Chicken à la King, the Retro Dish that Deserves a Comeback (2024)

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The one-pot meal is an American classic.

By

Laura Manzano

Chicken à la King, the Retro Dish that Deserves a Comeback (1)

Laura Manzano

Laura styles food for photography and video, develops and tests recipes for various publications and cookbook authors, writes about food and cooking.

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Updated March 15, 2024

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Having grown up as the daughter of a professional chef (and a Dominican immigrant), there are certain classic, retro “American” dishes that I did not grow up eating. You know the ones: slumgullion, pot roast, things containing concerning amounts of gelatin, ambrosia salad, or anything that is called salad that doesn’t actually have lettuce.

Chicken à la king was one of those dishes for me. My boyfriend, on the other hand, is an all-American boy from Virginia who did a cartwheel at the idea of me putting my spin on one of his favorite recipes. His dad would cook chicken à la king for him as a kid, whose mother made it for him when he was a kid, whose mother made it for her when she was a kid—you get the picture.

I’ve since learned that eating chicken à la king is like wrapping yourself with a warm blanket. It’s a dish I now make regularly, especially on cold nights—it’s quick comfort food, done nearly as quickly as the pot of white rice I like to serve it with. It’s also wonderful with egg noodles or served alongside biscuits or warm toast.

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What Is Chicken à la King?

The origin of chicken à la king’s name is a subject of debate. Some say it was created at New York’s Brighton Beach Hotel in the 1890s and named after its proprietor E. Clark King II. Some claim it originated in England, while others say it’s from Philadelphia.

Regardless of where it started, by the turn of the century, chicken à la king was everywhere. Records indicate that it appeared on roughly 300 menus from 1910 to 1960, but by the 1980s food writers seemed ready to pen its obituary.

As a relative newcomer, I say long live the king! Chicken à la king is creamy and luxurious but made with accessible ingredients: mushrooms, celery, peas, pimentos, a splash of sherry or white wine, cream, and chicken.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

This version is made with cooked chicken and is a great way to use up leftovers. If you don’t have any leftover cooked chicken handy, this is a good opportunity to utilize America’s dinnertime hero, a grocery store rotisserie chicken. The chicken can also be swapped with large pieces of silken tofu (a silk blanket!), cooked turkey, or even canned tuna (for something akin to tuna casserole).

Two traditional ingredients I thought were important to include are sherry and pimentos. If you don’t have sherry on hand, white wine or Madeira work just as well. And if you’d rather skip the alcohol altogether, that’s totally fine.

Pimentos are commonly found in a jar or can, usually close to (and also stuffed inside!) the olives on grocery shelves. If you can’t track them down, a diced roasted red pepper works great too.

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Chicken à la King

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time40 mins

Servings4 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)

  • 1/2 stalk celery, diced (about 1/2 cup)

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste

  • 8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste

  • 1/4 cupsherry or dry white wine

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream

  • 2 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken

  • 1 (7-ounce) can pimentos, drained, patted dry, and diced (about 1/2 cup)

  • 1/2 cup frozen peas

  • 2 to 3 cupscooked white rice, for serving (optional)

Method

  1. Sauté the aromatics:

    In a medium to large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and celery, and season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes.

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  2. Add the mushrooms:

    Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan. Stir to coat them in butter, and season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are softened (they won’t necessarily brown, and that’s fine) and cooked down to about half their volume, about 5 minutes.

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  3. Deglaze with sherry:

    Add the sherry or white wine and stir frequently until the liquid has nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes. (If omitting the alcohol, skip this step.)

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  4. Make a roux:

    Sprinkle the flour over the skillet and stir until no dry pockets remain and the raw flour has slightly cooked, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and heavy cream and stir well.

    Bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low and let thicken and reduce slightly, about 5 minutes.

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  5. Add chicken and vegetables:

    Add the cooked chicken, diced pimentos, and frozen peas (no need to defrost). Stir well and cook until chicken is heated through and peas are hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with rice, if desired.

    Chicken à la king can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat, add to a pan on the stove with a splash of water and cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes.

    Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a review below!

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    Chicken à la King, the Retro Dish that Deserves a Comeback (13)

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
488Calories
35g Fat
21g Carbs
23g Protein

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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories488
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 35g44%
Saturated Fat 18g92%
Cholesterol 137mg46%
Sodium 428mg19%
Total Carbohydrate 21g8%
Dietary Fiber 4g15%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 23g
Vitamin C 44mg221%
Calcium 75mg6%
Iron 4mg21%
Potassium 672mg14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Chicken à la King, the Retro Dish that Deserves a Comeback (2024)

FAQs

Chicken à la King, the Retro Dish that Deserves a Comeback? ›

À la king simply means served with a mushroom and pepper cream sauce. Chicken à la king is not generally restaurant fare because of its homely, made-with-canned soup image. It is a versatile family dinner, however: serve it on rice, noodles, or biscuits; and if you don't have chicken, tuna is just as good.

