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!

A yellow bowl filled with Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi, creamy spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes, garnished with grated cheese. A fork rests in the bowl. A small dish of grated cheese and a striped napkin are nearby.

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.

A slow cooker filled with creamy sauce, golden-brown Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi, and spinach, with a serving spoon resting inside.

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-dried 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

If the mixture feels too wet to shape: don’t add more dry panko – it keeps releasing moisture as the meatballs cook. The reliable fix is to swap in a handful of fresh breadcrumbs soaked briefly in milk and squeezed out, which binds the mixture far better. Chill the shaped meatballs for 20–30 minutes before cooking so they hold their shape.

Top-down view of labeled ingredients for Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi, including basil, spinach, garlic, chicken broth, ground chicken, gnocchi, onion, herbs, panko, parmesan, cream, egg, and sun-dried tomatoes.

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.

Two hands mix ground meat with seasonings in a pink and white bowl using a fork, preparing the base for flavorful Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi on a light-colored surface.

Form small meatballs with the aid of a small cookie scoop and shape using slightly oiled hands.

Six raw Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi portions are placed on a white surface, with a metal scoop holding another portion in the top right corner. The meat mixture contains visible herbs and small chunks.

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.

A close-up view of several Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi sizzling in a pan, some with browned sides, arranged closely together with a slight sheen of oil visible.

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.

A slow cooker filled with Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi is shown from above. A hand pours broth or sauce from a measuring cup over the savory meatballs.

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.

A slow cooker filled with Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi, creamy sauce, browned meatballs, and chunks of potatoes, viewed from above.

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!

A black bowl filled with creamy chicken, gnocchi, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach – reminiscent of Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Gnocchi. A silver fork rests in the bowl beside a striped napkin and a small bowl of grated cheese.

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.