Miso-Butter Chicken And Gnocchi Recipe
Some of our favorite meals are those that come together in one pot. And somehow, these wonderfully efficient meals often end up being the coziest — probably because the meats, veggies, and starches are all nestled together. Think about it: Soups, stews, and chilis are all one-pot meals. Coincidence? We think not.
While you might need an extra pot to cook the gnocchi first, this miso-butter chicken and gnocchi falls squarely into one-pot territory because it eventually turns into a tender, creamy dish of buttery chicken stew. The miso is what transforms the dish, offering an earthy umami flavor to this rich and creamy combination. If you haven't tried miso with butter yet, prepare to use it a lot more often. It gives butter a similar nuttiness as browning would, but with a savory earthiness you'd otherwise find in mushrooms. Developed by Michelle McGlinn, this recipe yields a meltingly tender chicken dinner that comes together in about 45 minutes.
The ingredients needed for miso-butter chicken and gnocchi
To get started on this recipe, you'll need gnocchi, which you can buy at the grocery store (or, if you're feeling ambitious, you can opt for homemade gnocchi). Store-bought gnocchi is sold in either refrigerated/shelf-stable packages or, in some cases, frozen in bags. Per McGlinn, the refrigerated gnocchi will be the freshest, likely using freshly mashed potato as their main ingredient, and should feel a little softer than their shelf-stable counterparts. Any type of gnocchi can theoretically be incorporated into this dish without boiling first, but we still recommend giving them a quick simmer so they can hydrate and become extra saucy with the chicken.
Otherwise, you'll just need salt, pepper, flour, chicken, olive oil, sage leaves, and butter to make this recipe. Any cut of chicken will do here, but we recommend chicken thighs for the most tender results. To finish the dish, grab some onion, garlic, white miso (red will be too strong), mirin or white wine, chicken broth, chili flakes, and parmesan.
Step 1: Cook the gnocchi
Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Add gnocchi and cook until soft. Drain and set aside.
Step 2: Season the chicken
Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and flour evenly over the chicken thighs on all sides.
Step 3: Fry the sage leaves
Add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the sage leaves and fry until crispy and browned. Remove and set aside.
Step 4: Sear the chicken
Add the chicken to the skillet and sear on both sides until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
Step 5: Soften the aromatics
Add 3 tablespoons butter to the skillet and melt over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 6: Add the miso and mirin
Add the miso and stir to mix it in. Once incorporated, add the mirin and stir to combine.
Step 7: Add the chicken broth
Add the chicken broth and stir, then bring to a simmer. Let cook until slightly thickened.
Step 8: Melt in the butter
Add remaining butter and stir until melted.
Step 9: Add the chicken and gnocchi
Return the chicken and gnocchi to the skillet and coat with sauce. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.
Step 10: Garnish and serve
To serve, top the chicken with chili flakes, sage, and parmesan.
Can you swap the gnocchi for other grains?
Gnocchi isn't really a grain, but rather a dumpling made with potato and flour (yes, that means we just made chicken and dumplings). That being said, the gnocchi can be swapped in numerous ways, so whether you simply don't have gnocchi on hand or are looking for ways to switch your dinner up, this dish is pretty versatile.
The easiest way to swap the gnocchi is to use pasta instead, because the cooking method will be very similar. For example, you could use cooked orzo or bowtie pasta and simply add it to the pot when the chicken is almost done cooking. To keep this dish one-pot, you can also cook the orzo directly in the broth, but be aware that this will require an extra cup of liquid since the orzo will expand. Finally, you can also veer away from pasta and dumplings and swap for rice instead, which can either be stirred into the pot or served alongside it.
How can you keep leftover miso-butter chicken and gnocchi?
Leftovers of this dish are easy to store and reheat. Just keep the chicken, gnocchi, and sauce in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, and reheat in the microwave until hot. Don't be alarmed if the cold leftovers look a little funny: Remember, there's a lot of butter in there, which solidifies when it gets cold. Give it some time in the microwave, or reheat it on the stove, and the sauce will look like new.
If you're the type of person who gets a little bored with leftovers (it's OK, us too), you can make a soup out of this recipe by adding a few extra cups of broth. Let that simmer for a while and you'll have one good-smelling kitchen — and a totally new dish, too. And if you need to stretch out a small quantity of leftovers for more than one person, this miso-rich dish pairs well with simple sides like roasted carrots, sauteed spinach, and squash-filled salads.
- 9 ounces gnocchi (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 10-12 sage leaves
- 6 tablespoons butter, divided
- ¼ cup onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons white miso
- ¼ cup mirin
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- Shaved parmesan, for topping
- Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Add gnocchi and cook until soft. Drain and set aside.
- Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and flour evenly over the chicken thighs on all sides.
- Add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the sage leaves and fry until crispy and browned. Remove and set aside.
- Add the chicken to the skillet and sear on both sides until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Add 3 tablespoons butter to the skillet and melt over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the miso and stir to incorporate. Once incorporated, add the mirin and stir to combine.
- Add the chicken broth and stir, then bring to a simmer. Let cook until slightly thickened.
- Add remaining butter and stir until melted.
- Return the chicken and gnocchi to the skillet and coat with sauce. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.
- To serve, top the chicken with chili flakes, sage, and parmesan.
| Calories per Serving | 550 |
| Total Fat | 30.9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 13.6 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 166.5 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 34.6 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3.6 g |
| Total Sugars | 2.5 g |
| Sodium | 729.0 mg |
| Protein | 29.6 g |
