wine
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 2 cups Chicken broth
  • 12 oz Gnocchi Shelf Stable
  • ½ cup Heavy cream
  • ½ cup sundried tomatoes
  • 2 cups Spinach
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • In a medium mixing bowl combine all of the meatball ingredients except for the sun dried tomato oil. Mix with a clean hand or a spoon until combined.
  • Form the chicken mixture into small meatballs of about 1½ tablespoons (you can also use a #60 cookie scoop). It should make about 35-40 meatballs in total.
  • Pour 2 tbsp sun-dried tomato oil into a medium-sized pan and allow it to warm up. Then sear the meatballs until they are browned on both sides, about 3-4 minutes each side. You may have to work in batches. The meatballs do not have to be all the way cooked through at this stage.
  • Add the seared meatballs, ½ diced yellow onion, 3 minced cloves of garlic, ¼ cup wine, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, and 2 cups chicken broth into your Magnifique Clay Pot Oven (or other slow cooker brand).
  • Cover and cook on the HIGH Slow Cook Setting for about 20 minutes (if using the Magnifique Clay Pot Oven) or 3 hours if using a standard Slow Cooker. Cook until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Once the meatballs are done cooking, add 12 oz gnocchi*, ½ cup cream, and ½ cup sundried tomatoes into the Magnifique Clay Pot Oven (or other slow cooker) and add the lid. If using your Magnifique Clay Pot Oven, select the Pasta setting and cook for about 10-20 minutes, until the gnocchi is warmed up and cooked through. If using another brand of slow cooker, simply cook the gnocchi on the Slow Cook setting for another 20 minutes.
  • Once the 20 minutes is up, add the 2 cups fresh spinach and ½ cup grated parmesan into the slow cooker and stir until the spinach wilts.
  • Allow the dish to rest for about 10-15 minutes so the sauce can thicken up.
  • Serve in individual bowls topped with more parmesan to taste. Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe Copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational or personal use only.
  • Ground Chicken: You can also use ground turkey if desired or use beef to make a smaller version of my grandma’s Soft Meatballs Recipe.
  • Breadcrumbs: I used plain breadcrumbs and added Italian seasoning to the mixture. If you have Italian breadcrumbs, you can omit about 1 tsp of the Italian seasoning in the chicken mixture. You can also use panko breadcrumbs if desired.
  • Grated Parmesan Cheese: Necessary for thickening up the sauce! Try to get the high-quality stuff if it’s accessible to you.
  • Garlic Cloves: I highly recommend mincing fresh garlic if you can! It adds so much more flavor than the jarred product. If you need to use jarred garlic, I typically measure 1 clove to be about 1 tsp of the pre-minced stuff.
  • Sun Dried Tomatoes: And save the oil! You can use the oil to sear your meatballs and then add the tomatoes into the sauce! You can also use regular olive oil to sear the meatballs if necessary.
  • Yellow Onion: You can add this right into the slow cooker without cooking it. It will cook alongside the meatballs!
  • White Wine: Fresh from the bottle or cooking wine. Either will work.
  • Heavy Cream: Do not put this into the slow cooker until the recipe calls for it. If you add it at the same time as the meatballs, the lengthy cooking time will cause it to curdle and separate. About 20 minutes before serving does the trick!
  • Shelf Stable Gnocchi: You can also use frozen or fresh gnocchi if desired. For another delicious gnocchi recipe, try this Brown Butter Gnocchi with Sage and Walnuts.
  • Spinach: Optional but great for color and a bit of vitamins!
  • Do not overmix your meatballs, as doing so can make the meatballs tough! Stir until the ingredients are just combined.
  • To hold onto some extra flavor, feel free to add the wine into the pan that you just seared the meatballs in to deglaze the pan. Then you can dump that liquid into the slow cooker!
  • Make sure not to add the gnocchi until the recipe calls for it. Adding them at the same time as the meatballs will lead to mushy gnocchi.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 128mg | Sodium: 1718mg | Potassium: 980mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1563IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 308mg | Iron: 5mg