Description
Chicken a la King is a creamy, comforting dish featuring tender chicken breast simmered in a flavorful sauce with mushrooms, peas, and pimentos. This classic recipe is perfect served over egg noodles, pasta, rice, or biscuits for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, or Sherry)
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 8 oz baby bella mushrooms (can substitute white button mushrooms)
- 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 (e.g., Frank's hot sauce)
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
- 4 oz drained pimentos
Seasonings
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Prep Work: In a large measuring cup with a spout, combine the half and half, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and all the dried seasonings. Stir well and set aside. Measure out remaining ingredients before beginning the cooking process.
- Cook the Chicken: Pat the chicken breasts dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a 4 1/2-quart soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes per side until a golden brown crust forms. Remove from the pot and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. Then, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. The chicken will finish cooking in the sauce, absorbing more flavor.
- Make the Sauce: Pour the white wine into the same pot and return to medium heat. Use a silicone spatula to scrape and loosen any browned bits from the bottom and sides of the pot. Add the mushrooms, diced onions, and minced garlic and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until softened.
- Make the Roux: Add the butter to the pot and once melted, sprinkle in the flour. Stir continuously and cook for 2 minutes to eliminate the raw flour taste.
- Add Liquid Ingredients: Reduce heat to medium-low. Slowly add the half and half mixture prepared earlier in small splashes, stirring constantly. Continue scraping any browned bits from the pot bottom. Add the chicken bouillon cube and stir until dissolved.
- Simmer: Increase heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer. Return the bite-sized chicken pieces to the pot and let everything simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce thickens slightly.
- Add Vegetables: Stir in the frozen peas and drained pimentos. Continue to simmer uncovered for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. The longer the simmer, the thicker the sauce will become.
- Serve: Remove from heat and serve the Chicken a la King over buttered egg noodles, pasta, rice, buttermilk biscuits, or pastry for a delicious, hearty meal.
Notes
- Wine Choice: Use Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Cabernet Blanc, or traditional Sherry. If you prefer not to use wine, substitute with additional chicken broth.
- Chicken Substitution: Leftover or rotisserie chicken (approximately 4 cups) can be added during the sauce simmering step, but fresh chicken provides better flavor.
- Pimentos Replacement: Finely diced red or green bell peppers can be substituted for pimentos.
- Serving Options: Excellent served over buttered egg noodles, buttermilk biscuits, or Cheddar Bay Biscuits.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Cream-based sauces may not reheat as well but are still enjoyable.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 390 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 590 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
