Chicken a la King is rich, creamy, and hearty comfort food that is packed with flavor. This quick and easy 30-minute dinner recipe is loaded with chicken, mushrooms, and veggies that is smothered in a white cream sauce made from scratch. Serve it warm topped with biscuits or serve over pasta, rice, or potatoes.
Also known as king-style chicken or king's chicken, this dish may sound like it's a big ordeal, but it's actually really easy to make. Call on this recipe for everything from busy weeknight dinners to fancy date night and reap the rewards of big flavor with little effort. Your family will thank you for this one!
Why You'll Love this Chicken a la King Recipe
- Rich, creamy flavor. This chicken a la king is truly fit for royalty. The sauce gets its rich creaminess thanks to butter and heavy cream, making every bite of chicken, mushrooms and vegetables heavenly. Plus, it's so easy to make homemade (no canned soup here!).
- A one pot meal. If you know me, you know I love one pot meals. It means that all the ingredients in this king style chicken recipe come together step-by-step in one skillet, making prep, serving, and clean-up fast and efficient without sacrificing flavor!
- Quick and easy. One of my favorite parts of creamy chicken a la king is that it comes together so quickly and easily in just 30 minutes — including prep! Using cooked chicken (or shredded chicken) and frozen peas saves you a little bit of prep time without sacrificing flavor.
- Serve it for any occasion. This creamy chicken and mushrooms dish is so delicious and fit to be served for special occasions like dinner parties and holidays, but it’s also easy enough for speedy weeknight dinners.
Ingredient Notes
To make this quick and easy Chicken a la King, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- butter - use unsalted butter for the most control over the flavor of the recipe. If you only have salted butter, adjust or omit the amount of added salt in the recipe to balance it.
- mushrooms - white or brown cremini mushrooms both work well.
- yellow onion - if you need to make a substitution, use white onion or shallot instead.
- garlic - aim to use fresh garlic if you can, but pre-minced garlic is okay to use if that’s all you have. Just make sure to use 1 teaspoon per clove of garlic in the recipe.
- all-purpose flour - make this recipe gluten free by using a measure-for-measure gluten free flour instead.
- chicken broth - homemade or store-bought are both okay to use, or you can substitute it for vegetable broth.
- heavy cream - if you don’t have heavy cream on hand, use half-and-half or a dollop of cream cheese to create a creamy consistency.
- frozen peas - fresh or canned peas will also work, but frozen peas will retain their texture better in this recipe. If using canned peas, make sure to drain and rinse them first.
- pimentos - use jarred or canned pimentos. You could also substitute with diced red bell peppers if you can't get your hand on pimentos.
- cooked chicken - you can use your any leftover cooked chicken that you have or shred a rotisserie chicken — whatever is more convenient! Try our Oven Baked Chicken Breast or Shredded Chicken.
- salt and pepper
- biscuits - we love topping these with our Homemade Biscuits but it's totally optional.
You will also need measuring cups and spoons and a large skillet.
How to Make the Best Chicken a la King
- Sauté mushrooms. Add butter to a large skillet and melt over medium-high heat until it starts to bubble, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and sauté until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Stir in onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the color turns nicely brown (salt will further extract more water from the mushrooms, giving them a nice brown color).
- Add flour. Add flour and stir well until thickened into a paste, about 1 minute.
- Add liquids and simmer. Slowly pour in chicken broth and heavy cream. Stir constantly until smooth and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it simmer over medium-low heat until thickened to a desired consistency, about 2-3 minutes, stirring often. If the sauce gets too thick, thin it out with more chicken broth.
- Add chicken and veggies. Add peas, pimentos, and chicken. Mix well and cook until heated through, about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve. Serve immediately in serving bowls with a sprinkle of chopped parsley (if desired) and topped with biscuits or serve over pasta or rice.
Recipe Variations
- Make it cheesy. Enhance the richness of your chicken a la king by stirring in a generous amount of grated Parmesan or Gruyere cheese.
- Spice it up. Give this king-style chicken a touch of smoky flavor with a sprinkle paprika. Or you could turn up the heat even more with a dash of hot sauce.
- Substitute with tuna. Get creative with a new dish for seafood lovers using tuna instead of chicken. Use 3 cups of canned tuna for a seafood twist on this classic dish.
