Chicken and Gnocchi Sheet Pan Dinner

Name: Chicken and Gnocchi Sheet Pan Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 16 oz gnocchi; 2 cups corn kernels (frozen or fresh (if using fresh, use about 2 medium corn cobs)); 1 cup cherry tomatoes (whole); ½ red onion (diced large); 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp lime juice; 2 tsp chili powder; ½ tsp salt; 2 chicken breasts (about 1 to 1 ½ pounds); 2 tsp olive oil (one tsp for each); ¼ tsp salt; ½ tsp chili powder; ¼ cup cilantro leaves (roughly chopped); ¼ cup cotija cheese (crumbled or grated)

Recipe Snapshot

What to Expect: An easy, fresh, homemade meal that’s got everything you need all on one sheet pan.
Why It’s Easy: simple seasoning, very little prep, no need to boil the gnocchi or cook the corn beforehand, and everything cooks together on the same baking tray.
Skill Level: Beginner
Active Prep: About 10 minutes
Cook Time: About 35 minutes
Servings: 4

An Easy Weeknight Dinner

If you’re anything like us then you’re always looking for trusty sheet pan dinners to keep on hand. This Chicken and Gnocchi Sheet Pan recipe checks all of the boxes: it’s quick, easy, nutritious, and loaded with fresh and bright flavors. The best part is that everything is cooked together on one baking sheet, which means less effort and fewer dishes for you.

Pull Up A Chair

Rachel: I love simple, all-in-one dinners like this. It’s got protein, vegetables, fruit, etc. cooked together on one tray. Plus, it’s really delicious.

Emily: I love gnocchi and am always looking for new ways to cook and eat it. I love that you don’t have to boil or cook the gnocchi first before adding it to the baking sheet. It just cooks with everything else, which is so easy. And there are very few dishes because it’s all on the same tray.

Why We Love This Chicken and Gnocchi Sheet Pan

Only a couple dishes. All you need is a tray to bake everything on plus one bowl to mix it up in (and sometimes, we skip this one and mix everything directly on the tray).
Adaptable. We’ve made this with fresh and frozen corn and it works well either way. In-season corn is excellent in this recipe, but frozen corn works great too and that way you can make it any time of year. We’ve also made this recipe with fresh zucchini too. If you do that, you may just want to move some of the veg to a 2nd sheet tray so it doesn’t get too crowded.
Hands-off cooking. It’s beginner friendly and low maintenance. If you can turn on an oven, you can make this!
All in one. Everything you need for a full meal is right here on one tray. Protein from the chicken, fruits and vegetables from the tomatoes, corn, and onions, and hearty carbs from the gnocchi.

Seasoned sliced chicken breast sheet pan dinner with gnocchi, corn, tomatoes, and topped with cheese and cilantro.

What Makes Something a Sheet Pan Dinner?

To us, a sheet pan dinner means a fully formed, all-in-one meal that is cooked together on a baking sheet. This means your vegetables, grains or starches, and proteins all get roasted on the sheet pan alongside one another. These meals are great for busy weeknights or when you don’t feel like exhausting all of your energy on making dinner.

Despite their name, we don’t think that everything you make on a sheet pan should be classified as a “sheet pan dinner.” A tray of roasted potatoes, or another sheet pan filled with broccoli, would not, on their own, be a sheet pan dinner. However, if you mixed the broccoli, potatoes, and maybe chickpeas or chicken, we’d call that a “sheet pan dinner” because it’s a complete meal. It should include all or at least the majority of your meal, cooked together on the same tray.

Sheet pan filled with seasoned gnocchi, corn, tomatoes, two seasoned and sliced chicken breasts and and topped with cheese and cilantro.

