An easy version of Chicken a la King in a creamy sauce (no canned soup!) with mushrooms and peppers. My kids' eyes light up when this hits the table. Serve it over noodles, rice, or any kind of bread for a satisfying weeknight dinner.
What is Chicken a la King?
Traditionally, Chicken a la King is a main dish made of diced chicken in a creamy sauce with mushrooms and peppers. Imagine something like a pot pie filling but instead of in a crust, you ladle it over noodles, rice or toasted bread.
Though now that I think of it, you could totally pop a pie crust on this and make Chicken a la King Pot Pie.
What is the history of Chicken a la King?
The origins aren't clear enough to say for sure, but the first recorded mention of it was in the New York Times in 1893. It became very popular during the 1950s and can be found in countless cookbooks.
I first came across it when a friend mentioned it was her mom's speciality. I made it for Mr. Simon and it quickly became a fan favorite at our house.
How do you make Chicken a la King from scratch?
Some versions of Chicken a la King call for canned soup. I'm not a fan of canned soups, so I make Chicken a la King from scratch. I promise it's super easy! The butter and the flour combine to thicken the sauce and the sour cream gives it the creamy consistency.
How long does it take to make chicken a la king?
If you're working with fresh chicken breasts like I do in this recipe, the whole recipe will take approximately 45 minutes in total.
If you want a shortcut for this recipe, you can use pre-cooked chicken. My favorite option for the pre-cooked variety is to get the shredded rotisserie chicken they have in the deli section at the grocery store or in the meat department at Costco.
Can you freeze Chicken a la King?
Unfortunately, Chicken a la King doesn't make a great freezer meal. As with any cream based sauce, it becomes grainy after freezing and will typically separate when you defrost and try to reheat it.
Luckily, this recipe does make great leftovers and can be kept refrigerated for up to three days.
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Chicken a la King
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 - 6 servings
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Sautee
- Cuisine: American
Description
An easy version of Chicken a la King in a creamy sauce with mushrooms and peppers. Serve it over noodles, rice, or any kind of bread for a satisfying weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- ¼ cup butter
- 8oz button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 Tbs all purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1.5 cups chicken broth
- ¼ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Place 1.5 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breasts on a baking sheet covered in tin foil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and drizzle evenly over the chicken with 2 Tbs olive oil. Place the chicken in the oven on the middle rack and allow it to bake in the oven for 20 - 30 minutes. Chicken will be done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165F. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool off. Once cool enough to handle, cut the chicken into ¾ to 1 inch cubes.
- Once the chicken comes out of the oven, put a dutch oven or other large heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat on the stove. Add ¼ cup butter, 8oz sliced button mushrooms, 1 diced green bell pepper, and 1 diced red bell pepper to the pot and saute the vegetables until soft and fragrant, approximately six to eight minutes. Be sure to stir the vegetables fairly regularly so that they don't burn. The temperature is rather high so as to get a little bit of color on the vegetables and the bottom of the pot.
- Next, stir in 2 Tbs all purpose flour and ½ teaspoon salt and keep stirring so that it coats all of the vegetables evenly and doesn't burn.
- Next, slowly pour in the 1.5 cups of chicken broth while stirring. The pot will sizzle a bit when you first start pouring in the broth. Continue pouring and stirring until all of the broth is added. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer at which point you'll see the sauce thicken (see photo above in blog post for the consistency).
- Once the sauce is slightly thickened and smooth, add in the diced chicken that you cooked and ¼ cup of sour cream and stir until fully combined.
- Once the mixture comes to a simmer, lower the heat to low and cover with a lid. Allow it to cook over low for at least 10 minutes up to an hour to develop flavors.
- Serve the Chicken a la King hot over noodles, rice, or toasted bread.
- Optional: garnish with chopped parsley.
Notes
- You can use pre-cooked chicken to speed up the cook time. Shredded rotisserie chicken is a great option!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scoop
- Calories: 295
- Sugar: 2.7 g
- Sodium: 487.2 mg
- Fat: 17.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 6.7 g
- Fiber: 1.4 g
- Protein: 28.5 g
- Cholesterol: 107.7 mg
Other Favorite Dinner Recipes
- Southwest Chicken and Rice Casserole - if you love a good hearty, cheese-topped casserole
- Spinach Fandango - a cheesy spinach and beef casserole (seeing a trend in my favorites?)
- Instant Pot Pork Stew - an easy Instant Pot recipe with some Mexican flair
- Ground Chicken Sloppy Joes - a classic that's ready in under 30 minutes
Jackie @ Deep Fried Turkey says
Yes! I love a recipe for this that doesn't involve canned soup. I prefer to make my own meals from scratch without canned or boxed things. Thank you!
Joanie Simon says
Awesome! hope you enjoy!!