Chicken a la King is an easy and delicious weeknight dinner filled with tender cooked chicken, green bell pepper, mushrooms, and pimentos in a mouth-watering cream sauce. Serve this quick recipe over rice, egg noodles, or with fluffy buttermilk biscuits.
Classic Chicken a la King Recipe
Chicken a la King, or “king-style chicken”, is this amazingly easy and delicious weeknight meal that anyone can make! The absolute best comfort food, it’s made with leftover chicken, onion, mushrooms, and frozen peas, in the creamiest and dreamiest homemade sauce you’ll ever taste. Traditionally served over rice, egg noodles, toast, flakey biscuits, or puff pastry shells, you can even swap the chicken for canned tuna if you’re craving something a little different.
How to Make Chicken a la King
1. Melt the butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the diced onions and sauté until they soften and turn translucent.
2. Add the sliced mushrooms, green bell pepper, and sauté for an additional 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender and release their water.
3. Add the flour, mixing well to coat the vegetables in flour. Stir continuously until no dry clumps of flour remain.
4. Stir in the mustard powder, black pepper, and salt.
5. Slowly pour in the chicken broth and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken, stirring constantly. Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer for an additional 3 minutes.
7. Once the sauce is thick and creamy, add in the chicken, peas, and drained pimentos.
8. Combine the ingredients together and cook for 15 more minutes letting the mixture come to a low simmer.
9. Serve hot with cooked biscuits and freshly chopped parsley for garnish if desired.
Recipe Tips
- If the sauce is too thick, thin it with additional chicken broth or chicken stock.
- Add more veggies, or leave out what you don’t like. Try carrots, leeks, celery, or even broccoli.
- Reduce the calories by reducing the butter to two tablespoons and swapping the heavy cream for half-and-half.
Storage and Leftovers
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing: This recipe tastes best just after cooking, and I don’t generally recommend freezing cream-based recipes. If you’d like to try freezing this recipe, allow it to cool before transferring it to a large freezer-safe ziplock bag or storage container and storing it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating: From frozen, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave. If the sauce is too thick, add chicken broth, a little at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
More Creamy Chicken Recipes
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Creamy Chicken Madeira
- Creamy Chicken Marsala
- Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe
- Creamy Bacon Chicken
If you try making this Chicken a la King Recipe, please leave me a comment below! I always love to read your thoughts and feedback!
Chicken a la King
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- ½ white onion - diced
- 8 ounces fresh mushrooms - sliced
- ½ large green bell pepper - seeded and diced
- 4 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon dry ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt - plus more to taste
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups cooked chicken - cubed
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 1 (4-ounce) jar pimentos - drained
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened and translucent. Stir as needed to prevent the onions or butter from burning.
- Stir in the sliced mushrooms and green bell pepper and mix well to coat in melted butter. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and have released their water, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add the flour and stir until there are no clumps or dry bits of flour remaining. It will look like the vegetables are coated in a thick paste. Add the dry mustard powder, black pepper, and salt.
- Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring as needed, allowing the sauce to thicken. Next, stir in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer (do not boil).
- Once the sauce is thick and creamy, stir in the cooked chicken, frozen peas, and drained pimentos. Mix well to combine and return to a simmer. Cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- Serve over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes, or serve with cooked biscuits.
Jessica’s Notes
- This recipe is great with any leftover chicken breast, including rotisserie chicken. You may also make this recipe with 3-4 cups of canned tuna.
- Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
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