Easy Turkey à la King

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 07/18/24
Turkey a la King in a bowl

​The Spruce Eats

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 6 servings

Turkey à la king is a simple recipe made with leftover turkey and vegetables. Serve on toast, split baked biscuits, hot cooked rice, or noodles. It's great on puff pastry shells or cornbread wedges as well. For a lower-carb dish, serve turkey à la king with spaghetti squash, zucchini, or summer squash noodles, or cauliflower rice.

You could also use chicken in the recipe or add some ham to the turkey or chicken. It's also tasty with peas and carrots, mixed vegetables, or canned or frozen artichokes.

What Does à la King Mean?

The phrase "à la king" refers to a poultry dish that is served in a cream sauce with mushrooms, bell pepper, and/or pimiento. The most popular version is chicken à la king.

What You'll Need to Make This Turkey à la king Recipe
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A Sharp Chef's Knife
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A Medium Saucepan
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A Handy Dandy Slotted Spoon
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Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped green bell pepper

  • 4 to 6 ounces mushrooms, sliced

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 1/2 cups half-and-half (or milk)

  • 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

  • 2 1/2 cups cooked, cubed turkey breast

  • 1 (2-ounce) jar pimientos, drained and chopped

  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients gathered for turkey à la king

    ​The Spruce Eats

  2. Melt 5 tablespoons unsalted butter in a sauté pan or medium saucepan over medium heat.

    Melted butter in a pan

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  3. When the butter stops foaming, add 1/2 cup green pepper (coarsely chopped) and 4 to 6 ounces mushrooms (sliced). Cook, stirring for about 4 to 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the mushrooms are browned.

    Mushrooms and green peppers in a pan with butter

    ​The Spruce Eats

  4. Remove the vegetables to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside.

    Mushrooms and green peppers in a bowl with a serving spoon

    ​The Spruce Eats

  5. Add 1/4 cup all-purpose flour to the pan; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

    Flour mixture in a pan

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  6. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups half-and-half or milk and 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup. Stir and cook until smooth and thickened.

    Cream mixture in pan

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  7. Add 2 1/2 cups cooked turkey breast (cubed) and 1 (2-ounce) jar pimientos (drained and chopped) to the pan along with the cooked green pepper and mushrooms. Add 1/2 teaspoon onion powder. Taste and add salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed. Mix well and heat through. Serve and enjoy.

    Turkey à la king ingredients in a saucepan

    ​The Spruce Eats

How to Store Turkey à la King

  • Leftover turkey à la king should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Eat within three days.
  • Reheat leftovers in the microwave, stirring often, or on the stovetop.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

  • Try another protein - Replace the turkey with diced chicken, tuna, shrimp, or ham, or use part turkey or chicken with some diced ham.
  • More aromatics - Add about 1/4 cup of diced celery to the butter along with the mushrooms and bell pepper. Alternatively, you can also add 1/4 cup of chopped sweet onions or green onions (scallions) to the butter along with the mushrooms and bell pepper.
  • Try artichokes - Replace the mushrooms with quartered artichoke hearts (canned or frozen cooked).
  • Add more veggies - Add frozen cooked peas, a blend of peas and carrots, or mixed vegetables to the sauce along with the turkey.
  • No mushroom soup, no problem - Replace the condensed cream of mushroom soup with condensed cream of chicken, cream of chicken with herbs, or cream of celery soup. Not a fan of condensed soup? Add 2 extra tablespoons of butter, 2 extra tablespoons of flour, and one cup of chicken stock. Omit the soup. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
  • No pimientos, no problem - Replace the pimientos with drained and chopped roasted red peppers or omit them altogether.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
343 Calories
21g Fat
16g Carbs
23g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 343
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g 27%
Saturated Fat 12g 59%
Cholesterol 96mg 32%
Sodium 523mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 23g
Vitamin C 18mg 91%
Calcium 149mg 11%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 473mg 10%
*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.)