Ground Beef Gnocchi (2024)

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This ground beef gnocchi recipe has a creamy tomato sauce and turns store-bought gnocchi into pillowy deliciousness. This one pan meal is quick and tastes gourmet!

You may also enjoy my Italian Sausage Gnocchi, Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce, or Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Gnocchi next.

Ground Beef Gnocchi (1)

Why you’ll love it

I have a ridiculous number of one pan gnocchi recipes on here, but this one might be my favorite. Beef and gnocchi is such a good combo! There’s also no need to pre-cook the gnocchi. It cooks right in the sauce, which is convenient and helps with cleanup.

This hamburger gnocchi recipe makes plenty of delicious sauce. The meaty tomato sauce sort of reminds me of a creamy Bolognese. Add in a splash of cream and freshly grated parmesan, and it’s a comforting yet simple meal that’s sure to go on repeat.

What you’ll need

  • Ground beef – we’re using lean
  • Onion and garlic – I like sweet (Vidalia) onions
  • Italian seasoning – it’s my favorite blend of dried herbs to infuse flavor and comes in a single jar
  • Canned diced tomatoes – they’re canned at the peak of ripeness for best taste
  • Broth – I use chicken broth, but beef works too
  • Heavy cream – to give the sauce that luxurious texture and taste
  • Gnocchi – I use the shelf stable gnocchi that you can find in the dry pasta aisle. You can use the refrigerated kind as well.
  • Parmesan – the final cheesy touch! Always freshly grate your own from a block.
Ground Beef Gnocchi (2)

Helpful tips

  • Can I use homemade gnocchi? I don’t recommend it. The one pan method seems to be too much for the delicate pasta.
  • Do I cook the gnocchi first/separately? Nope! It cooks right in the sauce. In fact, the starch releases and thickens up the sauce.
  • Why isn’t the sauce thickening up? Just give it a little more time. On the other hand, if your stove runs hot, cook it over a lower heat.

How to make ground beef gnocchi

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

Ground Beef Gnocchi (3)

Cook the onions and ground beef in a pan until browned, breaking it up with a spoon as you go along. Discard the excess fat if there’s a lot. Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning, and cook until fragrant.

Ground Beef Gnocchi (4)

Stir the tomatoes, broth, heavy cream, and gnocchi into the pan. Let it bubble, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Uncover, stir, then simmer until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the parmesan, and season with salt & pepper.

Tools for this recipe

Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!

Substitutions and variations

  • I’d be cautious substituting the cream for something lower fat because the tomatoes and heat are likely to curdle the sauce or at least make it grainy if you don’t use cream.
  • Try swapping the chicken broth with white wine (e.g., sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio) for an elegant touch.
  • Many of my readers like adding spinach in at the end for some greens.
  • If you sub the parmesan with cheddar, you can give this dish Hamburger Helper vibes, or make my Homemade Hamburger Helper instead.

Leftovers and storage

  • Store leftover gnocchi for 3-4 days in the fridge in a covered container.
  • Reheat over a low heat until warmed through. It’ll thicken up over time, so add a splash of broth or cream to revive the sauce if needed.
  • I don’t recommend freezing this one.
Ground Beef Gnocchi (5)

If you made this one pan gnocchi with ground beef, please leave me a star rating and review below! You can also tag me on Instagram if you made any Salt & Lavender recipes.

Ground Beef Gnocchi (6)

4.85 from 146 votes

Ground Beef Gnocchi

This ground beef gnocchi recipe has a creamy tomato sauce and turns store-bought gnocchi into pillowy deliciousness. This one pan meal is quick and tastes gourmet!

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 25 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning or to taste
  • 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
  • 1/3 cup chicken or beef broth
  • 3/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
  • 1 pound uncooked potato gnocchi
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Brown the ground beef and onion in a skillet over medium-high heat for 7-10 minutes. If there's lots of excess fat, spoon most of it out.

  • Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning.

  • Add the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, cream, and gnocchi to the pan, and give it a good stir. Once the sauce starts to bubble again, cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes.

  • Uncover the pan, stir it, and let it cook for another few minutes, or until the gnocchi has cooked through and is nice and soft and the sauce has thickened to your liking.

  • Stir in the parmesan cheese and salt & pepper as needed. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • There is no need to pre-cook the gnocchi. It’ll cook right in the sauce.
  • This dish would be excellent with fresh basil stirred in at the end.

Nutrition

Calories: 574kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 142mg, Sodium: 882mg, Potassium: 673mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 880IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 243mg, Iron: 8mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.

Leave a star rating and comment below!

This recipe was originally published on January 4, 2020. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!

Ground Beef Gnocchi (7)

Hi! I’m Natasha.

Salt & Lavender is a recipe blog with a focus on delicious comfort food using everyday ingredients. Beat the weekday grind with hundreds of easy-to-follow and hassle-free recipes!

