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Chicken a la King is an old fashioned recipe that absolutely stands the test of time! and veggies are coated in a luxurious sauce and served over biscuits in this easy, classic comfort food dinner.
This particular incarnation of the recipe is one that I've been making since the late 2000's. It's an adapted version of Rachael Ray's Long Live the Chicken a la King recipe, which I first saw on her Food Network TV show, 30 Minute Meals.
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🧡 Why we love this recipe
- It's pure comfort food - warm and cozy and absolutely delicious!
- Jazzing up the top store-bought canned biscuits with a little bit of cayenne or paprika make them feel just a little bit fancier.
- The biscuits soak up the sauce beautifully.
- This recipe is easy enough for a weeknight, and makes for tasty leftovers for another day!
📝 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make this classic chicken a la king recipe. It seems like a lot of ingredients but it really isn't a lot of effort to put them together (see recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full directions):
- Canned biscuits - from the refrigerated section at the grocery store - we like using large ones like Pillsbury Grands
- Ground cayenne pepper and/or sweet paprika - for sprinkling on top of the biscuits
- Dry white wine
- Chicken stock - I usually use reduced sodium
- Dried bay leaf
- Whole black peppercorns (optional)
- Boneless skinless chicken breast
- Olive oil
- Unsalted butter
- White mushrooms
- White onion
- All-purpose flour
- Kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Jarred pimentos or roasted red peppers
- Frozen green peas
- Fresh parsley - for garnish
🥣 Substitutions and Tips
When it comes to stock, I like keeping a variety of jars of Better Than Bouillon in the fridge. For this particular recipe, I use the reduced sodium roasted chicken base.
It's a lot more convenient than keeping cartons or cans of chicken stock in the pantry, and you can make as much as you need at one time. Use just one teaspoon of the base for each cup of water to turn it into a cup of stock!
My family absolutely loves enjoying chicken a la king spooned over biscuits, but there are other ways you can enjoy this dish!
It would also be delicious served over cooked pasta, like egg noodles, or even steamed rice.
If you wanted to get a little fancy with it, little bread bowls could be fun, too.
One of my favorite kitchen shortcuts that I use for this recipe is to buy whole mushrooms vs. pre-sliced ones. They're usually less expensive if bought whole, and if you have an egg slicer, you can slice them pretty quickly!
I bought this multipurpose slicer back in 2017 when a flimsier slicer tool broke, and it has been a total game changer! It slices all sorts of things, like eggs, strawberries, and in this case mushrooms, super easily.
I usually sprinkle half of the biscuits with cayenne and half with paprika. That way people have a choice between sweet or spicy. You may need to sprinkle them in different patterns or just note which side they are on since the color is pretty similar.
Feel free to play around with different spices and combinations for dressing up your biscuits!
✅ How to make this recipe
- Sprinkle the tops of the canned biscuits with cayenne and/or paprika and bake them according to the package instructions.
- Bring chicken stock, wine, bay leaf, and peppercorns to a boil, then slide in the chicken and simmer until cooked through. Remove from the liquid and dice once cool.
- Sauté the mushrooms and onions, then add the flour, seasonings, and slowly ladle in the cooking liquid.
- Add pimentos and peas, followed by diced chicken and cook till heated through.
- Split the biscuits in half and serve with the chicken a la king mixture spooned over top.
See recipe card below for full instructions.
If you're on the go and looking for more chicken ideas, check out this chicken-centric episode of my podcast: 🎧 52: Chicken Done Right: Kitchen Stories & Essential Tips.
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Print📖 Recipe
Chicken a la King
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 25 Minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Chicken and veggies are coated in a luxurious sauce and served over biscuits in this easy, classic comfort food dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 (16.3-ounce) can large biscuits, such as Pillsbury Grands
- Ground cayenne pepper (spicy) or sweet paprika (mild), for sprinkling on biscuits
- 2 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 3 whole black peppercorns (optional)
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (about 3-4 pieces)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
- ½ small white onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 (4-ounce) jar diced pimentos, drained
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven according to package directions for biscuits. Arrange biscuits on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with a little ground cayenne pepper or sweet paprika. Bake in the preheated oven until golden, then remove and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan bring chicken stock, wine, bay leaf, and peppercorns to a boil. Gently slide in chicken breasts, reduce heat to medium, and let them simmer until cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- While chicken is cooking, add butter and oil to a large skillet set over medium heat. Once melted, add mushrooms and onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and season with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper. Let cook for another minute.
- Pull chicken from the cooking liquid and set onto a cutting board to cool slightly. Meanwhile, ladle the hot cooking liquid into the mushroom mixture, stirring and letting it reduce a bit after each addition, being sure not to add the bay leaf or whole peppercorns to the mixture.
- Add the diced pimentos and peas to the sauce. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces, add it to the bubbling sauce and let it heat through, stirring as needed.
- Split the biscuits in half. Place 2 biscuit bottoms on each plate, top with a few ladlefuls of the chicken mixture, then cap with biscuit tops. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and enjoy!
Notes
Feel free to substitute jarred roasted red peppers for the pimentos.
If the poaching liquid doesn't fully cover the chicken, flip the pieces over occasionally to make sure they cook fully.
You can check the internal temperature of the chicken for doneness (165°F) with an instant-read thermometer.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 biscuits and ¼ of sauce
- Calories: 503
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 348.5 mg
- Fat: 17.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 2.7 g
- Protein: 58.2 g
- Cholesterol: 180.7 mg
Donna-FFW
If this is one of your favorite RRs, I have got to try it and I will. I read your posts all the time Ashley, you are so amazing with all these dishes. I always look forward to what you have to say!
Helene
I love making Chicken a la King. I haven't seen this recipe from RR before. Thanks for sharing.
Lo
Wow. This brings back memories... looks like the chicken a la king of my youth! YUM.
Ashley
This one really heats up well the next day, too! Plus, how can something this colorful NOT make you happy to be eating?
Katy ~
I haven't had chicken a la king in AGES. Terrific idea to used the canned biscuits ~ why didn't I ever think of that?!
Jhonny walker
I wondered where were you..with lovely recipes that melt my heart and mouth...this is just one of them!
Ashley
You guys are too nice!
I was having some trouble with importing photos into my computer, but I think it's all straightened out now. I still have a few more posts to update, and I'll be cooking again tonight, too. I really appreciate your patience and always love your comments 🙂
The Souper
To Big Flavors From A Tiny Kitchen:
You are a recipient of "The Lovely Blog Award". I adore your blog and appreciate all the hard work and love you put into your recipes! To see the award please visit
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Please pass this award along to 15 other deserving bloggers. Congrats!
The Souper
Felice/All That's Left Are The Crumbs
Wow, this recipe brings back memories. This used to be in regular rotation when I was a kid, but I don't think I have ever made it for my family. I must remedy that with this recipe.
Ashley
I never had it as a kid, but I've been making up for lost time as an adult 😉
Reeni
I never had this before and I have no idea why! It looks so comforting and delicious! Kind of like chicken pot pie only tastier.
Ashley
It's very chicken pot pie-like. I love the biscuits with it. Yum!
Ashley
This is one of my family's very favorite comfort food meals. It's so good spooned over biscuits, and leftovers are great for another night.