Chicken a la King is a supremely comforting dinner that features tender bites of chicken and veggies in a decadent creamy sauce. It’s incredibly easy to make and takes just half an hour to whip up from start to finish! Serve it over rice or pasta to really round out this easy dinner.
What’s in this Chicken a la King Recipe
Chicken and veggies in a creamy sauce – there’s a whole lot to love about this quick and easy dinner recipe!
- Butter: I prefer using unsalted butter to keep the sodium level at a minimum.
- Shallot: If you don’t have a shallot, you can use half of a yellow onion.
- Mushrooms: Crimini or white button mushrooms both work well.
- Garlic: Use fresh, not pre-minced garlic for the best flavor.
- Salt and Pepper: Try not to be too heavy handed with these simple seasonings. You can always add more just before serving if you’d like.
- All-Purpose Flour: This is used to thicken the creamy sauce.
- Chicken Broth: If you really want to go above and beyond, consider making some homemade chicken broth!
- Half and Half: You can use heavy cream instead if you’d like, but your sauce will be noticeably thicker!
- Peas: Frozen peas work like a charm.
- Pimentos: Make sure to drain them well before chopping and tossing into the mix.
- Chicken: Using already cooked chicken saves a ton of time.
PRO TIP: The key ingredient here is shredded chicken, so if you have leftover chicken breasts, strips, or rotisserie chicken, you can use it to make another delicious feast.
What can I use instead of pimentos?
Pimentos, also known as cherry peppers, may be difficult to find. If you can’t find any in the store, you can substitute. Keep in mind that the flavor may be slightly different. Here are a few good substitutions:
- Roasted red peppers
- Bell peppers
- Piquillo pepper
- Corno di toro pepper
- Italian sweet peppers
You can! I suggest cooking the chicken separately before you start the sauce. For chicken, you will want to use grilled chicken breasts, baked chicken breasts, or a rotisserie chicken from the store. Additionally, you can use leftover chicken you may have.
There are a few tales of where Chicken a la King came from. In fact, I came across 3 of them! Chef George Greenwald created it for Clark King II. The king loved it hence the word “king” in its name. Another story is that the restaurant Delmonico’s created it and came up with the name and idea. However, according to an obituary in 1915, a man named William King created it. His last name was king so the name of the dish was named after him.
There’s a pretty solid amount of veggies and protein in this entree! However, it does have carbs from the flour and some fat from the half and half. While I consider it to be on the healthier side, it may or may not fit your dietary needs. Enjoy it in moderation!
How to Store and Reheat
Keep your chicken a la king leftovers stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring each time it stops, until warmed all the way through.
How to Freeze
This is a great freezer-friendly recipe! Store your cooled leftovers in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Don’t forget to date and label!
Serving Suggestions
This kind of easy chicken recipe can be spooned over almost any starchy food including toast, biscuits, rice, and pasta.
More One Pan/Pot Chicken Recipes We Love
- Creamy Garlic Chicken
- Pineapple Chicken
- Cajun Butter Chicken
- Chicken Paprikash
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Chicken Stroganoff
Chicken a la King Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 8 oz crimini or white button mushrooms sliced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/3 cup pimentos drained and chopped
- 3 cups cooked chicken shredded or chopped
- Pasta or rice for serving
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add in the shallot, mushrooms and cook until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add in the garlic, salt, pepper, and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir until all the flour is coated with the butter.
- Whisk in the chicken broth and half and half. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat and let if cook for 5 minutes until thickened.
- Stir in the frozen peas, pimentos, and chicken. Simmer until warmed through, about 5 minutes.
Notes
- In place of the shallot, you can also use half of a yellow onion.
- For the chicken, you can grill or bake chicken breasts or use a rotisserie chicken from the store!
- If you have a hard time finding pimentos, you can also use roasted red peppers. The flavors will change slightly, but will still be delicious!
Julie says
This recipe was so simple and so delicious. I just added half a cup of Parmesan cheese at the end. The flavour of this dish is outstanding and thank you so much for the recipe. We just loved it.
Becky Hardin says
Love it!