Dairy-Free Chicken à la King Recipe (2024)

Ah, Chicken (or turkey) à la King—comfort food indeed. It's a dish made of chicken, cream, mushrooms, and sometimes sherry. Dairy-free and comfort food may not sound like they mix, but it is possible by simply substituting soy or almond milk for regular milk and cream. Combined with the flour and chicken broth, it makes the white sauce that is a signature part of this classic dish. Pimentos add a bit of unexpected flavor and a burst of color.

Chicken is an excellent source of highly digestible proteins, unsaturated fats, B vitamins including thiamin, vitamin B6, and pantothenic acid, and the minerals iron, zinc, and copper.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup onion (chopped)
• 1 small green pepper (chopped)
• 1 small (2-oz.) can mushrooms (or 4 to 6 oz. fresh mushrooms, chopped)
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups soy milk (unsweetened or almond milk)
• 1 1/4cups chicken stock (or water with chicken Better than Bouillon or regular bouillon)
• Salt to taste ifusing chicken stock (but not bouillon)
• 2 cups chicken (cooked, diced or shredded; or turkey)
• 1 (4-oz. jar chopped pimentos

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the onion for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the green pepper and mushrooms, and cook another 5 minutes or so, until softening. Add black pepper and combine.

2. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.

3. Add soy milk and chicken stock. Add salt if needed. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Add cooked chicken or turkey and pimento. Heat through and serve.
   

Variations and Substitutions

While keeping this dish dairy-free, you can use coconut milk in place of soy or almond milk. It will not impart a coconut flavor to the dish but will make it nice and creamy.

Replace peppers and onions with carrots and peas if you prefer, or use any vegetables you enjoy.

This is an ideal dish to make when you haveleftover cooked chicken or turkey or a fresh rotisserie chicken in the fridge.

Cooking and Serving Tips

• Try topping with fresh parsley.
• To keep this meal healthy and add some nutrition, serve this dairy-free Chicken à la King over "cauli-rice" ortoastedflaxseedfocaccia bread. Chicken à la King is traditionally served over rice, pasta, or bread.
• As an alternative to pasta, try quinoa pasta or chickpea pasta.
• This dish is best eaten fresh as soy milk doesn't freeze well, but if you'd like to freeze it, place it in an air tight container and freeze for up to one month for best results. Defrost before reheating gently over the stovetop.

By Team Verywell Fit
At Verywell Fit, we are dedicated to empowering you with the best answers to your most pressing questions, from healthy eating to exercise and everything in between.