Ground Beef Gnocchi (8)

The Salt & Lavender cookbook is here! Order Now

Ground Beef Gnocchi (2024)

FAQs

What should you not do when making gnocchi? ›

Never boil potatoes for gnocchi. Always bake potatoes in their skins to make gnocchi from. It removes maximum moisture from the potato. Don't bake them in advance as you need to use them as soon as they come out of the oven.

Is gnocchi healthy? ›

Similar to pasta, gnocchi is high in carbohydrates and low in protein. Although both are carbohydrate-heavy foods, it has been shown that regular pasta may have less of an effect on blood sugar levels. One publication points to the fact that pasta doesn't raise blood sugar after a meal to the level that potatoes do.

Can you cook gnocchi in sauce instead of boiling? ›

There is no need to pre-cook the gnocchi. It'll cook in the sauce. The sauce is meant to be quite thick, but if you find it gets too dry before the gnocchi is cooked, add in another splash of chicken broth or wine.

Is it better to pan fry or boil gnocchi? ›

Can you fry gnocchi instead of boiling it? You can but the best option is to boil it first and then lightly fry in a little butter or olive oil. Once they've taken a little colour, add a few torn basil leaves and then sprinkle with grated parmesan.

Is gnocchi better or worse for you than pasta? ›

Nutritional Value

Believe it or not, regular pasta is actually more carb-heavy than gnocchi, coming in at around 2 times the amount of carbs per serving. Gnocchi is also notorious for having a lot more sodium, with over 200 grams of it per serving. Regular pasta doesn't have nearly as high of a sodium content.

Can I eat gnocchi and lose weight? ›

Gnocchi is made primarily from potatoes which are less fattening than pasta. It also has more fiber and fewer calories than traditional pasta dishes. It also contains fewer carbohydrates, which can help people who are trying to lose weight or prevent diabetes.

Why do Italians eat gnocchi? ›

Gnocchi, a substantial, high-calorie dish, was prepared on Thursday in anticipation of Friday, when, according to Catholic tradition, people fasted, abstaining from meat. On Friday, Romans traditionally ate fish-based dishes, such as chickpeas and cod, a dish still served on Fridays in the old-fashioned Roman taverns.

Is gnocchi easy on the stomach? ›

The famous pasta is usually made from potatoes, but could also be prepared from breadcrumbs, risotto, or even just flour. Many people argue that the potato-made gnocchi is a bit easier on the digestive system and all around the most delicious. Of course, this all depends on preference!

How to make store-bought gnocchi taste better? ›

So instead of boiling or baking a package of gnocchi on a Wednesday night and wishing it tasted more like the pillowy homemade version, I broil it. Yep, that's right: I rip open one of those shelf-stable packages, toss the gnocchi with a tablespoon of olive oil, a lot of grated Parmesan cheese and a little bit of salt.

How to tell when gnocchi is done? ›

How to prepare gnocchi. Poach gnocchi in batches in a pan of lightly salted water for 2-4 minutes. Cooked gnocchi will float to the top. Strain and serve immediately with a good pasta sauce.

What do Italians eat gnocchi with? ›

Other Flavors that are Great with Gnocchi

I love them with a simple red tomato sauce. They're also great boiled, and then finished in a hot pan with browned butter and crispy fried sage leaves.

How much gnocchi per person? ›

Allow approximately 125g gnocchi per person. For best results, place the gnocchi into a large pan of boiling water. Bring back to the boil and cook for 3 minutes according to taste. Drain thoroughly and serve immediately.

What went wrong with my gnocchi? ›

Memorie di Angelina states that it is important to watch your ratio of flour to potatoes. The site calls for a quarter of the amount of flour to potatoes. Any more flour would overpower the soft starches of the potato and make your gnocchi dense. You can also knead it too vigorously and end up with dense, chewy pieces.

Why did my homemade gnocchi fall apart? ›

My Gnocchi Are Falling Apart When I Cook Them

This means there isn't enough flour and your dough is too wet.

How to stop gnocchi from going soggy? ›

When cool enough to handle, scrape off the skins and push the potato through a ricer or food mill, then, while still warm, start working your dough on a floured work surface. (Here, Davies offers up another tip to fight the mush: “Spread out the mash to cool; the escaping steam will further take away any moisture.”)

Can you over knead gnocchi? ›

Prepare the gnocchi dough by mixing the egg yolks, salt, and flour with the cooled riced potatoes. Gently fold the flour into the potatoes until it's incorporated into the dough, being careful to not knead or overmix the dough, which will make your gnocchi tough or gummy.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Catherine Tremblay

Last Updated:

Views: 6298

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (47 voted)

Reviews: 94% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Catherine Tremblay

Birthday: 1999-09-23

Address: Suite 461 73643 Sherril Loaf, Dickinsonland, AZ 47941-2379

Phone: +2678139151039

Job: International Administration Supervisor

Hobby: Dowsing, Snowboarding, Rowing, Beekeeping, Calligraphy, Shooting, Air sports

Introduction: My name is Catherine Tremblay, I am a precious, perfect, tasty, enthusiastic, inexpensive, vast, kind person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.