This Chicken A La King Recipe is always a family favorite. Biscuits smothered with a thick gravy filled with chicken and delicious green olives. A rich, creamy, and hearty meal.
Chicken A La King
Years ago, back in Tennesse, I was invited to a good friend’s house for dinner. They served Chicken A La King, which I had never in my life had before that night. I grew up in the midwest with chicken casseroles, meatloaf, potluck dishes, and meat and potato meals. This dish with creamy chicken and pimentos served over a biscuit was a new experience for me that I loved. You better know that I did not leave that house without the recipe.
If you are looking for down-home comfort food that’s easy to make and delicious, then you have to try this Chicken Ala King Recipe tonight. You won’t regret it. Topping a fluffy biscuit is a creamy Roux filled with mushrooms, olives, chicken, and green pepper. You’ll want to pull up a chair and dig right in, or just grab a fork and sample from the skillet just like I did.
What I like about this recipe for Chicken A La King
- It’s easy to make – It’s mostly made in one large skillet which means less mess to clean up
- Very little prep time – You can even use a rotisserie chicken to save time in cooking the chicken breast
- Using canned biscuits is a great shortcut for this recipe
- It’s a hearty comfort food meal. It reminds many of their childhood and is a nostalgiac meal
- The recipe is versatile. If you want to modify the vegetables in the dish it is very easy to change out for something you like better
FAQ’s
Make-Ahead and Storage:
Leftovers: Chicken A La King that is leftover can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 3 days
Can You Freeze Chicken A La King?
Yes! Cook completely, cool, and transfer to a container for freezing. It can be frozen for up to 1 month
Thawing: Chicken A La King can be thawed on top of a double boiler until warmed through. It can also be heated directly in a saucepan over medium heat – stirring occasionally until warmed through. The cream may separate upon reheating, so you may have to whisk it to help it come together again
Can I Substitute the Vegetables in Chicken A La King?
Yes! You do not have to follow the vegetables exactly. Traditionally the dinner has pimentos, bell pepper, and mushrooms, but they are all not necessary flavors. Some other vegetables that might go well with this recipe are frozen peas, onions, and carrots
Is Chicken A La King Healthy?
While this dish is full of nutrients and protein, it does contain a good amount of heavy cream and butter. It might not be the best dinner if you are watching your calorie intake
What is Chicken A La King Named After?
There are many proposed origins of why this dish is named A La King. The one that seems to hold the most merit is that a New York chef made it for the owners of the restaurant who had the last name, King. The owners loved the dish and the next day it was added to the menu as Chicken A La King.
What is Chicken A La King Made of?
It is mostly made in one large skillet and consists of cream, chicken, bell peppers, pimentos, mushrooms, peas, and onions. The creamy mixture is usually served over some type of bread like toast, biscuits, or pastry
What Do You Serve Chicken A La King Over?
Traditionally it is served over some type of bread like a biscuit, toast, or puff pastry. It can also be served over pasta, like egg noodles or rice
Tips and Tricks:
- use refrigerated biscuits as a shortcut
- rotisserie chicken is a great way to save time
- I like to use a cast-iron skillet to cook this dish in
- When stirring the flour mixture into the juices in the skillet, whisk quickly to avoid lumps
Key Ingredients and Substitutions for this Chicken A La King Recipe
- mushrooms – canned mushrooms are preferred as you’ll be using some of the juices from them
- green bell pepper – you can use any color of bell pepper. A red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, or orange bell pepper would be beautiful in this dish
- unsalted butter – use pure butter, not margarine if you can help it
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- ground black pepper
- heavy cream
- chicken broth –Â if you don’t have chicken broth, you can use vegetable broth or dissolve two chicken bouillon cubes in 1&3/4 cups of hot water
- cooked – cubed chicken breast – You can use a rotisserie chicken
- green olives stuffed with pimentos – you can substitute pimentos for green olives stuffed with pimentos
- Fluffy Store-Bought Refrigerated Buttermilk (or your favorite style) biscuits
How do you make Homemade Chicken A La King?
- Prepare the biscuits according to the package directions
- In the meantime – while those are baking in the oven…
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter
- Add the drained mushrooms and pepper
- Cook for a few minutes or until the pepper is getting tender
- In a small bowl, mix the flour, pepper, and salt
- Use a whisk to stir the flour mixture into the vegetables cooking in the skillet
- Turn the heat off of the skillet, and stir in the cream, liquid from the can of mushrooms, and chicken broth
- Turn the heat to medium/high and heat to boiling – stirring constantly for about 1 minute. The roux should turn into a gravy-like mixture
- Fold in the chicken and olives
- Serve over the baked biscuits
More Chicken Main Dish Recipes to Try
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Chicken A La King Recipe {Easy!}
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Description
A delicious roux filled with chicken and vegetables poured served over a biscuit
Ingredients
- 1 (6 oz.) can of mushrooms – drained but reserve juice
- 1/2 cup of green bell pepper – diced
- 1/2 cup of unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. of salt
- 1/4 tsp. of ground black pepper
- 2 cups of heavy cream
- 1&3/4 cups of chicken broth
- 2 cups of cooked – cubed chicken breast
- 1 (4 oz.) jar of green olives stuffed with pimentos – drained
- 1 package of Fluffy Store-Bought Refrigerated Buttermilk (or your favorite style) biscuits
Instructions
- Prepare the biscuits according to the package directions
- In the meantime – while those are baking in the oven…
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter
- Add the drained mushrooms and pepper
- Cook for a few minutes or until the pepper is getting tender
- In a small bowl, mix the flour, pepper, and salt
- Use a whisk to stir the flour mixture into the vegetables cooking in the skillet
- Turn the heat off of the skillet, and stir in the cream, liquid from the can of mushrooms, and chicken broth
- Turn the heat to medium/high and heat to boiling – stirring constantly for about 1 minute. The roux should turn into a gravy-like mixture
- Fold in the chicken and olives
- Serve over the baked biscuits
Notes
Make-Ahead and Storage:
Leftovers: Chicken A La King that is leftover can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 3 days
Can You Freeze Chicken A La King?
Yes! Cook completely, cool, and transfer to a container for freezing. It can be frozen for up to 1 month
Thawing: Chicken A La King can be thawed on top of a double boiler until warmed through. It can also be heated directly in a saucepan over medium heat – stirring occasionally until warmed through. The cream may separate upon reheating, so you may have to whisk it to help it come together again
Can I Substitute the Vegetables in Chicken A La King?
Yes! You do not have to follow the vegetables exactly. Traditionally the dinner has pimentos, bell pepper, and mushrooms, but they are all not necessary flavors. Some other vegetables that might go well with this recipe are frozen peas, onions, and carrots
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Sautéed
- Cuisine: American
~Melissa – RecipesPassedDown
