This easy Turkey a La King recipe is a creamy, comforting main dish that everyone will love. It takes less than 15 minutes to make, and it’s perfect for leftover turkey!
Have some leftover turkey? How about 15 minutes? If so, then you can make this easy Old Fashioned Turkey a La King! It’s a classic dish that has just a few ingredients, and it’s super simple to make.
I love this recipe in the days after Thanksgiving when I really don’t want to cook. Two days after the big day, I’ve usually had enough turkey and gravy to call it quits, so this is a great way to reinvent the leftovers into something delicious (this easy Turkey Tetrazzini is another one of those recipes).
You can serve the dish over egg noodles, like I did. It’s also great over rice, a thick slice of toast, or puff pastry shells if you’re feeling fancy. And you can customize the ingredients. Add mushrooms or frozen peas in place of the pimentos, or leave it plain. You can also use chicken instead of turkey. This recipe is super flexible.
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What You’ll Need
- Chopped cooked turkey (or chicken) is the star of this dish. You can use either dark meat, light meat, or a mixture of both.
- Butter, flour, and milk come together to create a delicious sauce.
- Nutmeg adds a hint of flavor that makes the sauce really stand out—don’t skip it!
- Jarred pimentos can be found near the pickles at your local grocery store. I used a small 2 ounce jar. See the “customize this recipe” section below if you don’t have them.
How to Make an Easy Turkey A La King
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to combine.
- Let the butter and flour mixture cook for one minute, then whisk in the milk. The milk can be cold when you add it—the temperature doesn’t matter in this case.
- Whisk in the salt and nutmeg, then stir in the turkey (or chicken) and drained pimentos.
- That’s it! I love that this recipe takes less than 15 minutes to make.
Customize This Recipe
You can easily change this recipe to your liking. Here are a few ideas:
- Use chicken instead of turkey. Rotisserie chickens are great for this dish. Discard the bones and skin and just use the meat.
- Add ½ cup of frozen or canned peas
- Stir in a small can of sliced mushrooms (or sliced fresh mushrooms sautéed in butter or oil first)
- Add ½ cup of frozen or canned corn
- Sauté chopped green pepper in the butter before adding flour
Frequently Asked Questions
Any cooked chicken will work well in turkey a la king. You can bake chicken breasts or chicken thighs, or use a rotisserie chicken.
You can omit the pimentos if you don’t have them, or don’t like them. Replace them with frozen peas (about ½ cup) for a pop of color! While not as traditional, frozen or canned corn works well, too.
Usually I put exact amounts of salt in recipes. However, since the turkey or chicken may be salted or brined already, it’s hard to tell how much you’ll need without tasting it. I recommend starting with ½ teaspoon. Complete all of the steps in the recipe and taste it. If it needs additional salt, add ⅛ teaspoon at a time.
You can use whatever cow’s milk you have on hand. I used 2%, but this would also work with skim or whole milk.
What to serve with turkey a la king
Turkey a la king can be served on top of egg noodles, rice, toast, or puff pastry shells. You can even use leftover mashed potatoes or leftover stuffing as the base for it.
If you’re using toast, use a thick slice that can stand up to the meat and sauce.
For the side, I love serving it with a big leafy green salad.
📖 Recipe
15 Minute Turkey a La King
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1½ cups milk
- ½–¾ teaspoon salt*
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons chopped pimentos
- 3 cups cooked turkey or chicken, chopped
- For garnish: chopped parsley
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and let cook for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the milk and whisk until combined. Let cook for 3–4 minutes, or until the mixture thickens slightly.
- Stir in the salt and nutmeg. Then stir in the pimentos and turkey. Let cook for 2–3 minutes, or until the ingredients are warmed through.
- Serve over egg noodles, rice, or on top of toast.
Simple quick and easy and delicious.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting.
Great recipe! I tweaked it a little. I added finely chopped onion in the butter (mixed with olive oil). It came out delicious! I followed the recipe closely, adding ground pepper to the white sauce. Ladled it over broiler-browned hogie buns, halved. Everyone loved it and confirmed that it had been a long time since having this dish. Thank you for the recipe. Also, the ability to adjust the recipe for serving size made it easy!
Forgot…no pimentos. I didn’t have it onhand.
Thanks for sharing your take on it—I’m glad you enjoyed it!