Chicken a la King is a creamy chicken dish with mushrooms, vegetables, and pimentos in a rich sauce made with chicken broth and half-and-half. This version also uses a small amount of Cajun seasoning, which adds a little warmth and savory flavor without overpowering the classic creamy sauce.

I cook the mushrooms separately before making the sauce so they have a chance to brown instead of steaming with the other vegetables. The flour is then cooked briefly in the butter before the broth and half-and-half are added gradually. This keeps the sauce smooth and helps prevent the floury taste or lumps that can happen when everything goes into the pan at once.

Add the frozen peas near the end so they stay bright and don’t become mushy. Once the chicken is heated through and the sauce coats the back of a spoon, let it stand for a couple of minutes before serving. The sauce thickens slightly as it rests.

Serve Chicken a la King over biscuits, toast, puff pastry shells, rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.

What Is Chicken a la King?

Chicken a la King is made with cooked chicken in a creamy sauce, usually with mushrooms, peppers or pimentos, and other vegetables. It’s commonly served over bread, biscuits, pastry, rice, or noodles rather than eaten on its own.

Using already-cooked chicken makes it especially useful when you have leftover roasted chicken or rotisserie chicken. In this recipe, the mushrooms are browned first and a little Cajun seasoning is added to give the traditional creamy filling more depth.

Ingredients

For the Creamy Sauce

• 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, divided
• ⅓ cup (42 g) all-purpose flour
• 2⅓ cups (560 ml) chicken broth
• 1 cup (240 ml) half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• Salt, to taste

For the Vegetables

• 8 ounces (225 g) cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, finely diced or thinly sliced, about 1 cup
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• ½ cup diced green bell pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 4 ounces diced pimentos, drained

For the Chicken

• 4 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1½ teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional

Instructions

1. Cook the Mushrooms: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they release their moisture and begin to brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
2. Cook the Vegetables: Reduce the heat to medium and melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in the same pan. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper. Cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another 30 seconds.
3. Make the Roux: Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until everything is evenly coated. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, to remove the raw flour taste.
4. Build the Sauce: Gradually pour in the chicken broth while stirring or whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add the half-and-half and continue stirring until smooth.
5. Thicken the Sauce: Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.
6. Add the Chicken: Return the mushrooms to the pan, then stir in the cooked chicken, Cajun seasoning, black pepper, and drained pimentos. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 4–5 minutes, until the chicken is heated through.
7. Finish with the Peas: Stir in the frozen peas and cook for another 2–3 minutes, just until heated through. Taste before adding salt, since the chicken broth and Cajun seasoning may already contain plenty.
8. Serve: Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley, if using. Let the Chicken a la King stand for 2–3 minutes before serving; the sauce will thicken slightly as it rests.

Serving Suggestions

Serve Chicken a la King over warm biscuits, toasted bread, puff pastry shells, rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.

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