Easy Creamy Chicken a la King

I originally shared this recipe on September 16th, 2016. I have new images and updated some of the text today.

Why You’ll Love This Creamy Easy Chicken a la King

When I developed this recipe in 2016, I knew I wanted to make a Chicken A La King recipe in my own healthy veggie forward way, but to give it that creamy comfort food classic flavor at the same time. I also wanted to make sure it was a simple enough recipe that it would be ready in a half-hour for a busy weeknight. This is a great recipe for when you want to have something cozy and comforting but don’t have a ton of time! You can even use leftover cooked chicken to make this recipe even faster.

What Is Chicken A La King?

Though I remember eating this meal as a child, I wasn’t entirely sure that it was the way I remembered it. So I consulted my copy of The Joy of Cooking before working on this recipe. I found that Chicken a la King is a classic dish consisting of creamy chicken and gravy with red pepper, fresh mushrooms and sherry cream sauce. The timing of it’s origin is unkown, but it gained popularity in the early 1900s. It is typically served in a golden and buttery puff pastry shell (vol au vent.) It can also be served over rice, toast points, noodles or buttermilk biscuits. Some versions contain sweet peas too.

The Joy of Cooking recipe calls for serving almonds on top. Though my mom never served hers with almonds, I really enjoy the texture they add to the final dish and have added them here.

After testing and retesting this recipe, the resulting 30 minute dinner is both creamy and comforting, but our lighter version is lower in calories than most Chicken A La King recipes. You can skip the egg noodles to shave off even more calories and serve it with Cauliflower Rice instead.

Ingredients For This Recipe

• 8 ounces pappardelle pasta or whole wheat egg noodles. You can also serve this in puff pastry shells or over your favorite biscuits.
• 2 large chicken breasts, about 1 pound. See our thawing chicken instructions here. You can also substitute cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken.
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons organic canola oil or avocado oil (you can also use olive oil if you prefer)
• 1 10-ounce package mushrooms, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced (Many recipes call for red pimentos- if you prefer a shortcut, use frozen bell peppers and add to the sauce with the chicken.) If you like green peppers, you can use one instead.
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry (This can be purchased at the liquor or package store. Avoid cooking sherry which often includes sodium)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth or sub in homemade chicken stock and add an extra pinch of salt.
• ¼ cup half and half
• ¼ cup toasted sliced almonds
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Step-By-Step Instructions To Make Chicken A La King

Step 1: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook whole-wheat egg noodles according to package instructions. Drain well and keep hot.

Step 2: Meanwhile, place chicken breast in a medium saucepan and cover completely with cold tap water. Place over high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, turning in the poaching liquid occasionally until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and cooked through, 12 to 16 minutes, depending on thickness of the meat. Remove the chicken and cut into cubes.

Step 3: While pasta and chicken cook, heat one tbsp butter and oil in a large skillet or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, swirling to melt butter. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have softened and released their juices, and the juices have evaporated and the vegetables are starting to brown, 8 to 12 minutes.

Step 4: Add sherry to the mushroom mixture and cook, stirring until evaporated. Stir in flour to coat the vegetable mixture.

Step 5: Add broth and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the flour is dissolved into the broth. Bring to a simmer, stirring often. Add chicken and return to a simmer, stirring often until the chicken is heated through and the sauce is thick.

Step 6: Remove from the heat and stir in half and half. Serve the chicken and sauce over the noodles. Top with almonds and parsley. Serve hot.