lright, let’s be real, Chicken à la King sounds like the kind of dish you’d eat with a silver fork on a velvet throne while a butler named Charles fans you with a palm leaf. But in reality? It’s basically glorified creamy chicken, and thank goodness for that. Because it’s the kind of thing that tastes like a warm hug from someone who knows you really well (and isn’t afraid to add a little extra butter).

This Chicken à la King version keeps things simple but hits all the right notes. We’re starting with butter (because all good things do), a little garlic, some thyme to make it feel like we put in more effort than we actually did, and a classic roux made with flour but you can easily substitute this with cornstarch. Then, we stir in milk, chicken stock, and cream until the sauce reaches peak silkiness—like, “I want to bathe in this” levels of silky, jy weet. Finally, we finish with a bold pop of fresh lemon juice (emphasis on fresh… its game changer people) and coarsely ground black pepper and salt because life’s too short to under-season.

Now, Chicken à la King is basically a blank canvas. You can pour it over rice, mash, pasta, baked potato, toast or pap – why not? I went the rice route – fluffy, buttery, and salted just enough to make your tastebuds sing. Also, when I say blank canvas, I’m say you can add vegetables of your choice, just sauté them until they still have a slit bite to them and add to the white sauce.

Altogether, the Chicken à la King dish is comfort food dressed up just enough to trick your brain into thinking you’ve got your life together. It’s warm, rich, and deeply satisfying – ideal for those nights when you want something that feels a little fancy, but you’re still very much in “socks and no bra” mode.

I’d recommend you serve this with:

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Two photos on the left fried chicken breasts on the right a creamy Chicken à la King

Chicken à la King

This is my take on a good 'ol chicken à la king. Deliciously creamy, flavourful and perfect when served with fluffy rice, mash or even pasta!

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Course: Main Course

Keyword: chicken, chicken ala king, winter recipe

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

Servings:

Author: The Big Tasty Bite

Ingredients

Chicken à la King

3 tbsp olive oil
500 grams chicken fillets
3 tbsp butter
3 large garlic cloves
½ tsp thyme dried or fresh
6 tbsp flour or corn starch
1 ½ cups full cream milk warmed
1 cup chicken stock warmed
½ cup cream
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice about 1 medium lemon
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt or more to taste
½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper or more to taste

Instructions

Chicken à la King

Season the chicken on either side with salt. Start by bring a large frying pan to a medium-high heat. Add olive oil and season chicken breasts, once the chicken has browned on one side, flip and repeat. Remove once browned and set aside to rest.
In the same frying pan, no need to clean, add butter, garlic and thyme. Once bubbly and fragrant, add flour and stir. Once the mixture starts to become toasty and golden in colour, gradually add warm milk and chicken stock while whisking. Continue whisking until the mixture starts to thicken and there are no lumps left. Add the cream, fresh lemon juice, and Dijon mustard. Whisk until well combined.
Meanwhile, shred the rested chicken filets, once the white sauce is ready, add the shredded chicken and any remaining juices. Stir and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve with rice, mash, or pasta. Enjoy!

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