Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi

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These Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi combine tender chicken meatballs with a creamy, veggie-packed sauce and pillowy gnocchi for a cozy, set-and-forget family dinner. Perfect for busy weeknights, it’s warm, comforting, and super easy!

If you’re looking for a warm, cozy dinner that takes minimal effort, these Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi are here to make your weeknight so much easier. Tender and flavorful, the chicken meatballs can be made ahead and frozen, so they’re ready to go whenever you need them. They simmer away in a light, creamy sauce made with carrots, onions, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes, creating a comforting meal that fills your home with mouth watering aromas—all with the ease of a slow cooker.

For added convenience, we’re using store-bought gnocchi, which cooks up beautifully in the sauce, giving you that perfect soft bite with every spoonful. The sauce itself is thickened with a simple cornstarch-milk slurry, giving it just the right amount of creaminess without feeling heavy. This is the ultimate set-it-and-forget-it delicious meal, ideal for busy family nights when you want a delicious, fuss-free dinner that feels a little extra special.

Do you meal plan your dinners? It makes weeknights so much easier! Check out my Meal Planning Theme Night Recipes and then add this one to your Slow Cooker Saturdays meal planning calendar!

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Why The Keyword Is Special
Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
Simple Equipment
Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps
Talking Tip!
Substitutions in this Meatball and Gnocchi Recipe
Variations on this Recipe for Next Time
FAQs for Tuscan Chicken Meatballs Recipe
Want More Meatball Recipes like this?
Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi Recipe
Comments

Why The Keyword Is Special

Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi in creamy sauce with sun dried tomatoes and spinach in the slow cooker pot with wood spoon.

Busy parents will love Tuscan Ground Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi recipe for a perfect weeknight dinner. It makes dinnertime stress-free, delicious, and packed with comforting Italian-inspired flavor!

Comfort Food Appeal: Creamy, cozy, and loaded with flavor, it’s a dish that feels special while still being practical for busy weeknights.
Effortless Cooking: The slow cooker does all the work, creating a flavorful, hearty meal without needing constant attention, making it perfect for busy parents managing work, kids, and errands.
Family-Friendly Flavors: The creamy sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and juicy meatballs offer a comforting mix of familiar, kid-approved flavors that also satisfy adult palates.
One-Pot Convenience: Everything—protein, veggies, sauce, and carbs—cooks together, cutting down on dishes and maximizing convenience.
Nutrient Boost: Spinach and sun-dried tomatoes add a healthy veggie component, sneaking in extra nutrition for kids without extra effort.
Easy Prep and Cleanup: Ground chicken meatballs can be prepped quickly, and since everything goes in one pot, cleanup is minimal, saving valuable time in the evening.
Make-Ahead Friendly: The dish can be prepped the night before, or leftovers can be easily reheated for lunches and another night’s dinner.

Simple Ingredients and Substitutes

Ingredients shown are used to prepare Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi

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Meatball Ingredients

Lean Ground Chicken – ground turkey is good too. I always have raw chicken breasts in the freezer as they can last up to 12 months if in an airtight container or packaging. Check out all of my tips on Prepping and Storing Chicken for Easier Dinners.
Garlic powder – this recipe calls for both garlic powder and fresh garlic. The powder goes into the meatballs for even flavor distribution and no large garlic chunks.
Fresh or Dried Oregano – You can also use basil or Italian seasoning.
Egg – Used as a binder for the meatballs, you can use an egg or margarine can often work. Avocado is a useful binder for savory dishes.
Breadcrumbs – These help thicken and stabilize the meatballs. I used panko breadcrumbs, but any plain will work.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – The oil is for searing the meatballs so they have a nice browed crust before adding to the slow cooker. You can use the the sun-dried tomato oil in place of olive oil for extra flavor!

Sauce and Gnocchi Ingredients

Carrots – You can use whole carrots with the skin on or peeled. I peeled for this recipe. You can substitute with diced baby carrots, parsnips, or even radishes.
Onion diced – I used yellow onion, but you can use white onion, red onion, shallots, or even scallions. If you don’t have fresh onion, you can also use a tablespoon of onion flakes or onion powder.
Fresh Garlic cloves, minced – Fresh is great in the sauce for deep savory flavor. You can buy the pre-minced garlic sold in a small jar or use dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
Sun-dried tomatoes – Sun-dried tomatoes are ripe tomatoes that lose most of their water content after spending most of their drying time in the sun. Try to buy oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes because the oil adds extra flavor to the dish. Plus, the tomatoes are softer and melt into the sauce more. Oven roasted tomatoes are A meatier and juicier version of sun-dried tomatoes that you can make at home if you don’t have access to sun-dried tomatoes.
Chicken broth – or chicken stock. You can also use, vegetable broth or stock.
Baby spinach leaves – only ½ cup if you’re using frozen
Gnocchi – Frozen or shelf-stable gnocchi can be used with the timing in the recipe, just be sure to stir them in to prevent sticking together and getting mushy. Fresh gnocchi cooks very fast, so if you use these, add them for the last 5-10 minutes.
Cornstarch – Cornstarch is mixed with cold water to create a cornstarch slurry. This is the thickener for this sauce.
Milk – half and half or heavy cream will also work well here.

