Who says you can’t eat like a king right in your own home? Consisting of shredded chicken in a rich cream sauce with mushrooms and vegetables, this Chicken a la King recipe is one the whole family will love!
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Skillet Chicken a la King Recipe
You are going to absolutely love this recipe. It is creamy, flavorful and easy to make! Plus, you can serve it over whatever starch you prefer!
There really isn’t much you won’t love about this recipe, but if you aren’t sure why you should whip it up, here are 3 reasons why you’ll love this recipe:
Why You’ll Love this Chicken a la King:
- Leftover chicken friendly: The basic ingredient is shredded chicken, so if you have leftover chicken breasts, strips, or rotisserie chicken, you can use it to make another delicious feast.
- Versatile: This kind of easy chicken recipe can be spooned over almost any starchy food including toast, biscuits, rice, and pasta. You can also easily adjust the spices or ingredient list to your preferences.
- Freezer friendly: You can easily make this recipe and freeze any leftovers. Or you can double it and freeze it for a meal later!
How to make Chicken a la King
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Cook shallot and mushrooms in a large skillet.
- Add in garlic, salt, and peppers. Saute it up for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Thicken up the sauce by adding the flour and broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes or until thick.
- Add your peas, pimentos, and chicken. Simmer them until completely warm or about 5 minutes.
- When done, spoon it over your favorite pasta or rice!
Why is called Chicken a la King?
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.
- The restaurant Delmonico’s created it and came up with the name and idea.
- 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.
Whether it was made from someone named king or was served to a king, we aren’t quite sure. Either way, it’s a delicious chicken recipe that we know everyone will love!
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
Can I use raw chicken for this recipe?
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.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- If you don’t have a shallot, you can use half of a yellow onion.
- Keep a close eye on it as it simmers so that it doesn’t get too thick and lumpy.
- Plop your chicken in the crockpot in the morning so you don’t have to cook it first.
This chicken a la king sounds like a fancy dinner, but it’s perfect for any night of the week. With a few simple ingredients you can have a delicious chicken dinner on the table in no time!
More one pot chicken recipes we love
- Crockpot Italian Chicken
- Cheesy Chicken and Rice Recipe
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Chicken Dijon in White Wine Sauce
- One Pan Spanish Chicken and Rice
If you’ve made this recipe, please be sure to let us know by leaving a star rating or a comment below. Enjoy!
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!
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