Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs With Gnocchi
, Updated Nov 30, 2025
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This delicious slow cooker Tuscan chicken meatballs recipe combines juicy chicken meatballs with gnocchi in a flavorful creamy sauce. This hearty and comforting Italian-style meal sure to be adored by all!
Add this Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs With Gnocchi recipe to your must-make list right now… because I just KNOW you are going to love it!
Using the tried-and-true combo of cream, sun-dried tomatoes, grated Parmesan and spinach ensures the sauce will be irresistible. Adding homemade chicken meatballs and plump gnocchi take things to a whole new level of deliciousness!
You can make this recipe on the stove but these days I much prefer using my GreenPan slow cooker, it is so versatile and easy to use (and clean).
You can make the entire recipe in your slow cooker if it has a sauté / browning function. If it doesn’t, pan fry the meatballs in a pan first. You want to give them a bit of color before adding them to the slow cooker to finish cooking.
Here’s What You Will Need
Make no mistake, this is a filling recipe for carb lovers. Let’s break down the ingredients so you can plan your shopping list.
FOR THE MEATBALLS
- Ground chicken (chicken mince) or you can use ground turkey if preferred
- Onion and garlic
- Sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- Fresh basil
- Garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper
- Grated Parmesan
- An egg to bind the meatballs
- Panko breadcrumbs or fresh breadcrumbs
- Olive oil or, better yet, some of the oil from the sun-dred tomatoes
FOR THE SAUCE
- Dry white wine (just a splash, plenty left to share with the meal 🙂 )
- Chicken broth, canned or homemade or made using stock cubes
- Heavy cream or you can use half and half or evaporated milk
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Spinach – ideally fresh baby spinach leaves, check they are washed before using!
- Grated Parmesan
- Fresh potato gnocchi (usually found next to fresh pasta in grocery stores)
- A little cornstarch, if you would like to thicken the sauce
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Meatballs With Gnocchi
PREPARE THE MEATBALLS
- Place the onion, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes into a mini chopper or food processor and blitz to a coarse paste. You can also chop the ingredients with a knife.
- Add the ground chicken, contents of the mini chopper, salt, garlic powder, herbs, egg, Parmesan and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Stir well using a wooden spoon or your hands until the meatball ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Form small meatballs with the aid of a small cookie scoop and shape using slightly oiled hands.
BROWN THE MEATBALLS
- Heat the sun-dried tomato oil in the slow cooker or a pan. Add the meatballs and cook for about five minutes, turning over once, until nicely colored. The meatballs don’t need to be cooked through at this stage.
SLOW COOK AND SERVE
- Add a splash of wine to the slow cooker (or pan) and simmer for a minute or so. Pour in the chicken broth, cover and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or on LOW for 4-5 hours.
- Stir in the Parmesan, cream, chopped sun-dried tomatoes and gnocchi. Cover and cook on HIGH for 20 minutes. If the sauce needs to be a little thicker you can stir in some cornstarch slurry together with the cream.
- Add the baby spinach and stir into the creamy sauce so that it wilts. Have a taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Spoon into bowls, serve and swoon with the sheer deliciousness!
Recipe Tips
- STORING AND REHEATING: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat until piping hot all the way through, adding a little hot water to the saucepan.
- NOT A SUN-DRIED TOMATO FAN? Use sun-dried tomato paste, pesto or fresh tomatoes instead!
- COOK ON THE STOVE: The entire recipe can be made in a deep pan. Cook the meatballs in the broth for 25 or so minutes then add the cream and gnocchi and cook for a further 2-3 or until the gnocchi is cooked. Stir in the spinach and serve.
You will also enjoy…
HAVE YOU MADE MY SLOW COOKER TUSCAN MEATBALL AND GNOCCHI RECIPE? Please leave a rating below, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes
Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs With Gnocchi
This delicious slow cooker Tuscan chicken meatballs recipe combines juicy chicken meatballs with gnocchi in a flavorful creamy sauce. Hearty, comforting and sure to be adored by all!
