Description
Chicken a la King is a classic, creamy dish featuring tender shredded chicken combined with sautéed onions, mushrooms, and green peppers in a rich sauce made from butter, flour, chicken broth, and heavy cream. Perfectly seasoned with onion and garlic powders and enhanced with diced pimentos, this savory meal can be served over biscuits, rice, or pasta for a comforting and quick dinner option.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup diced yellow onions
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 cup diced green peppers
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (adjust to taste)
- 1/4 cup diced and drained pimentos
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
Instructions
- Prepare the base: Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until fully melted and starting to bubble.
- Sauté vegetables: Add diced onions and sliced mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions become translucent and the mushrooms release their moisture, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add peppers: Stir in the diced green peppers and cook for another 2 minutes to slightly soften them.
- Incorporate flour: Sprinkle the all-purpose flour evenly over the vegetable mixture, stirring constantly to combine and prevent lumps.
- Cook the roux: Continue cooking the flour and vegetable mixture for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, to cook out the raw flour taste and help thicken the sauce.
- Add chicken broth: Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring continuously, allowing the mixture to thicken into a smooth sauce.
- Stir in cream: Pour in the heavy cream, reduce the heat to low, and stir well to combine all ingredients into a rich, creamy sauce.
- Season the sauce: Add onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the pan, stirring thoroughly to ensure even seasoning throughout.
- Combine chicken and pimentos: Stir in the diced pimentos and shredded chicken, mixing until everything is heated through and well combined.
- Serve: Remove from heat and serve the Chicken a la King over cooked biscuits, rice, or pasta as desired.
Notes
- For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half, but the sauce will be less rich.
- Use rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken for convenience.
- Adjust seasoning to taste, especially salt and pepper.
- Vegetables can be swapped or added, such as peas or carrots, based on preference.
- This dish can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat to avoid curdling the cream.
