Chicken a la King is a delicious combination of tender Chicken, mushrooms, onions, peas, green peppers, and pimentos in a rich cream sauce. Serve it over rice, egg noodles, toast, or puff pastry shells.
Chicken a la King is a super-easy, heartwarming, satisfying meal. This delectable recipe comes together quickly using baked rotisserie chicken. If you like rotisserie chicken recipes, try chicken and rice soup, chicken Waldorf salad, and chicken cordon bleu casserole.
What is Chicken a la King?
It is a creamy one-pot comfort food dish made with Chicken, mushrooms, peas, onions, green bell peppers, and pimientos. It is traditionally served over rice, noodles, toast, biscuits, or puff pastry shells. For an equally delicious change of pace, substitute cooked tuna or salmon for the Chicken.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Butter: unsalted or salted. If using salted butter, reduce the amount of added salt.
- Mushrooms: cremini mushrooms provide the most decadent flavor, but white mushrooms work well, too.
- Dry mustard: you can substitute regular mustard
- Chicken broth: low sodium is best
- Half and half: or whole milk for a lower fat option. It will not be as rich, but it will still be delicious.
- Peas: frozen peas are best in this dish. They retain their color, shape, and flavor during the simmering process much better than canned or fresh.
- Pimentos: are sweet cherry peppers usually found in the pickle aisle with the other peppers
How to make Chicken a la King
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Add the mushrooms and cook for several minutes. Then add the onion and green pepper, cooking until the veggies soften and the mushrooms brown.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic and dry mustard. Sprinkle in the flour while continuing to stir. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring to combine. Simmer until thickened, stirring several times.
Reduce heat to low and stir in the half and half, peas, pimentos, and cooked Chicken. Continue cooking and stirring until everything is hot. If the mixture becomes too thick, add one-quarter cup of chicken broth at a time to reach the desired thickness. Serve over rice, noodles, toast, biscuits, or puff pastry shells.
Preparation Tips and Storage
- Take the time to brown the mushrooms. They taste better that way, and the dish is more visually appealing.
- Drain the pimentos well. You don’t want the juice they are packed in to flavor or color your dish.
- For a lower-fat version, use only half of the butter, half of the flour, and milk instead of half and half. It will still be delicious, just not as rich.
- If the mixture becomes too thick, add one-quarter cup of chicken broth at a time until it reaches the desired thickness.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They can be reheated in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop on low.
Frequently Asked Questions
I like to use rotisserie chicken, which is available almost anywhere. You can pick them up at club warehouses, grocery stores, and nearly every Walmart.
However, you can use any baked, poached, or roasted Chicken. You can also use cooked skinless thigh and wing meat.
Once the dish is thoroughly cooled, pack it in freezer bags, removing as much air as possible. Lay flat on a baking sheet and freeze. Once fully frozen, stack as desired and freeze for up to 1 month.
To reheat, defrost in the refrigerator, remove from the bag, and place the contents in a saucepan on low. Stir frequently until the mixture reaches the desired temperature. Likewise, pour the contents into a microwaveable bowl and reheat in the microwave for 1-minute intervals at 50% power until the desired temperature.
More Comfort Food
Chicken A La King Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons butter ½ cup
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms or white button mushrooms sliced
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 7 ounces diced pimentos well drained
- 3 cups cooked diced or shredded chicken
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large pot or Dutch oven.
- Add the mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the onion and green pepper, cooking until the veggies soften and the mushrooms brown.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic and dry mustard. Sprinkle in the flour while continuing to stir. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring to combine. Simmer until thickened.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the half and half, peas, pimentos, and cooked Chicken. Continue cooking and stirring until everything is hot. If the mixture becomes too thick, add one-quarter cup of chicken broth at a time to reach the desired thickness. Season with salt and frshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve over rice, noodles, toast, biscuits, or puff pastry shells.
Video
Notes
- Take the time to brown the mushrooms. They taste better that way, and the dish is more visually appealing.
- Drain the pimentos well. You don’t want the juice they are packed in to flavor or color your dish.
- Frozen peas are best in this dish. They retain their color, shape, and flavor during the simmering process much better than canned or fresh.
- For a lower-fat version, cut the butter and cream in half. It will still be delicious, just not as rich.
- If the mixture becomes too thick, add one-quarter cup of chicken broth at a time until it reaches the desired thickness.
Nutrition
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April Ely
Came out absolutely perfect!
I will make this a staple recipe. It’s pretty easy and can turn a couple cups of leftover chicken into a hearty and nutritious meal for four or more people.
I added a few tablespoons of Pinot Grigio at the end just to add a little acid to it and that set it up quite nicely.
Beth Pierce
Great idea, April! So happy that you liked it!
Betty Rubble
This was delicious! I did make one change: I keep a 1.5L bottle of Sauvignon Blanc for cooking. I subbed it in for chicken broth. It cooks long enough to drive off the alcohol, but the complex flavors from the grape and its skin remain. Delicious!
Beth Pierce
I bet it was delicious!
Joe
I made the Classic Chicken Ala King tonight from the recipe above and it was perfect in every way. The only thing I added was salt and pepper. Tasted just like my mamma’s from the 1960’s
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Joe! I am so glad that you liked it.
Peggy Goochey
This is a great recipe. It just needs more seasoning.
Cat
Quick and delicious. Perfect weekday meal that tastes like it took all day.
kkseattle
This is a good base recipe, but the sauce is bland.
First, I recommend browning the mushrooms in the pan without butter. After they give up their liquid, trey will brown nicely. Then splash them with sherry, sprinkle them with cracked pepper, and set aside. Melt the butter in that same pan and proceeds, adding the mushrooms when the sauce is complete.
The sauce needs a dash or two of Tabasco sauce or cayenne pepper and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Also, some cracked pepper, and some salt or seasoning salt.
The proportions are good, but I would thin this with milk rather than chicken broth.
You can sub roasted red peppers for the pimientos—they’re basically the same thing.
Good recipe. My family likes this one.
Dana M
Delicious version of Chicken a la King! I have always put pimentos in mine and your version is the only one that I have seen with diced pimentos. I served mine in Pepperidge Farm pastry shells.
Beth Pierce
Those pastry shells are delicious and a great way to enjoy chicken a la king.
Frankie V
Lovely recipe, we tried this a while ago and it was so good. Reading your post made me want try it again with these yummy pictures! Thank you for sharing.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Frankie!
Peter
I love the butter-mushrooms-veggies-chicken combination. I am saving this recipe for sure. Thanks for sharing!
Olivia T
Great chicken a la king. I loved every bite and so did the kids. This recipe is going on our regular rotation. I can wait to try it with puff pastry shells.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Olivia! So glad that you and the kids liked it.
Barbie R
Great recipe. What a blast from the past. My mom used to make this for me when I was a kid. Your recipe was just as good.