Ingredients in Chicken and Gnocchi Sheet Pan Dinner

Chicken breast – we like to go for a pack of 2 large chicken breasts, about a pound to a pound and a half total. If you’d rather use thighs, go for it! You may need to adjust the timing slightly.
Corn – we’ve made this with fresh corn kernels cut from the cob and corn straight out of the freezer. Both work great, but the frozen corn will have a little more water content so it may make the tray a little wetter overall.
Cherry tomatoes – tomatoes go really well with sweet corn. We use sweet, round cherry tomatoes here, but any small tomato would work.
Red onion – we’re total suckers for onions. They elevate and deepen the flavors in this sheet pan dinner. If you’re not a fan, leave them out.
Gnocchi – we like using a shelf stable potato gnocchi because it’s pretty sturdy and cooks well in the oven. Trader Joe’s makes a good version, if you have access to their stores. If not, you can usually find potato gnocchi in most large grocery stores.
Lime juice – just a little zing and brightness from fresh citrus.
Spices – all you need here is a little salt and chili powder. These two, along with the lime juice, pack a big punch of flavor.
Olive oil – just enough to coat everything.
Cilantro + cotija cheese – for topping the roasted chicken, veg, and gnocchi at the end.

How to Make This Sheet Pan Gnocchi Recipe

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper so that the gnocchi don’t stick to the pan.
Toss the gnocchi, tomatoes, corn, and onions with olive oil, lime, chili powder, and salt, then spread them into one layer on the sheet pan.

Large silver bowl filled with uncooked gnocchi, corn, red onion, and tomato; tossed seasoned ingredients.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven. Toss the gnocchi and veggies, then scoot some aside to make 2 separate spaces in the middle of the sheet pan in which to place the chicken breasts.
Place the chicken breasts into the gaps you made, then season each with olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, and salt.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken registers 155°F to 160°F with an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each breast (they’ll continue to cook once removed from the oven). Larger chicken breasts will take closer to 25 to 30 minutes, while smaller/medium sized chicken breasts will take 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove the sheet pan from the oven. Slice the chicken into pieces, then place it back on the sheet pan.
Top the chicken, gnocchi, and veggies with cilantro and crumbled cotija cheese. Serve immediately.

Tips & Variations

Use parchment paper for easy cleanup.
The exact cooking time of the chicken will depend on the size of the chicken breasts. If they’re on the larger/thicker side, they’ll need 25 to 30 minutes to cook at 400 degrees F. If they’re smaller and thinner, they’ll take about 20 to 25 minutes to cook.
If you don’t have an instant read thermometer, you can check the doneness of the chicken by cutting into one of the breasts. If it still looks translucent and pink in the middle, it needs a few more minutes of cooking. If it’s opaque and white, it’s done.
Swap out the protein. Instead of chicken breast, this would be great with chicken thighs, salmon, a mild white fish like cod, sausage, or even firm tofu. If you want to go full veggie here, add some broccoli for more protein, or chickpeas for added fiber.
If you’re not a fan of potato gnocchi, you can try this recipe with cauliflower gnocchi or sweet potato gnocchi.
You can also use diced gold potatoes instead of gnocchi. You can roast them on the sheet pan with the veggies and chicken, or cook them on their own, separate sheet pan ingredients to avoid them steaming, which won’t give you crispy potatoes.

Serving Suggestions

The magic of a sheet pan dinner is that everything you need for a complete meal is packed in on one tray.

If you want to serve this with something else though, we’d suggest having a side of melon or fruit salad, crusty bread, beans, or grains like quinoa or farro. Really though, you can get a full and satisfying dinner between the gnocchi, vegetables, and chicken.

FAQs: Chicken and Gnocchi Sheet Pan

Do I need to boil the gnocchi first?

No. Roasting the gnocchi directly on the sheet pan gives it a golden outside and soft inside. No need to boil it first.

Can I use frozen gnocchi instead of shelf stable?

Yes! Frozen or refrigerated gnocchi works just as well. No need to boil it first. Just toss it with the olive oil, chili powder, and lime then add it straight onto the sheet pan.

What cut of chicken works best?

We use chicken breasts for this recipe. The chicken stays super juicy with the oven roasting. but thighs would work well too! Just make sure to use boneless, skinless thighs instead of bone-in or they’ll take too long to cook.

How do I keep the chicken from drying out?

