Chicken a la king is a creamy, rich and flavorful chicken dish with mushrooms, green peas and pimientos that’s ready in just 20 minutes! Great for an easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love!
We are back from a weekend of camping and it was glorious!
The weather was so lovely - cool at night, highs in the low 70s during the day - and I just loved being outside with my kiddos for every minute of it. We did our favorite hike, had lots of campfires, relaxed and read some books, and just had a fun time together!
Alrighty though, let’s move along to the food.
Today, I’m so happy to be sharing this scrumptious Chicken a la King recipe.
This creamy, rich chicken dish is just killer with the mushrooms, peas and pimientos mixed in. So flavorful and delicious! You’ll be scraping up every last bit from your plate.
Even my kids love this creamy chicken! (OK, maybe they pick around some of the mushrooms and peas, but I’ll take it.)
Bonus: This recipe is ready in just 20 minutes, start to finish.
You can’t beat that! So let’s dive in a little more.
First things first, let’s tackle the basics.
Chicken a la king is a creamy dish with diced chicken in a cream sauce, often with mushrooms and other vegetables.
The recipe, as it’s currently known, has been around for more than 100 years, but the origins of it are unclear. It’s not named for an actual king, and there are various theories as to the source and inspiration for the recipe.
To note, a lot of recipes use sherry in this dish.
However, I never have that on hand, so we’re skipping it today.
I kinda think this dish is reminiscent of a chicken and gravy. (Check out my quick chicken and gravy if you’re craving that type of recipe.)
For this one here, though, I think you’ll love the flavor and pops of color from the green peas, mushrooms and pimientos in this dish.
Such a good combination! And so pretty, too!
OK, let’s get cooking so you can dig in.
Now, I’ve got those notes and tips coming up below on how to make chicken a la king. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Ingredient Notes:
- Chicken: The chicken for this recipe needs to be cooked, so please plan accordingly. You can use a rotisserie chicken from the store (or homemade rotisserie chicken) or even use some extra Instant Pot or crock pot shredded chicken.
- Mushrooms: Regular button mushrooms work great here. Go for the pre sliced ones if you want to speed things up even more. You could also try this with baby bella mushrooms if you prefer.
- Half and half: I always use half and half, but you could substitute whole milk if you’d like.
- Peas: Frozen green peas, that have been at least slightly thawed, work great here. You could also use canned peas if that’s what you prefer.
- Pimientos: A 2 oz. jar is the smallest I can find for canned pimientos at the store, and you can use all of that size or part of a larger jar. Just be sure to drain them well.
Really though, this is a super easy, all-in-one recipe to make.
Just saute the onion and mushrooms in butter. Sprinkle in the flour. Add the broth and half and half and bring to a boil then simmer until the sauce thickens. Stir in the chicken, peas and pimientos until heated through and you are set.
Gotta love easy one-skillet meals on busy weeknights!
(And if you love these flavors like we do, try this ground chicken and mushroom skillet with peas and pimientos.)
OK, let’s get ready to eat.
Serving Ideas:
- Serve chicken a la king over steamed brown or white rice.
- Or spoon it over some creamy mashed potatoes.
- It would also work well over pasta, like egg noodles.
- You can also just serve it up with some biscuits, homemade or store-bought.
Lots of options. Gotta love that.
Finally, let’s talk about what to do with any leftovers.
How to store leftovers:
- The leftovers, once cooled, can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheat the leftovers in a skillet or in the microwave until warmed through and hot.
- I don’t recommend freezing the leftovers just because the creamy sauce might not stand up well to freezing and thawing.
If you’ve never had this dish before, I really hope you give it a try soon. And if it’s an old favorite, I hope this recipe helps you remember why you love it so much.
Happy cooking and enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Chicken a la King
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup half-and-half (or whole milk)
- 2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
- 1 cup peas (thawed if frozen)
- ¼ cup pimientos
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and mushrooms and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Whisk in the flour and salt and stir for one minute.
- Add the chicken broth and half-and-half. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce is thickened.
- Add the chicken, peas and pimientos. Stir until incorporated and everything is warmed through, about 1-2 minutes.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Carol Knott
Good to the last drop! Thank you for this simple delicious recipe. One I will make again and again.
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so glad you loved it Carol! (I just made it again this past week myself!) Thanks so much for sharing 😊
Kim
I made this, using Rotisserie chicken and used oatmilk instead of milk. OMG delish!!
Kathryn Doherty
Yay, I'm so happy to hear you loved it Kim! Thank you so much for sharing!
Kate O Donoghue
Hello. Can you freeze leftovers?
Kathryn Doherty
Hi there! As I mentioned in the post, I don’t recommend freezing the leftovers just because the creamy sauce might not stand up very well to freezing and thawing.