Chicken a la King
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!
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.
Deglaze the pot with wine, then add the mushrooms, onions, and garlic. Soften for 5-6 minutes.
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.
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.
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!
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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Tried This Recipe?
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Chicken a la King
Ingredients
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
- 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!
- 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.
I’ve made this before following the recipe and we have always enjoyed the flavors. Such comfort food. This time I used rotisserie chicken because I was more pressed for time. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because you are right, the flavor is not quite the same. My husband was the first to inquire what the difference was this time. Just thought I’d confirm what you wrote in the recipe, it’s more flavorful when cooking your own chicken for it. Won’t be using rotisserie chicken with this again!
Hi Dyan, it’s definitely always best to cook your own chicken, I agree! Since you’ve made it that way in the past and enjoyed it, I’m surprised you’re here to give it 4 stars but never left a 5 when you made it as recommended. Just a strange way to go about rating I guess. But I’m glad that you like the recipe.
Def 5 stars worthy when I made it as the recipe is written – cooking your own chicken breasts – just hadn’t left a review before. It’s a keeper.
Well that’s super kind of you, thank you so much for that! I appreciate you. ❤️
Made as written and everyone loved it. A keeper in my house! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I am sooo happy to hear that Kelly, excellent! Thank you sooo much for taking the time to leave a review, you’re the best!
I love this curious how would you reheat next day?
Hi Antonette! Low and slow is the best way to reheat this, the best possible way would be on the stovetop over a makeshift double boiler 🙂
This is so good and reminds me of my childhood! My Mother made this every Thanksgiving with leftover roast turkey and it was always a favorite of mine. This is pretty much the way she made hers but with some tasty changes. The addition of several spices and the frozen peas, as well as using half and half instead of milk, made this over the top for me. I did not use the sage as I am not a fan of it in this type of dish (my Mother never used sage because she wasn’t fond of the taste and I find that I also am not a huge fan!) Also I’m sure it would be great without the sherry wine, but for me it’s an integral part of the taste. I didn’t have any “real” sherry so I used some Shaoxing wine (used in Chinese cooking) and it was just fine.
I serve mine over toast triangle just like my Mother did!!
This recipe is a keeper for sure! It’s great made with the chicken as described here, but with Thanksgiving coming up don’t hesitate to try it with that leftover turkey!
I’m so happy this recipe brought you back in time Lisa, I love when food does that! Thanks so much for the great comments and for taking the time to leave a review!💖
Added cooking sherry, very good.
Wonderful! I’m so happy that you enjoyed it Marcy!! Thank you so much for the review! 🙂 -Stephanie
I made this except didn’t have wine. It was pretty good similar to pot pie with a mild spice.
Wonderful! I’m so happy you enjoyed it Mindy! 🙂
Best Chicken a la King I’ve had. My family doesn’t like the texture of mushrooms so I used Truff hot sauce, which is hotter than Red Hot, and it was incredible! Thank you.
This makes me so happy, thanks Matt! I love that you used Truff hot sauce. Yummmm!💖
Okay, I was EXTREMELY reluctant with this recipe, because of the hot sauce. BUT! It is a great recipe! I absolutely loved it. I did not use any wine in my dish, just chicken stock.
I did use green onions instead of the suggested onion. Just because I had them. Highly recommend, great eats!
I’m so thrilled to hear that Mark! Hot sauce is a secret flavor elevator in many of my recipes that doesn’t add actual heat in the quantity used, so I’m so glad that you went for it! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it! 🙂 -Stephanie
We love this recipe, but is the nutritional information before you add your rice or noodles?
Hi Peggy! I’m so glad that you love it! The nutritional information is without rice or noodles, yes. ☺️