When did Chicken à la King become popular? ›

Chicken a la King was extremely popular in the 50s and 60s. So popular that you would think it was created during that time period but it was actually created in the late 19th century.

What is the meaning of Chicken à la King? ›

Chicken à la King ('chicken in the style of King') is a dish consisting of diced chicken in a cream sauce, often with sherry, mushrooms, and vegetables, generally served over rice, noodles, or bread.

What is Ala King sauce made of? ›

Ingredients. Corn starch, Wheat flour, Salt, Modified milk ingredients, Dehydrated vegetables (onion, carrot, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, garlic), High oleic sunflower oil, Disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, Natural flavour, Spices and herbs, Citric acid.

Where did turkey a la king come from? ›

Many believe it to be an American invention, as in chicken or turkey a la king. Historical accounts are rich on this subject. According to one source, the dish originated at the original Delmonico`s restaurant in lower Manhattan back in the 1880s.

When did chicken become so popular? ›

In the United States in the 1800s, chicken was more expensive than other meats and it was "sought by the rich because [it is] so costly as to be an uncommon dish." Chicken consumption in the U.S. increased during World War II due to a shortage of beef and pork.

What does the culinary term "a la king" refer to? ›

à la king in American English

(ˌɑː lə ˈkɪŋ, ˌæ lə) adjective. (of cooked fowl, fish, etc.) diced and served in a cream sauce containing mushrooms, pimiento, or green pepper. chicken à la king.

Is Chicken à la King French? ›

Chicken à la King may have a French name, but it has no connection to France. Its origin stories may disagree, but they all come together on the same point: This is a dish named after an American.

How do chickens say I love you? ›

Just as dogs are devoted and loyal, chickens show their affection for example by following you around. They can even run to you when you call them or eat treats out of your hand. They may even sit on your hand or shoulder or become lap chickens.

What is a chicken queen? ›

Other variations include chicken queen and chicken plucker. It is sometimes used as a disparaging vulgarity within the LGBT community, or seen as a slur against people in that community. The label can be applied to a man who seeks partners with the look of someone young, regardless of their target's age.

What is the royal sauce? ›

The official ingredients in Burger King's Royal Sauce are a mystery, but it's thought to include ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, relish, and a host of spices. The sauce mixes sweet tomato and mayo with vinegary pickles, basil, onion, and tangy garlic. It also has a hint of spicy mustard and a dash of ranchy flavor.

What is Swanson chicken a la king? ›

Enjoy Swanson® Chicken á la King Made with White & Dark Chicken Meat in all its glory, with chunks of white meat and vegetables in every bite. The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet.

What does Diablo sauce look like? ›

Diablo sauce, also known as fra diavolo, is a smoky and spicy tomato-based sauce with a tangerine-reddish colour. The sauce is usually eaten as an accompaniment with seafoods or used to flavour pastas. The term fra diavolo, from which diablo sauce got its name, is Italian for 'brother devil'.

Where does Chicken a la King originate from? ›

Some say it was created at New York's Brighton Beach Hotel in the 1890s and named after its proprietor E. Clark King II. Some claim it originated in England, while others say it's from Philadelphia.

What is turkey tetrazzini made of? ›

It's a baked pasta recipe using a creamy, cheesy white wine sauce as the base. Cooked spaghetti, mushrooms, green peas, black olives, turkey, and bacon make up the bulk of the casserole and then it gets topped with panko breadcrumbs.

Who is the king of turkey? ›

Turkey is a republic and does not have a monarchy or a king. The President of Turkey is currently Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

What chicken was the most popular breed in the US for decades? ›

People who answered the survey most often mentioned the breeds Rhode Island Red, Plymouth Rock, Ameraucana, Orpington, Wyandotte, Easter Egger, Marans, and Welsummer. All of these are egg-laying breeds producing colorful eggs. None of them lay white eggs.

What is the world famous Louisiana chicken? ›

Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken is an American fast food chain that started in 1976 in Los Angeles by Joe Dion, a Michigan native. Los Angeles, U.S. The company is a franchise venture where licensees pay for license rights and a flour and red pepper recipe used to coat the dishes but are otherwise not restricted.

Where did King Ranch Chicken come from? ›

King Ranch chicken is a Tex-Mex casserole. Its name comes from King Ranch, one of the largest ranches in the United States, although the actual history of the dish is unknown and there is no direct connection between the dish and the ranch.

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