Chicken breasts will take anywhere between 20 and 30 minutes to cook, depending on their size and thickness. We recommend you check the temperature of the chicken with an instant read thermometer about 20 minutes into the cook time. If the chicken registers 155F to 160F it’ll keep cooking through a process called “carryover cooking.” We explain more about that in our Sweet and Smoky Salmon recipe.

Do I really need to measure the temp of the chicken with an instant read thermometer?

We recommend it to make sure the chicken is fully cooked but not overcooked, but you don’t have to use one. We’ve found that we usually cook the chicken for around 25 or 30 minutes if we’re using large chicken breasts. If you’re using smaller/medium chicken breasts, you’ll want to remove the chicken at 20 to 25 minutes to keep it from overcooking.

Can I use more chicken?

Definitely! This recipe uses 2 large chicken breasts for 4 servings (½ a large breast, plus ¼ of the gnocchi and veggies for each person). If you want more chicken for each person, feel free to add more. You just may need to put the additional chicken onto a second sheet pan.

Do I need to cook the corn first?

Nope! Just toss the corn with the other ingredients and place them onto the sheet pan to cook in the oven. You can use fresh corn kernels or frozen corn.

Can I swap out the vegetables?

Absolutely! You can use zucchini or yellow squash, bell peppers, or anything that would taste good with chili and lime.

How do I store leftovers?

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat them in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove.

Chicken and Gnocchi Sheet Pan Recipe

This chicken and gnocchi sheet pan recipe with corn and tomatoes is the ultimate weeknight dinner. Pillowy gnocchi, juicy chicken, and sweet roasted veggies all cooked together on one sheet pan. Minimal prep, bold flavor, and dinner’s ready in just 45 minutes.

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Prep Time:10

Cook Time:35

Total Time:45

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Easy, Sheet Pan, Weeknight

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Gnocchi and Veg

16 oz gnocchi
2 cups corn kernels frozen or fresh (if using fresh, use about 2 medium corn cobs)
1 cup cherry tomatoes whole
½ red onion diced large
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp chili powder
½ tsp salt

Chicken

2 chicken breasts about 1 to 1 ½ pounds
2 tsp olive oil one tsp for each
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp chili powder

Topping

¼ cup cilantro leaves roughly chopped
¼ cup cotija cheese crumbled or grated

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper so that the gnocchi don’t stick to the pan.
In a bowl, mix the gnocchi, tomatoes, corn, and onions with olive oil, lime, chili powder, and salt, then spread them into one layer on the sheet pan.
2 cups corn kernels, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 16 oz gnocchi, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lime juice, 2 tsp chili powder, ½ tsp salt, ½ red onion
Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven. Toss the gnocchi and veggies, then scoot some aside to make 2 separate spaces in the middle of the sheet pan in which to place the chicken breasts.
Place the chicken breasts into the gaps you made, then season each with olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, and salt.
2 chicken breasts, 2 tsp olive oil, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp chili powder
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken registers 155°F to 160°F with an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each breast (they’ll continue to cook once removed from the oven). Larger chicken breasts will take closer to 25 to 30 minutes, while smaller/medium sized chicken breasts will take 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove the sheet pan from the oven. Slice the chicken into pieces, then place it back on the sheet pan.
Top the chicken, gnocchi, and veggies with cilantro and crumbled cotija cheese. Serve immediately.
¼ cup cilantro leaves, ¼ cup cotija cheese

Notes

The exact cooking time of the chicken will depend on the size of the chicken breasts. If they’re on the larger/thicker side, they’ll need 25 to 30 minutes to cook at 400 degrees F. If they’re smaller and thinner, they’ll take about 20 to 25 minutes to cook.
If you don’t have an instant read thermometer, you can check the doneness of the chicken by cutting into one of the breasts. If it still looks translucent and pink in the middle, it needs a few more minutes of cooking. If it’s opaque and white, it’s done.

Final Thoughts

This chicken and gnocchi sheet pan recipe is a fantastic weeknight dinner option. It’s easy to put together (very little prep), and everything cooks together on one sheet pan (no need to boil the gnocchi beforehand). Plus, it’ll be on your table in 45 minutes, from start to finish!

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Let Us Know!

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