Chicken à la King
A crowd-pleasing chicken built around boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced white mushrooms and jarred pimentos — roughly 70 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 8 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and pan. At medium difficulty across 8 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (4)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: contains meat, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Gluten Dairy
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized cubes and pat them dry, then season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the chicken pieces in batches until cooked through to an internal temperature of 74°C, then transfer to a plate.
- Lower the heat to medium, melt the butter in the same skillet, and sauté the finely diced onion until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid and begin to brown, around 6 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes to cook out the raw taste, forming a light roux.
- Gradually whisk in the chicken stock followed by the milk, stirring until the sauce thickens and gently simmers.
- Return the chicken to the pan along with the pimentos and peas, then simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until everything is heated through and the sauce coats a spoon.
- Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, then serve hot over rice, toast points or pastry shells.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Pan · Saucepan · Whisk
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
Tips & common questions
How long does Chicken à la King take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 8 steps and 12 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Chicken à la King is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Chicken-a-la-King.jpg by Chad, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.