Comfort food doesn't need to be complicated. My Chicken à la King recipe is a creamy, dreamy, old-school skillet dinner made with tender chicken, mushrooms, and peas in a rich and flavorful supreme sauce.
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I love serving stew-like dishes over egg noodles; perhaps it’s a result of growing up in Pennsylvania Dutch country. But if you really want to go old-school, spoon the chicken à la king over puff pastry shells for that nostalgic 1960s feel.
We're talking weeknight‑easy, company‑worthy, and zero canned soup nonsense. If you've got cooked chicken and 30 minutes, you've got dinner.
If you love diner food, make sure to try our Salisbury Steak and Stuffed Peppers recipes. They’re deliciously nostalgic!
Ingredients
Gather the ingredients to prepare our Classic recipe of Chicken à la King. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means "everything in its Place."
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Recipe Variations
- Turkey à la King: Use leftover roast turkey.
- Seafood à la King: Use shrimp and bay scallops, along with seafood broth; skip peas until the end.
- Vegetable à la King: Replace the chicken with sautéed mushrooms, asparagus, carrots, and any of your favorite veggies. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Garlic‑herb: Add 2-3 cloves of pureed roasted garlic, then finish with fresh parsley, chives, or tarragon.
- Puff pastry pot pies: Fill ramekins with the mixture and top with puff pastry, brush with butter, and bake until golden brown.
How to make Chicken à la King
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make chicken à la king in your home kitchen.
- Add the butter to a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
- When the butter has melted, add the mushrooms and onions and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic to the pan.
- Cook for one minute until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the flour to the pan.
- Stir until it’s fully incorporated. This is the roux. Let it cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes to cook out the flour’s raw flavor. Don’t let the roux burn or get brown.
- Pour the warm chicken broth into the pot.
- Whisk until fully incorporated.
- Add the milk to the mixture before it thickens too much.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 4-5 minutes until it’s thick and creamy.
- Add the heavy cream, peas, pimientos, cooked chicken, and poultry seasoning to the pan.
- Stir to combine and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the chicken à la king reaches a temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
- Taste and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Stir to combine.
Serve over egg noodles and garnish with chopped parsley.
Pro Chef Tips
- Sear, don't steam: Mushrooms need high heat and space. Color = flavor.
- Roux discipline: Let the flour/butter cook for 2-3 minutes over low heat, then whisk in the warm stock slowly.
- Chicken choice: Poached, roasted, or rotisserie chicken all work; thigh meat stays juicier.
If in another life you grew up on diner food and hotel brunches, you’ll know that Chicken à la King is old-school dining at its best.
If you’ve never tried it, make it once, and I promise you’ll be making it again and again.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve over puff pastry shells (vol‑au‑vents) for a classic presentation.
- Buttered egg noodles, toasted brioche, or Texas toast for the diner experience.
- White rice or mashed potatoes will make it a warm, filling dinner.
- Add a crisp green salad or steamed green beans to balance the richness.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days. It can be stored frozen for up to 2 months. Sauce thickens-stir in stock/cream to loosen.
Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding broth or cream to loosen up the sauce. Avoid boiling, or the sauce may split.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can. Dry sherry (NOT sweet) was included in the original recipe. It adds depth you won't get from stock alone. You can also get the same results by adding a teaspoon of white wine vinegar or lemon juice to the sauce.
Make sure to cook the roux (butter + flour) for 2-3 minutes to remove the raw flour taste. Then whisk in the warm stock gradually. Don’t just pour it all in at once. Whisk until the sauce is smooth. Finish with the cream, then simmer gently. Don't let the sauce boil.
You sure can. Leave the peas out until you’re ready to serve. The sauce will thicken in the fridge, so when reheating, add chicken broth or cream to get the right consistency.
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Classic Recipe for Chicken à la King
Ingredients
Sauce
- 4 ounces unsalted butter
- 8 ounces mushrooms -sliced (white button or baby bellas)
- ½ cup sweet onion -finely diced
- 1 teaspoon fresh garlic -finely minced
- ½ cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
- 2 cups warm chicken broth -regular or low sodium
- 1 cups whole milk -low fat milk can be used but the sauce will not be as rich
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning -or fresh thyme and sage
Chicken ala King
- 3 cups cooked chicken -chopped into small half-inch chunks – a rotisserie chicken works well for this or you can use a combination of thighs or breasts.
- 1 cup peas -frozen
- ½ cup pimientos -drained and chopped (or roasted red peppers)
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon table salt -to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper -to taste
- 1 tablespoon Italian parsley -finely chopped for garnish
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Instructions
Sauce
- Add the butter to a large saucepan over medium high heat.
- When the butter has melted, add the mushrooms and onions and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic to the pan and cook for one minute until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the flour to the pan and stir until it's fully incorporated. This is the roux. Let it cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes to cook out the flour's raw flavor. Don't let the roux burn or get brown.
- Pour the chicken broth into the pot, whisking to incorporate.
- Add the milk to the mixture before it thickens too much. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 4-5 minutes until it's thick and creamy.This is basically a supreme sauce and can be used to make many of your favorite creamed dishes and soups.
Chicken ala King
- Add the heavy cream, peas, pimientos, cooked chicken, and poultry seasoning to the pan.
- Stir to combine and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the chicken à la king reaches a temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
- Taste and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve over egg noodles and garnish with chopped parsley.
Notes
- Turkey à la King: Use leftover roast turkey.
- Seafood à la King: Use shrimp and bay scallops, along with seafood broth; skip peas until the end.
- Vegetable à la King: Replace the chicken with sautéed mushrooms, asparagus, carrots, and any of your favorite veggies. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Garlic‑herb: Add 2-3 cloves of pureed roasted garlic, then finish with fresh parsley, chives, or tarragon.
- Puff pastry pot pies: Fill ramekins with the mixture and top with puff pastry, brush with butter, and bake until golden brown.
- Sear, don’t steam: Mushrooms need high heat and space. Color = flavor.
- Roux discipline: Let the flour/butter cook for 2-3 minutes over low heat, then whisk in the warm stock slowly.
- Chicken choice: Poached, roasted, or rotisserie chicken all work; thigh meat stays juicier.
- Old School: Add a splash of dry sherry or maderia to the sauce.
- Serve over puff pastry shells (vol‑au‑vents) for a classic presentation.
- Buttered egg noodles, toasted brioche, or Texas toast for the diner experience.
- White rice or mashed potatoes will make it a warm, filling dinner.
- Add a crisp green salad or steamed green beans to balance the richness.
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