Video
Ingredients
FOR THE MEATBALLS
- ½ cup (66g) sun-dried tomatoes , drained (reserve the oil)
- 1 onion , roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- handful fresh basil leaves
- 1 lb (450) ground chicken or turkey (chicken mince)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp Italian herbs or Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 3 tbsp grated Parmesan
- ½ cup (75g) Panko breadcrumbs, more if needed
TO COOK
- 2 tbsp of the sun-dried tomato oil or olive oil
- ¼ cup (60 ml) dry white wine
- 2 cups (480ml) chicken broth or stock made using 2 chicken stock cubes
- ½ cup (66g) sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- ½ cup (120ml) cream heavy / double
- 3 tbsp grated Parmesan plus extra to serve
- 17.5 oz (500g) gnocchi (fresh gnocchi)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 7 oz (200g) baby spinach leaves , roughly chopped
Instructions
MAKE THE MEATBALLS
- Place the onion, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes into a mini chopper or food processor and blitz to a coarse paste. You can also chop the ingredients with a knife.½ cup (66g) sun-dried tomatoes, 1 onion, 3 garlic cloves, handful fresh basil leaves
- Add the ground chicken, contents of the mini chopper, salt, garlic powder, herbs, egg, Parmesan and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Stir well using a wooden spoon or your hands until the meatball ingredients are thoroughly combined.1 lb (450) ground chicken or turkey, 1 large egg, 1 tsp Italian herbs , 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp ground pepper, 3 tbsp grated Parmesan, ½ cup (75g) Panko breadcrumbs, , 1 tsp salt
- Form small meatballs with the aid of a small cookie scoop. using slightly oiled hands.
BROWN THE MEATBALLS
- Heat the sun-dried tomato oil in the slow cooker or a pan. Add the meatballs and cook for about five minutes, turning over once, until nicely colored. The meatballs don’t need to be cooked through at this stage.2 tbsp of the sun-dried tomato oil
SLOW COOK
- Add a splash of wine to the slow cooker (or pan) and simmer for a minute or so. (Transfer to slow cooker if you started the recipe in the pan). Pour in the chicken broth, cover and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours.¼ cup (60 ml) dry white wine, 2 cups (480ml) chicken broth
- Stir in the Parmesan, cream, chopped sun-dried tomatoes and gnocchi. Cover and cook on HIGH for 20 minutes. If the sauce needs to be a little thicker you can stir in some cornstarch slurry together with the cream. Have a taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.½ cup (66g) sun-dried tomatoes, , ½ cup (120ml) cream, 3 tbsp grated Parmesan, 17.5 oz (500g) gnocchi, salt and pepper
- Add the baby spinach and stir into the creamy sauce so that it wilts. Have a taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.7 oz (200g) baby spinach leaves
- Spoon into bowls, sprinkle with extra Parmesan, serve and swoon with the sheer deliciousness!
Notes
Recipe Tips
- STORING AND REHEATING: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat until piping hot all the way through, adding a little hot water to the saucepan.
- NOT A SUN-DRIED TOMATO FAN? Use sun-dried tomato paste, pesto or fresh tomatoes instead!
- COOK ON THE STOVE: The entire recipe can be made in a deep pan. Cook the meatballs in the broth for 25 or so minutes then add the cream and gnocchi and cook for a further 2-3 or until the gnocchi is cooked. Stir in the spinach and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 730kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 179mg | Sodium: 788mg | Potassium: 2028mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 5465IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 243mg | Iron: 10mg
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
The flavor of this recipe is great but the meatballs are way too moist to stay together in the crockpot. I added extra panko and broiled to add color and firmness yet they still all fell apart at the first stir. I have made it four times trying different things to keep the meatballs together and they never do. Was this recipe derived in a particularly dry climate?
I haven’t had this issue at all and no the climate is not dry. Try using fresh breadcrumbs instead of panko and soaking them in milk and squeezing out excess moisture ❤️
I do not see where SALT was listed in the ingredients list, but it is listed in the meatball assembly. Italian seasoning is used instead of the Italian herbs, but I don’t see “salt” listed anywhere. Wondering how much should be used. We were served this somewhere and it was absolutely delicious!
Margie – i will take a look at the recipe card
May I suggest you amend this recipe. it’s not clear as to whether the sun-dried tomatoes go into the meatballs or in with the sauce ingredients afterwards. thank you
Hi Heather – it is clearly specified that they are used both in the meatballs and the ingredients. Just have a look at the recipe card.
I’d broil the meatballs in the oven for 5-8:minutes next time for more even color and less sticking. Still, the meatballs came out tender and full of flavor. the Gnocchi was soft and pillows. I was worried the meatballs would fall apart as they seemed much too soft, but my fears ended up being unwarranted. I ended up using an instant pot on the slow cooker setting. I’ll definitely be making this again.