Amazing 40-Minute Chicken a la King

If you’re like me, sometimes you just crave that classic, comforting taste but don’t have hours to spend simmering on the stove. Well, get ready, because today I’m sharing my shortcut to the most wonderful, rich, and deeply satisfying Chicken a la King you’ve ever made at home! I’m Anna, and I’m a total food lover, always on the hunt for simple and flavorful chicken recipes that make everyday cooking easier and bring a little more joy to the table.

Forget those bland, watery versions you might have tried before. This vintage recipe has all the creamy goodness you expect—tender chicken, earthy mushrooms, and that pop of color from pimentos—but here’s the magic: it’s genuinely ready on the table in under 40 minutes! That’s right, fantastic weeknight comfort food is totally achievable. We’re talking about a silky sauce that coats everything perfectly. Trust me, once you see how fast this comes together, this Chicken a la King will become your go-to when you need something truly special without the fuss.

Essential Ingredients for Authentic Chicken a la King

Making a truly great Chicken a la King doesn’t require a trip to a specialty store; it needs good quality basics and a little bit of prep work. I always lay out everything before I start—it’s called *mise en place*, and it keeps me from scrambling later when the sauce starts thickening up! We need to treat our chicken right and make sure our vegetables are cut small so they disappear nicely into that amazing sauce.

Gathering Your Chicken a la King Components

For this recipe, which easily feeds six hungry people, pay close attention to how you dice the vegetables. Getting them finely diced ensures everything blends smoothly into that classic creamy texture we are aiming for in our Chicken a la King.

Here is what you need to pull together:

• Chicken: 1 and a half pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed into nice little half-inch pieces. We want them bite-sized!
• Fat: 3 tablespoons of good, unsalted butter, split between two stages of cooking.
• Seasoning: Just a half teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of black pepper for seasoning the chicken initially.
• Vegetables: 8 ounces of white button mushrooms, sliced up. You also need about a cup of yellow onion and three-quarters of a cup of celery, both finely diced. Finely diced is key here!
• The Thickener: A quarter cup of all-purpose flour. This is what turns our liquids into that luxurious sauce.
• Liquids: 2 and a half cups of low-sodium chicken broth—low sodium keeps me in control of the salt level—plus a full cup of whole milk and three-quarters of a cup of heavy cream for richness.
• Flavor Boosters: One teaspoon of garlic powder and a half teaspoon of dried thyme. Sometimes I sneak in a tiny bit of fresh thyme if I have some, but the dried works perfectly fine here.
• The Color and Sweetness: Three-quarters of a cup of frozen peas (no need to thaw them!) and one jar (about 4 ounces) of diced pimentos, drained well. Those pimentos just scream vintage comfort food!

Preparing the Best Chicken a la King

This is where the magic happens! Because we are aiming for a quick, weeknight meal, organization is everything. We cook in stages in the same large skillet. Don’t clean it out between steps—all those little browned bits are flavor gold for our final Chicken a la King.

Cooking the Chicken Base

First things first, we need perfectly cooked chicken. Melt just one tablespoon of butter in a big, deep skillet over medium-high heat. While that’s melting, toss your cubed chicken with the salt and pepper. Once the butter is sizzling, add the chicken in a single layer—you might need to do this in batches so you don’t crowd the pan. Crowding steams the chicken instead of browning it, and we want some color!

Cook the chicken for about six to eight minutes total, turning it occasionally until it’s golden brown on the outside. The most important part: use your meat thermometer! Chicken is perfectly safe when it hits 165 degrees Fahrenheit (or 74 degrees Celsius) internally. Once it’s done, scoop that beautiful chicken out onto a plate and set it aside. We’ll bring it back later.

Building the Creamy Chicken a la King Sauce

Now, turn the heat down to medium. Add the remaining two tablespoons of butter right into that same skillet. Let it melt, then toss in your sliced mushrooms, finely diced onion, and celery. Let those vegetables cook down for about six or seven minutes. You want them soft, and you’ll notice the mushrooms have released some liquid—that’s exactly what we want.

Time for the roux! Sprinkle that quarter cup of flour right over the softened vegetables. Stir constantly for about two full minutes. You need to cook out that raw flour taste. Once it looks like a thick paste and you can’t see any dry flour streaks, start adding your liquids. Pour in the chicken broth slowly while whisking like crazy—this prevents lumps! Once the broth is mixed in, whisk in the milk, heavy cream, garlic powder, and dried thyme.

