This Chicken a la King recipe is made from scratch with a creamy mushroom sauce, peas, pimentos, and juicy chicken. Serve this with rice, egg noodles, biscuits, or pastry!

Be sure to try my Chicken and Dumplings recipe next!

A Dutch oven filled with Chicken a la King with a wooden spoon in it.

Chicken a la King

When you need some cozy comfort food vibes, this Chicken a la King is where it’s at! This recipe features a classic, creamy mushroom sauce with juicy bites of chicken, peas and those signature pimentos! This is a fantastic recipe to serve with rice, egg noodles, biscuits, or over puff pastry! 

My version is made easily from scratch with no canned soup. It has a little bit of a “brothy” vibe to it, while still being thick enough to hold it’s own as a sauce. I absolutely love serving this over my buttermilk biscuits. It’s cozy cooking heaven!

Be sure to check out my pro tips below!

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sear in olive oil for 3 minutes/side. Let rest, then dice and set aside. It will finish cooking in the sauce, which will add even more homecooked flavor to the dish.

A plate of seared chicken breast next to a plate of diced chicken.

Deglaze the pot with wine, then add the mushrooms, onions, and garlic. Soften for 5-6 minutes.

Deglazing a dutch oven with wine next to a pot of cooked onions and mushrooms.

Add the butter/flour to make a roux and cook for 2 minutes. Add the sauce mixture (half and half, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and seasonings) in small splashes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the chicken back and simmer for 10 minutes.

Adding cream, seasonings and chicken to a roux with mushrooms for Chicken a la King.

Add the peas and pimentos and simmer for 5-10 more minutes, or until desired thickness is obtained. Serve over egg noodles, rice, puff pastry, or biscuits.

Adding peas and pimentos to a pot of filling for Chicken a la King.

Pro Tips

  • Wine: I like to use Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Blanc in this recipe, but Sherry is a traditional wine choice for this recipe as well. Chicken broth can be used if you don’t cook with wine.
  • Chicken: 4 cups of leftover/rotisserie chicken can be used if needed. It won’t be quite as flavorful as making this with fresh chicken.
  • Pimentos: Pimentos are a classic staple in this dish, but finely diced bell peppers (red or green), can be used instead!
  • Serving Options: This is great over my Buttered Noodles, Buttermilk Biscuits, or Cheddar Bay Biscuits!
  • 📘 Find this recipe on page 122 of my 2nd cookbook, Let’s Eat!

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 
  • Cream-based sauces don’t reheat as well the second time around, but that doesn’t stop me!

Chicken a la King in a white bowl with a biscuit on top.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

  • 4.5 Quart Dutch Oven– The perfect size for almost any soup recipe.
  • Better Than Bouillon– This is what I always use for broth in my recipes. It takes very little space and makes it easy to measure out customized amounts of broth.
  • Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.

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Chicken a la King in a green Dutch oven with a wooden spoon.

Chicken a la King

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
4.90 from 19 ratings
Servings: 6 people
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This Chicken a la King recipe is made from scratch with a creamy mushroom sauce, peas, pimentos, and juicy chicken. Serve this with rice, egg noodles, biscuits, or pastry!

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 ¼ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, see notes
  • salt/pepper, to taste
  • ½ cup dry white wine, see notes
  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, can sub white button
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 3 cups half and half
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce, I use Franks hot sauce
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • ¾ cup peas, I use frozen
  • 4 oz. drained pimentos

Seasonings

  • ½ teaspoon EACH: dried basil, parsley, thyme, onion powder, mustard powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground sage
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper, paprika

Instructions

Prep Work

  • In a large measuring cup with a spout, combine the half and half, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and seasonings and set aside. Measure out remaining ingredients before beginning.

Cook the Chicken

  • Pat the chicken dry and season each side with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a 4 ½-quart soup pot over medium-high heat.
  • Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes per side, until a brown crust has developed. Remove from heat. The middle will still be uncooked.
  • Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, then cut into bite-sized pieces. The chicken will finish cooking in the sauce, which will also add even more homecooked flavor to it.

Make the Sauce

  • Add the wine and set the heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the pot. Add the mushrooms, onions, and garlic. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until softened.
  • Add the butter and flour and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the half and half mixture (from step 1) in small splashes, stirring continuously. Scrape up any remnants from the bottom of the pot as you do so. Add the chicken bouillon.
  • Set heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the chicken back and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
  • Add the peas and pimentos. Simmer uncovered for 5-10 more minutes, or until desired consistency is obtained. The longer it simmers, the thicker it will become.
  • Remove from heat and serve over egg noodles, pasta, rice, biscuits, or pastry.

Notes

Pro Tips:
  • Wine: I like to use Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Blanc in this recipe, but Sherry is a traditional wine choice for this recipe as well. Chicken broth can be used if you don't cook with wine.
  • Chicken: 4 cups of leftover/rotisserie chicken can be added in step 4 of "make the chicken" if needed. It won't be quite as flavorful as making this with fresh chicken.
  • Pimentos: Pimentos are a classic staple in this dish, but finely diced bell peppers (red or green), can be used instead!
  • Serving Options: This is great over my Buttered Noodles, Buttermilk Biscuits, or Cheddar Bay Biscuits!
  • 📘 Find this recipe on page 122 of my 2nd cookbook, Let's Eat!
Storage:
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 
  • Cream-based sauces don't reheat as well the second time around, but that doesn't stop me!
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 453kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 129mg, Sodium: 444mg, Potassium: 833mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 1392IU, Vitamin C: 32mg, Calcium: 162mg, Iron: 2mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Author: Stephanie