- Add a splash of sherry. Elevate the flavors by deglazing the pan with a splash of dry sherry or white wine. As the alcohol cooks off it leaves behind a subtle depth of flavor that enhances the taste of the dish.
- Go Mediterranean. Give your creamy chicken a la king a Mediterranean twist by adding a handful of pitted kalamata olives and some chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
How to Serve
Chicken a la king is typically served over bread, biscuits, or rice to soak up every last bit of the creamy sauce, but you can serve it with just about any starchy side for the same effect! Some of our favorite sides to serve with this are:
- Biscuits. Try Classic Biscuits, Garlic Cheddar Biscuits, or Cornmeal Cheddar Biscuits.
- Rice. Try Steamed White Rice, Coconut Rice, or Broccoli Rice.
- Pasta. Try a simple plain pasta like Fettuccine Alfredo, Lemon Butter Pasta, or Cacio e Pepe,
- Potatoes. Try Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Garlic Parmesan Baby Potatoes, or Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes.
- Toast or Crostini. Try toasted Green Olive Sourdough Bread, Crostini, or Sunflower Seed Bread.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Stir the sauce constantly. When making the creamy sauce add the liquids (chicken broth and cream) gradually while stirring constantly. This helps achieve the desired consistency and prevents lumps from forming.
- Options for cooked chicken. You can use any leftover chicken that you have in your fridge for this recipe. If you are making chicken for this recipe, I recommend my Oven Baked Chicken Breast or Shredded Chicken.
- Adjust the sauce texture. Sauce getting a little too runny or a little to thick? You can easily fix each of these issues by reducing or adding more chicken broth to even things out! If the sauce is too runny, you simmer until it thickens up or you can also add a tablespoon of cornstarch or flour to thicken things up more.
- Freeze for a rainy day. This chicken a la king freezes beautifully and can be added to your freezer stash for a later date when you’re running short on time or energy. Just make sure you freeze it on its own without bread sides for the best results.
- Adjust the seasoning at the end. Taste the sauce before serving and adjust the seasoning if needed. Add more salt, pepper, or other spices to enhance the flavor according to your preference.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
How to Store
Transfer leftover chicken a la king to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
How to Reheat
Reheat leftovers on the stovetop over medium-high heat until warmed to the desired temperature. You may need to add a splash of water to thin out the sauce if it has thickened too much for your liking.
How to Freeze
Transfer leftover creamy chicken a la king to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating and serving.
More Creamy Chicken Recipes
- 25 Quick Chicken Recipes
- Creamy Pesto Chicken
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata
- Chicken Marsala
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken
- Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken
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Chicken a la King
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 cups mushrooms (white or brown), sliced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream or half and half
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ cup canned or jarred pimentos, drained and chopped
- 3 cups cooked chicken, diced into ½-inch cubes
- fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for serving)
- biscuits (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Add butter to a large skillet and melt over medium-high heat until it starts to bubble, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and sauté until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the color turns nicely brown (salt will further extract more water from the mushrooms, giving them a nice brown color).
- Add flour and stir well until thickened into a paste, about 1 minute.
- Slowly pour in chicken broth and heavy cream. Stir constantly until smooth and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it simmer over medium-low heat until thickened to a desired consistency, about 2-3 minutes, stirring often. If the sauce gets too thick, thin it out with more chicken broth.
- Add peas, pimentos, and chicken. Mix well and cook until heated through, about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve immediately in serving bowls with a sprinkle of chopped parsley (if desired) and topped with biscuits or serve over pasta or rice.
Notes
How to store: Transfer leftover chicken a la king to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
How to reheat: Reheat leftovers on the stovetop over medium-high heat until warmed to the desired temperature. You may need to add a splash of water to thin out the sauce if it has thickened too much for your liking.
How to freeze: Transfer leftover creamy chicken a la king to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating and serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Kathleen says
Chicken a la king is one of my favorite comfort meals. It didn’t disappoint. I used puff pastry shells instead of biscuits and they added a nice crispness to the meal!
Nicole F says
Excellent! I thought this would be bland, but not at all. In fact, next time I will half the salt if using a rotisserie chicken like I did this this time. I served over pasta, but I will be making biscuits for the leftovers. yum, yum!