Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi
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- 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil (tomatoes drained and oil reserved, tomatoes diced)
- 1 package frozen chicken or turkey meatballs (18 oz)
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
- 1 package gnocchi (16 oz)
- 3 cups packed baby spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup half and half
- Add chicken broth, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, dried minced onion, garlic powder, salt, pepper, diced sun-dried tomatoes, and 1 teaspoon of the sun-dried tomato oil to the pressure cooking pot. Place a steamer basket in the bottom and distribute the frozen meatballs evenly.
- Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and set the cook time for 4 minutes.
- When the cook time ends, use a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid. Remove the steamer basket and meatballs from the cooking pot. Set aside.
- Select Saute and adjust to medium heat. Stir in the gnocchi and baby spinach and simmer until warmed through and the gnocchi rises to the top and the spinach wilts, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the parmesan to the liquid in the cooking pot in several small handfuls, and stir until smooth. Turn off the pressure cooker. Return the meatballs to the cooking pot. Add the half and half and heat through but do not bring to a boil.
Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi deliver a creamy, flavorful one-pot meal that’s ready in under 30 minutes—perfect for busy weeknights!
This easy recipe starts with pantry staples and a bag of frozen meatballs—no need to fuss with ground chicken or breadcrumbs. Just toss everything in the pressure cooker and press start. In less than 30 minutes, you’ll have dinner on the table.
No complicated prep, no extra dishes—just hearty, comforting flavors that come together effortlessly. It’s the kind of meal that feels homemade, even on your busiest days.
This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, Cosori, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
Why make Tuscan Chicken Meatballs in an Instant Pot?
This Tuscan chicken meatballs recipe is served in a creamy sauce with gnocchi. As opposed to stovetop recipes in a skillet, this recipe is pretty hands-off, so you can handle other things during dinner prep.
Plus, using the pressure cooker means all those rich, savory flavors meld beautifully in a fraction of the time—giving you a comforting, restaurant-quality meal without the wait or the mess.
If you’re not used to gnocchi, it’s a plump little potato dumpling with a soft and chewy texture.
This recipe calls for shelf-stable gnocchi, which is stored in a box in the pasta aisle.
The secret to this recipe is the sun-dried tomatoes with oil, which really gives the dish a pop of extra flavor.
Some brands pack their sun-dried tomatoes with herbs; unless you have a brand you really like, we recommend looking for just the tomatoes in oil.
It can sometimes be hard to find these in the store. In our grocery store, they’re by the canned tomatoes and canned black beans. (I expected them to be by the pickled red onions since they’re the same brand, but nope!)
We opted for half-and-half for this recipe since heavy cream made the sauce a little thicker than we wanted. However, you can substitute it in a pinch if you like.
Add the parmesan cheese a little bit at a time, stirring well with each addition, to prevent it from clumping. Cheese you grate yourself incorporates better than pre-shredded cheese, but feel free to use that one if needed.
You’ll definitely want to serve this dish with a slice of crusty bread to mop up all the tasty sauce.
How to Store Leftovers
Cool the leftovers, then transfer to an airtight container and pop it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You can freeze it, just know that the gnocchi’s texture will be a little different after freezing.
This dish reheats well, but you’ll likely need to add more broth or water to thin out as the sauce, which thickens quite a bit as it cools.
Reheat at 50% power, stirring in 30 second intervals.
