This is one of those recipes I come back to when I want something that feels like a proper dinner without requiring a proper production.Minimal prep. One tray. Plenty of protein. Lots of vegetables. And a peanut sauce that makes everything taste considerably more exciting than it has any right to.
This Sticky Thai Peanut Chicken & Gnocchi Tray Bake is one of my favourite “I need to get dinner on the table but I don’t want dinner to become my entire evening” recipes.
The prep is ridiculously quick, especially if you’re willing to embrace a few of my favourite cooking cheats. I buy onions already chopped. I buy broccoli florets rather than whole heads. Could I chop an onion myself? Obviously. But if someone else is willing to do it for me, why would I? I have a life to live.
Peanut butter is also a staple in our house. We use the no-sugar crunchy kind, and it is honestly the best. My son loves it too, and it’s such an easy way to add some extra protein to a meal.
And then there’s the chicken. One kilogram of chicken breast. So if you’re trying to hit your protein goals, this dinner is doing a lot of the work for you.
The combination of peanut butter, honey and Thai green curry paste gives you this deliciously sticky, sweet and spicy sauce, while the gnocchi cooks alongside everything else and soaks up all those flavours. Basically, it’s comfort food that has decided it wants to be useful.
Why I Love This Recipe
The biggest selling point for me is the minimal prep. Everything goes onto one baking tray (minus the pot for cooking the gnocchi and bowl for massagin the chicken). I also love that it’s easy to bulk up. There is already broccoli in the recipe, but I usually add an extra bag of vegetables when I serve it. Gnocchi is one of those foods where I can convince myself I’m still hungry long after I’ve eaten enough. The extra vegetables add some volume, help me feel fuller and make me feel slightly more virtuous about the fact that I’m eating gnocchi covered in peanut sauce.
Everyone wins.
A Quick Note About The Spice
This is definitely a spicy one. It’s not something I’d serve to my two-year-old, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make it more family-friendly.
I’ve wondered whether you could simply leave out the Thai green curry paste and still have a delicious peanut chicken and gnocchi bake. I haven’t actually tried it yet, so I’m putting this one out to you. If you try the curry-paste-free version, please let me know how it turns out. I am very happy to outsource my recipe testing.
Recipe Pointers Before You Start
Buy the Cheats
If you want this dinner to be genuinely quick, don’t feel guilty about buying pre-prepped vegetables.
Pre-chopped onion? Absolutely.
Broccoli florets? Yes please.
Extra bag of frozen or fresh vegetables to serve? Even better.
This isn’t a cooking competition. Nobody is handing out bonus points for chopping your own onion. But of course, if you want to.. good on you!
Don’t Skip the Halfway Mix
I know. It’s tempting to put the tray in the oven and walk away. But give it a mix halfway through. It helps the chicken cook evenly and, more importantly, gets all that peanutty sauce moving around the tray so the gnocchi and vegetables get some love too. And believe me, you want the gnocchi involved.
How to Make Thai Peanut Chicken & Gnocchi Tray Bakae
Step 1: Get the Oven Going
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). While that’s heating up, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
Step 2: Cook the Gnocchi
Add the gnocchi to the boiling water.
You’ll know they’re ready when they start floating to the surface. Drain them and set aside. I love this part because gnocchi basically tells you when it’s ready. No complicated testing, no poking things with a knife. It floats. You drain. Congratulations. You’ve mastered gnocchi.
Step 3: Prep Your Vegetables
Cut your broccoli into small florets and slice your red onion. Or, if you’re following my approach, open the packet of already-prepped vegetables and save yourself the effort. Place the broccoli and onion onto a large baking tray.
Step 4: Add the Gnocchi
Add the cooked gnocchi to the baking tray with the vegetables. Give everything a little mix while you’re there. Already looking like dinner.
Step 5: Make the Peanut Chicken
Slice your chicken breasts into strips and place them into a large bowl.
Add the peanut butter, honey, vegetable oil and Thai green curry paste. Now comes the fun part. Get your hands in there and massage the sauce into the chicken. You want every piece beautifully coated. This is not the time for delicate stirring. Get involved.
Step 6: Get Everything Onto the Tray
Spread your beautifully basted chicken over the gnocchi and vegetables.
Then give everything a good mix. I like to make sure the sauce gets onto the gnocchi and vegetables too because, quite frankly, there is no reason for the peanut sauce to be keeping all the good stuff to itself.
Step 7: Bake
Place the tray into the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. At around the halfway point, take the tray out and give everything a good mix. Then pop it back into the oven to finish cooking.
Step 8: Add the Crunch
Once everything is cooked, sprinkle over some chopped peanuts. And that’s it.
You can serve it straight from the tray, or add some extra vegetables on the side.
I almost always choose the second option. Not because I’m particularly virtuous. Mostly because I know myself, and I know what happens when I put a tray of gnocchi in front of me and tell myself I’ve had enough.
Sticky Thai Peanut Chicken & Gnocchi Tray Bake
Ingredients
- 250 g gnocchi
- 1 kg chicken breast skinless
- 5 tbs peanut butter no added sugar
- 4 tbs honey
- 5 tbs green thai curry paste
- 4 tbs vegetable oil
- 3 tbs peanuts roughly chopped
- 300 g broccoli or 2 heads
- 70 g red onion or 2 small
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
- Add the gnocchi to the boiling water. You'll know they're ready when they start floating to the surface.
- Drain them and set aside.
- Prep Your Vegetables. Cut your broccoli into small florets and slice your red onion.
- Make the Peanut Chicken. Slice your chicken breasts into strips and place them into a large bowl. Add the peanut butter, honey, vegetable oil and Thai green curry paste. Massage the sauce into the chicken well.
- Spread your beautifully basted chicken over the gnocchi and vegetables. Then give everything a good mix.
- Place the tray into the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. At around the halfway point, take the tray out and give everything a good mix.
- Once everything is cooked, sprinkle over some chopped peanuts and serve warm.