Finishing and Simmering Your Chicken a la King

Keep whisking until the sauce just starts to gently boil. Immediately turn the heat down to low. Let this simmer for about five minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon—if you run your finger across the spoon, the line should hold! Don’t let it boil hard, or the cream might separate.

Now, stir in your frozen peas, the drained pimentos, and that cooked chicken you set aside earlier. Simmer everything together for just three more minutes until it’s all heated through completely. Give it a quick taste test. If it needs a little more zing, add a tiny bit more salt and pepper. That’s it—your creamy, vintage Chicken a la King is ready to serve!

Tips for Perfect Chicken a la King Results

Even with a quick recipe like this, there are little tricks that elevate your Chicken a la King from good to absolutely restaurant-worthy. It’s all about managing the texture of that sauce and making smart choices about what goes into it. Don’t worry if your first batch isn’t perfect; baking and saucing are skills that improve with practice! If you are looking for more inspiration on chicken dishes, check out my collection of chicken recipes.

Achieving the Right Sauce Consistency

The number one complaint I hear about homemade cream sauces is lumps. If you added your liquid too fast, don’t panic! Just take the skillet off the heat for a minute and whisk vigorously. Sometimes, giving that hot mix a moment to cool slightly helps the flour particles relax and incorporate smoothly. If it’s still lumpy, you can pour the whole thing through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing gently on the solids with a spoon.

If your sauce ends up too thin after simmering, it just means it needs a little more cooking time or a tiny boost of thickening power. Resist the urge to dump in more flour! Instead, mix one teaspoon of cornstarch with one tablespoon of cold water in a tiny bowl—this is called a slurry. Whisk that slurry into your simmering sauce and let it cook for another minute or two. It thickens up fast! Conversely, if it gets too thick, just stir in a splash more broth or milk until you hit that perfect coating consistency.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Chicken a la King

The dairy ratios in this recipe are designed for that classic, decadent mouthfeel. If you are really trying to cut down on fat, you can substitute the heavy cream with half-and-half, but you might need to simmer the sauce a bit longer to achieve the same thickness. Using only milk, however, will result in a much thinner final product for your Chicken a la King.

What about vegetables? If you don’t love celery, you can swap it out for an equal amount of finely diced carrots for sweetness, or even some finely chopped green bell pepper for a different kind of earthy flavor. Just remember to sauté them along with the onions until they are tender. Also, if you happen to have leftover roasted chicken or even rotisserie chicken lying around, you can absolutely use that instead of cooking fresh breasts! Just skip the initial cooking step and add the shredded or cubed meat in with the peas and pimentos at the very end to heat through. For more ideas on using up leftover chicken, see my loaded chicken salad recipe.

Serving Suggestions for Your Chicken a la King Dish

The absolute best part about making a gorgeous, creamy Chicken a la King is deciding how to present it! This dish is built for comfort, so you want a base that soaks up all that incredible sauce. My grandmother always served it over buttered toast points, and honestly, I still think that’s the most satisfying way to eat it.

When serving six people, you need something sturdy, but you also want options for different tastes. If you’re looking for a full, hearty dinner, here are my top three ways to serve this up:

• Classic Toast Points: Lightly toast thick slices of white bread, cut off the crusts, and slice them into triangles. Arrange them on the plate and spoon the Chicken a la King right over the top.
• Fluffy Rice or Egg Noodles: This is great for soaking up every last drop of sauce. Use plain white rice or wide egg noodles, tossed with just a little bit of melted butter and maybe a pinch of fresh parsley if you’re feeling fancy.
• Flaky Biscuits or Puff Pastry Shells: For a real showstopper, serve the mixture inside warm, split-open buttermilk biscuits or scoop it into pre-baked puff pastry shells. It feels a little retro and definitely special!

No matter what you choose, make sure you have some extra black pepper on the table. A fresh grind right over the top of the finished dish really brightens up the creaminess. You can find more serving ideas on my Pinterest page.

Storing and Reheating Leftover Chicken a la King

Listen, this Chicken a la King is so good, you’ll definitely want leftovers! But because it’s loaded with dairy and chicken, we have to be smart about how we store it so it stays safe and tastes just as delicious the next day. The key to great leftovers is fast cooling and gentle reheating. Don’t just leave it sitting on the counter—that creamy sauce doesn’t like hanging out at room temperature!