See recipe card for quantities.

Simple Equipment

For this slow cooker recipe, you need a slow cooker. However, you could also make it in the oven in a dutch oven or small roasting pan with a lid.

You also need a large skillet or large frying pan to brown the meatballs. I used my absolute favorite 12″ Ceramic Pan, which is great because food really does slide right off with minimal oil and I don’t have to worry about food sticking and burning.

Mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.

Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below)

Peel and dice the carrots and onions. Mince the garlic.

Breadcrumbs added to a ground chicken mixture in a mixing bowl.

For the meatball mixture, in the large bowl, add the ingredients then mix to fully combine all ingredients.

Tablespoon filled with ground chicken mixture.

Then form meatballs by scooping a tablespoon of the mixture and rolling it in your hands. Place them on a sheet pan until they are all done.

Talking Tip!

At this point, you can move on to the cooking step or place the pan in the freezer to flash-freeze them. Then transfer to a freezer bag or container once frozen.

Browning chicken meatballs in a skillet.

Preheat the skillet then add olive oil to the pan and then the meatballs in a single layer. Cook on each side just to brown, and transfer to the slow cooker.

Veggies, sun-dried tomatoes and broth added to meatballs in a slow cooker.

To the meatballs in the slow cooker pot, add the veggies and seasonings. Cook in the slow cooker on High for 2-3 hours.

Cornstarch slurry in a glass measuring cup.

Mix the cornstarch into the cold milk make the slurry thickener. Whisk in slurry, add the gnocchi and stir gently so that the gnocchi separate. Cook on High for 30 minutes more.

Wooden spoon resting in a slow cooker of Tuscan chicken meatballs with gnocchi and spinach.

Add the baby spinach and stir until just wilted. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

Substitutions in this Meatball and Gnocchi Recipe

Here are some simple substitutions.

Pasta – instead of gnocchi, you can use a hearty pasta shape; kids will love it.
Ground Turkey or Pork – enjoy using whatever ground protein you have on hand – they all work well!
Vegetables – spinach can be replaced with or added with chopped mushrooms and sliced bell peppers and they compliment well with the onions.

Variations on this Recipe for Next Time

You can customize this recipe any way you want, but here are some ideas for the next time you make it!

Spicy Tuscan Meatballs – For a kick of heat, add crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce or even mix a bit into the meatball mixture. You can also use spicy Italian chicken sausage in place of regular ground chicken to add a zesty, peppery flavor.
Deluxe – Add chopped artichoke hearts and extra spinach to the creamy sauce for a twist inspired by spinach-artichoke dip. This variation gives a tangy depth and a little extra heartiness to the sauce.
Mushroom & Thyme Tuscan Meatballs – Sautéed mushrooms and fresh thyme in the sauce add an earthy note to the dish. This variation pairs well with the chicken and gives the creamy sauce an irresistible depth.

FAQs for Tuscan Chicken Meatballs Recipe

Can you prepare this in a Dutch oven instead of a slow cooker?

Yes, Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi can be prepared in a slow cooker or your Dutch Oven. Simply allow it all to simmer once it’s all added to the pot while it thickens up for about 30 minutes. You can also let it cook in the oven.

Can you replace the cornstarch slurry with Parmesan cheese?

This is a great idea for another way to thicken your sauce with great flavor. Make sure the sauce is really hot and you whisk the cheese into the sauce quickly so it doesn’t clump. You can even use both options, and enjoy the sauce to really coat the meatballs and gnocchi.

How long do leftovers last?

If you have any Tuscan Chicken Meatball leftovers, be sure to place the cooled meal in an airtight container. They can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Want More Meatball Recipes like this?

If you love Tuscan chicken meatballs with gnocchi, you’ll enjoy these equally delicious and versatile healthy meatball dinner options!

Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe below! I love to hear your feedback and your rating helps others to find this recipe. Thanks so much!