Classic Chicken a la King
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This Chicken a la King recipe is a one-pot dinner is a made from scratch! A delicious combination of chicken coated in a rich and creamy sauce studded with mushrooms, roasted peppers, and peas. It doesn’t get more yummy than this!
Step-by-step photos and instructions are below. Jump to the recipe card if you wish!
One-dish meals are absolutely the best. Less clean up and usually quick cooking. This creamy chicken dish is the perfect easy weeknight dinner.
Chicken ala King is a great recipe to prep ahead and reheat. It can also be modified based on what you have on hand.
There are plenty of versions of this recipe around that use cream of mushroom soup instead of the homemade sauce I use. And if that’s your jam, go for it! I’m sure that’s delicious and easy, I just like to make my own sauce from scratch.
Serve this family favorite over puff pastry shells or biscuits for a comforting and tasty family-friendly meal.
If you’re a fan of chicken à la king you may also like this Biscuit Chicken Pot Pie that also cooks up in a skillet.
Why you’ll love this
- One pot meal so there’s less to clean up as everything cooks in the same pan.
- Adaptable. Add your favorite veggies or change up the seasonings.
- Quick and easy, you can get this meal on the table in about 30 minutes.
- Comfort Food. Comforting and hearty made with a rich creamy sauce.
What to serve with Chicken a la King
You don’t need much else with this hearty and satisfying meal. However, I will say that we LOVE homemade biscuits on our table. I mean, you need something to mop up all of that delicious sauce!
Serve over rice, pastry cases or pasta noodles. Heck, serve it over buttered toast if you want!
Try any one of these:
Step-by-step photos and tips and tricks are below. Jump to the full recipe card instead
Key Recipe Ingredients
Note: This highlights some ingredients. Full list is in the recipe card.
- Chicken. Boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs work best. You can also use leftover chicken or turkey if you have it on hand.
- Onion. A small onion, any type is fine.
- Roasted red peppers. Jarred are the easiest but feel free to roast your own. Chopped pimentos also work.
- Mushrooms. Button mushrooms work well but any fresh mushrooms would taste great like baby bella mushrooms or cremini.
- Olive oil. Extra virgin is a good choice but any type is fine.
- Butter. Salted and unsalted butter are both good options.
- All-purpose flour. All-purpose flour helps thicken up the sauce.
- Chicken stock. Choose a low-sodium chicken stock or chicken broth so you can control the amount of salt.
- Half and half. Half and half adds creaminess to the chicken. Use heavy cream for an even richer cream sauce. You can also use whole milk if you prefer.
- Salt and pepper. As always, amounts of seasoning in the recipe are a guideline. Taste test, and adjust to taste.
- Spices. Use a combination of onion powder, rosemary, paprika, cayenne pepper (optional, for heat). Ad some garlic or garlic powder if you wish.
- Peas. Frozen peas are best but fresh ones will also work. Canned peas will be too soft.
- Optional. Chopped fresh parsley for garnish and puff pastry shells, biscuits, cooked rice, or egg noodles for serving.
How to make Chicken a la King
This is a step-by-step photo guide. Full ingredients and instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
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Get prepped. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels to get rid of any excess moisture. Trim the fat and then dice the chicken. As well, finely chop the onions, dice the roasted red peppers, and slice the mushrooms.
Cook the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Once the skillet is hot, add the chicken the skillet and brown the outside of the pieces. It doesn’t need to be cooked through as it will finish cooking in the sauce. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate.
Make the sauce. In the same skillet or saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. Add the onion and mushroom and sauté until the vegetables are tender. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir continuously to create a light golden roux.
Slowly pour in the chicken stock while whisking constantly until the mixture thickens. Never stop whisking!
Add the half & half, stirring constantly until the sauce becomes smooth and thickened.
Season the sauce with salt, pepper, onion powder, rosemary, paprika, and cayenne pepper (if using). Adjust the seasonings to your taste.
Finish and serve
Add the cooked chicken, green peas, and roasted red peppers to the sauce. Mix well, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, and the peas are tender.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve with your choice of sides.
Kylee’s Notes
How to store leftovers
Leftover chicken a la king can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Substitutions/Additions
Substitute cooked leftover chicken, pre-cooked chicken, rotisserie chicken, or even turkey.
Use your favorite vegetables or add a fresh bell pepper for a touch of color and some crunch. Both fresh and frozen vegetables work. Keep a bag of frozen mixed veggies on hand so can easily add them to this dish.
Switch up the spices and use your favorite combination.
Serve the chicken over egg noodles, rice, puff pastry, or on its own.
Freezing instructions
You can freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. If you do freeze, portion into individual servings in freezer bags so you can easily grab a meal at a time.
FAQs
A la king means that the food is cut into bite-sized pieces and cooked with vegetables and cream.
A la king sauce can have a combination of cream, milk, flour, and butter. Some recipes use whipping cream for an even richer flavor.
The best way to confirm chicken is cooked is to use a meat thermometer (affiliate link). Cooked chicken should have an internal temperature of 165°F.
More recipes to love
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- Super Easy Chicken Divan Casserole – Broccoli, chicken, and cheese topped with a crunchy breadcrumb topping. Ready to serve in 30 minutes!
- Creamy Chicken Risotto Recipe – An all-in-one meal for all you risotto lovers. It takes a bit of patience, but it’s so easy and worth the wait!
- Chicken Rice Casserole – Easy, cheesy, and made with kitchen staples. It’s also topped with bacon. Need I say more?
- Creamy Mediterranean Chicken Dinner – Skillet chicken smothered in a creamy roasted red pepper sauce is as easy as it is delicious!
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Chicken a la King
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound chicken breast
- 1 small onion
- ½ cup roasted red peppers jarred
- 1 cup fresh button mushrooms about 4oz
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1.5 cups half and half
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional, for some heat
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
Optional
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
- Puff pastry shells biscuits, cooked rice or egg noodles for serving
Instructions
Get prepped
- Dice 1 ½ pound chicken breast, finely chop 1 small onion, dice ½ cup roasted red peppers, slice 1 cup fresh button mushrooms.
Cook the chicken
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and cook until golden brown (does not need to be fully cooked as it will finish cooking in the sauce).
Make the Sauce
- In a large skillet or saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium heat.
- Add the diced onions and sliced mushrooms to the melted butter.
- Sauté until the vegetables are tender.
- Sprinkle 1/4 cup all-purpose flour over the vegetables and stir continuously to create a roux. Cook the roux until it turns a light golden color.
- Slowly add in 1 cup chicken stock while whisking constantly to avoid lumps in the sauce. Continue to stir until the mixture thickens.
- Add 1.5 cups half and half, stirring constantly until the sauce becomes smooth and thickened.
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if using). Adjust the seasonings to your taste.
Finish and Serve
- Add the cooked chicken,1/2 cup frozen peas and ½ cup roasted red peppers to the sauce. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, and the peas are tender.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Garnish with Chopped fresh parsley for garnishfor added flavor and a pop of color.
- Serve on Puff pastry shells or with biscuits, rice, or egg noodles.
Notes
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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About Kylee Ayotte
I am a born and raised New Zealander (a Kiwi), now living in Phoenix, Arizona. I’m happily married to the love of my life – a hot American boy I met while traveling the world. I’m a mama to 2 awesome little boys and love red things, rugby, cheesecake, and bacon. Mmmmm. Bacon. Meet Kylee