I always try to get my leftovers into the fridge within two hours of serving. The best container is an airtight glass dish. Glass helps it cool down faster than thick plastic, which is important for food safety, especially with a rich sauce like this.

Here’s a quick guide I use when dealing with leftover Chicken a la King:

Storage Method	Duration	Reheating Tip
Airtight Container (Fridge)	3 to 4 days maximum	Reheat slowly on the stovetop over low heat.
Freezer Safe Container	Up to 2 months	Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

When you’re ready to eat it again, the stovetop is your best friend for reheating Chicken a la King. Place the leftovers in a saucepan over low heat. Stir frequently. If the sauce seems too thick after chilling (and it usually does!), add just a splash of milk or chicken broth while stirring until you reach that lovely, smooth consistency we talked about earlier. Don’t microwave it if you can avoid it; the microwave tends to make the sauce break or become unevenly hot.

Frequently Asked Questions About Chicken a la King

I get so many messages about this recipe! It’s such a classic dish, and everyone wants to make sure they get that perfect creamy texture. Here are some of the most common questions I see about whipping up this wonderful Chicken a la King.

Can I use pre-cooked chicken for Chicken a la King?

Oh yes, you absolutely can! This is a fantastic way to speed things up even more, though remember our recipe is already pretty fast. If you use pre-cooked chicken—like shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover roasted chicken—you just skip Step 2 entirely. Add the cooked, cubed, or shredded meat right at the very end with the peas and pimentos (Step 9). It just needs to heat through gently in the sauce. Flavor-wise, freshly cooked chicken has a little more vibrancy, but using leftovers is zero-stress cooking! If you are looking for other ways to use up cooked chicken, check out my recipe for baked chicken tenders.

How thick should the sauce for Chicken a la King be?

This is crucial! We are aiming for a sauce that is rich and velvety, not runny like soup, but not so stiff that it looks like mashed potatoes. The best test I always use is the ‘back of the spoon’ method. Dip a clean spoon into the sauce and pull it out. If you can run your finger across the back of the spoon and the line stays clear without the sauce running back together, you’ve nailed it! If it’s too thin, use that cornstarch slurry we talked about, but if it’s too thick, just thin it with a splash of milk.

Is it necessary to use both milk and heavy cream in this Chicken a la King?

For the best, most decadent flavor and texture, yes, I really recommend using both! The milk provides the necessary volume for the sauce base, while the heavy cream melts in that luxurious richness that makes this dish feel special. If you absolutely must substitute, using half-and-half for both the milk and cream measurements is your next best bet, but using just milk will result in a much thinner, less satisfying creamy chicken dish.

Can I make this Chicken a la King recipe vegetarian?

That’s a great question! Since the primary flavor comes from that rich sauce and the vegetables, you can definitely make a vegetarian version of a ‘King’ sauce. You would skip the chicken entirely and instead sauté extra mushrooms, celery, and maybe add some diced carrots or artichoke hearts for bulk. You’ll need to make sure you are using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and the resulting texture will be slightly lighter, but it’s still delicious comfort food!

Estimated Nutritional Information

Now, I know some of you are counting macros or just curious about what’s in your bowl, so here is a general estimate for one serving of this creamy goodness. Remember, this is just a ballpark figure! Things like the exact fat content of your cream or how much butter you use for serving on the side can change these numbers quickly.

This recipe yields six generous servings, and here’s what you can generally expect per plate:

Nutrient	Estimated Value
Calories	385
Total Fat	21g
Protein	32g
Carbohydrates	18g

This dish is wonderfully high in protein thanks to all that chicken! Just keep in mind that if you serve it over biscuits or a pile of buttery noodles, you’ll want to adjust these numbers upward to account for what you’re using to soak up that amazing sauce. Everything I share here is based on the ingredients listed, excluding any extra toppings or sides. If you enjoy creamy chicken dishes, you might also like my recipe for creamiest chicken stroganoff.

Share Your Experience Making Chicken a la King

I truly hope this quick and comforting Chicken a la King recipe makes its way onto your dinner table soon! It means the world to me when I hear from you all about how these simple recipes are working in your busy kitchens. Seriously, don’t be shy!

If you tried this recipe—maybe you served it over toast like I suggested, or perhaps you went wild and put it in puff pastry shells—I want to hear every detail! Did your sauce turn out perfectly velvety? Did the family devour it? Drop a comment below and let me know how your batch of creamy chicken turned out. A quick rating helps other busy cooks decide what to make next, and your feedback helps me keep these recipes tasting their absolute best!

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