Why You’ll Love This this Dreamy Classic Chicken A La King
This creamy, dreamy chicken dish transforms simple ingredients into pure comfort food magic, with tender chunks of chicken swimming in a velvety sauce that’s rich enough to make you forget all your troubles.
The combination of sautéed mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions creates a flavor base that’s so good, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with those freezer-aisle versions that taste like cardboard.
Plus, it comes together in one pan, which means less cleanup and more time to enjoy this restaurant-quality meal that’ll have everyone asking for seconds.
Ingredients List
Everything you need for this comforting classic is probably already hiding in your kitchen, waiting to be transformed into something absolutely magical.
- 1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
- 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 1/2 cups half-and-half or light cream
- 3 beaten egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
- 2 tablespoons diced pimientos
A few things to keep in mind while you’re gathering these ingredients:
- The half-and-half makes this dish wonderfully rich, but you can lighten it up by using milk mixed with a little heavy cream if you’re watching calories
- Fresh mushrooms beat canned every single time, giving you that perfect tender bite without the soggy texture
- Those egg yolks create the silky sauce, but they also add protein and healthy fats to balance out the indulgence
- The vegetables add fiber and vitamins, so you’re not just diving into pure comfort food guilt
Step by Step Directions
Making this classic comfort dish is straightforward and rewards you with a creamy, satisfying meal that’s perfect over rice, noodles, or biscuits.
- In a large saucepan, cook mushrooms, bell pepper, and onion in butter until tender but not brown.
- Stir in flour, salt, and paprika until well combined.
- Add half-and-half or light cream and stir constantly until mixture becomes thick and bubbly.
- Stir about 1 cup of the hot sauce into the beaten egg yolks to temper them, then return this mixture to the saucepan.
- Cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly, then add lemon juice.
- Add cubed chicken and diced pimientos, heating through until warmed completely.
- Serve immediately over noodles, rice, or toast points.
For best results when preparing this dish, use a sharp professional chef knife to ensure clean, even cuts of your vegetables and chicken.
Substitutions and Variations
- Spice it up – A pinch of cayenne, some fresh thyme, or even a splash of white wine can elevate the flavor profile beyond the classic version.
- Make it gluten-free – Substitute cornstarch or rice flour for the all-purpose flour, using about half the amount since these thicken more effectively.
- Different mushrooms – Button mushrooms, cremini, or even wild mushrooms will each bring their own earthy character to the party.
Additional Things to Serve With This Dish
Chicken a la king is basically a fancy cream sauce that plays well with almost anything starchy and comforting.
- Classic biscuits – Split them open and let that creamy chicken goodness soak right into every flaky layer, because honestly, is there anything better than a warm biscuit drowning in rich sauce?
- Buttered egg noodles – Wide ones work best since they catch all that creamy goodness in their little noodle pockets, plus they’re what your grandmother probably served it over.
- Fluffy white rice – Simple, reliable, and it soaks up every drop of that luscious sauce without competing for attention.
- Toast points – Cut regular bread diagonally, toast until golden, and arrange them around the plate like little edible shovels for scooping.
- Puff pastry shells – You can buy these frozen and they make the whole dish look like you spent way more effort than you actually did, which is always a win.
- Mashed potatoes – Create a little crater in the center and fill it with chicken a la king, turning your plate into a creamy, comforting volcano.
- Fresh dinner rolls – Perfect for sopping up any sauce that tries to escape, because wasting that liquid gold should be illegal.
Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)
Making chicken a la king successfully comes down to mastering a few key techniques that separate the pros from the kitchen disasters.
- Don’t rush the roux – Cook that flour and butter mixture for at least two minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste, because nobody wants their fancy chicken dish to taste like paste.
- Temper those egg yolks slowly – Add just a spoonful of hot sauce at first, whisking like your life depends on it, then gradually add more until they’re warmed up and ready to join the party without scrambling.
- Keep everything at medium heat – High heat will turn your silky sauce into chunky disappointment faster than you can say “what happened.”
- Season in layers – Taste after each major addition because that half teaspoon of salt mightn’t be enough once you’ve added all that cream and chicken.
- Fresh is better than frozen – If you’re using frozen vegetables, thaw and drain them first, otherwise you’ll end up with a watery mess that looks more like soup than sauce.
- Make it ahead friendly – This actually tastes better the next day, so don’t panic if you need to prep it early, just reheat gently and add a splash of cream if it gets too thick.
- Double the recipe – Trust me on this one, because once people taste it, they’ll want seconds, and you’ll wish you’d made more.
Nutritional Facts
This creamy comfort food classic packs substantial nutrition along with its rich flavor profile.
- Calories: 285 per serving
- Protein: 20g – excellent source from chicken and dairy
- Total Fat: 18g (28% daily value)
- Saturated Fat: 11g – primarily from half-and-half and butter
- Cholesterol: 145mg – from egg yolks and chicken
- Carbohydrates: 12g – mostly from flour and vegetables
- Dietary Fiber: 1g – from bell peppers and onions
- Sodium: 420mg – watch this if you’re monitoring salt intake
- Vitamin A: 15% daily value – thanks to paprika and egg yolks
- Vitamin C: 12% daily value – from bell peppers and lemon juice
- Calcium: 18% daily value – courtesy of the dairy content
- Iron: 8% daily value – from chicken and fortified flour
- Phosphorus: 25% daily value – strong bone and teeth support
- Potassium: 380mg – heart-healthy mineral from multiple ingredients
Fun “Did You Know?”
Beyond its impressive nutritional profile, this beloved dish carries fascinating stories that’ll surprise you.
Chicken a La King actually has disputed royal origins**** – some food historians credit chef George Greenwald at Philadelphia’s Bellevue Hotel in the 1890s for creating it to honor his boss “E. Clark King II.”
Others claim it was invented at New York’s Brighton Beach Hotel for the Foxhall Keenes.
Here’s what I find most intriguing: despite its “royal” name, this dish became quintessentially American comfort food.
The creamy sauce technique actually derives from French cooking, making it a perfect fusion creation that’s stood the test of time.
