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Turkey a la King Recipe (with Leftovers)

Turkey a la King is an easy one-pot meal that comes together in 20 minutes. It’s a deliciously creamy Leftover Turkey Recipe that you’ll want to make all year.

Top-down photo of a gray plate filled with Turkey a la King sitting on a blue striped napkin over a wooden background.

Turkey a la King is a quick and easy comfort dish meal that comes together in under 20 minutes. 

Leftover Turkey a la King is a great way to use up leftover chicken or turkey, and the ways to serve it is endless.

This family favorite uses ordinary ingredients and is a perfect answer for when they ask “what’s for dinner?”!

Growing up, Turkey ala King would have been considered a foreign dish.

We were a meat and potatoes family with all of the benefits of fresh fruit and vegetables you can find in a Midwest agricultural community.

Side angle photo of a spoonful of Turkey a la King hovering over the dish. The title "Turkey a la King with Leftovers" runs through the center.

What does a la king mean?

Simply, the definition of à la king means “served in a cream sauce with mushrooms and pimiento or green peppers”.

In our opinion, à la king means easy comfort food. It’s like a pot pie without the crust.

This Recipe for Turkey a la King is a favorite in our kitchen and believe it will be yours for the following reasons:

  • Uses ordinary ingredients.
  • Versatile ingredients make it a recipe your family will love.
  • Perfect for using leftovers.
  • Tastes just as good the second day as the first.
  • One-pot recipe.
  • Done in less than 20 minutes.

We make this recipe a lot after Thanksgiving when we’re going through our leftover turkey recipes such as our Leftover Turkey Casserole.

You know, when you don’t dare serve one more turkey sandwich? The flavors in this Turkey a la King converts turkey into a brand new meal.

It’s also great for converting dry turkey into a creamy dish that the whole family will love.

How to make Turkey a la King

There are basically three steps in making the easy Turkey a la King recipe.

  1. Chop and saute the vegetables.
  2. Create the cream sauce using flour and stock or broth followed by cream.
  3. Add turkey.

I told you it was easy right?

Top down photo of a gray plate filled with Turkey a la King. The title "Turkey a la King with leftovers" runs across the top.

Variations you can make to this Turkey a la King Recipe

The definition in this recipe states that it’s made with mushrooms and pimentos.

We didn’t use pimentos because I rarely have them on hand. We love mushrooms in this recipe so always get some when I do my holiday shopping for our leftover recipes.

Vegetables – We’ll also include celery, onions, carrots or green or red peppers. You can clean out the vegetable drawer with this recipe!

Butter – We used unsalted but you can use salted. If you do taste the dish before salting it further. You can substitute the butter for cooking oil.

Turkey – This recipe is delicious with leftover chicken too. Grab a rotisserie chicken on the way home from work for an Easy Chicken a la King dinner.

Stock or Broth – Here’s another great way to use leftovers! Use leftover turkey stock or thin your turkey gravy to a stock-like consistency. The flavor will be over the top!

Cream – Just a little bit really adds a richness and velvety smooth texture to the dish. You can substitute the cream for half-and-half or even milk. Any variety will do.

That makes it perfect at any time of year! It’s warm comfort food in the winter and quick enough to make that it will not heat up the kitchen in the summer.

Close up of Turkey a la King on a gray plate shows chunks of turkey in a cream sauce dotted with red pepper, mushrooms, and green onion.

How to Serve Turkey a la King

  • Leftover Turkey a la King is delicious served over leftover mashed potatoes, stuffing, or dressing!
  • Spoon it over baked puff pastry or refrigerator biscuits for a semi-homemade meal.
  • Rice is delicious and adds whole grain to your meal.
  • Noodles make Turkey a la King a kiddo favorite. We love the wide noodles because they hold up well with this dish.

Leftover Turkey Recipes

Any dish that calls for cooked chicken or turkey is perfect for using leftover turkey. Here are a few you may enjoy. When we have leftovers, our go-to dinners include Chicken Pot Pie, Turkey and Cheese Rolls, and Turkey Stew. What are your favorite recipes to make with leftovers?

I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.

Top down photo of a gray plate filled with Turkey a la King. The title "Turkey a la King with leftovers" appears in the top right corner.

Turkey a la King

Author: Julie Menghini
Turkey a la King is an easy one-pot meal that comes together in under 20 minutes. It's a deliciously creamy Leftover Turkey recipe that you'll want to make all year long.
4.73 from 18 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword: Leftovers, Turkey a la King, Turkey recipe
Servings: 8

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1/2 cup butter salted or unsalted
  • 1/4 cup red pepper green or other colors work too
  • 1/4 cup green onions may substitute other variety
  • 1 cup mushrooms I use portobella but any variety will work
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • 2 cups chicken broth 14.5 oz can works
  • 1/2 cup cream half-n-half or milk will work
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • cups turkey cooked, shredded or diced

Instructions
 

  • In the bottom of a large skillet, melt the butter. Chop and add the red pepper, onion, and mushrooms. Saute until al dente or 5 minutes on medium-high.
  • Stir in flour. Continue stirring until smooth. Add the chicken stock.
  • Slowly drizzle in the cream, and stir using a spatula until the mixture starts to thicken.
  • Add the cooked turkey. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

This recipe is amazing served over noodles, potatoes, rice, or dressing. Make it your own by using the veggies that you have on hand or enjoy.

Nutrition

Calories: 215kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 8gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 503mgPotassium: 184mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 768IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

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Two photo collage for Pinterest. The bottom photo is a top down photo of a gray plate filled with Turkey a la King sitting on a blue striped napkin over a wooden background. The top photo is a spoonful of Turkey a la King hovering over the dish. The title "Turkey a la King with Leftovers" runs through the center.
4.73 from 18 votes (13 ratings without comment)
Recipe Rating




Jo

Friday 6th of October 2023

I just made this recipe. It turned out wonderful! I did use less butter though. One thing, you forgot to mention to chop the peppers, onions and mushrooms before sautéing. Thank you.

Julie Menghini

Saturday 7th of October 2023

I'm glad you enjoyed it, Jo. Thank you so much for the heads up. I'll head over there and add that.

Carolyn

Tuesday 29th of November 2022

I want to add the pimentoes. How much did the original recipe call for, please?

Julie Menghini

Tuesday 29th of November 2022

The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup of diced pimentos. If you buy canned, drain them first.

JimmyB

Thursday 28th of April 2022

I made this last night and it was absolutely delicious! Even my picky eater commented this morning on how good it was. I followed the recipe almost exactly. I have given up on keeping fresh red peppers as they are expensive and often spoil before I use them. So I use red peppers out of a jar. I used Vidalia onions. I used a 10 oz. jar of mushrooms. I used half & half and the turkey was a mix of light and dark meat. I served this over toast points and the flavors of each complimented one another. I will be making this again, probably with chicken if it is not right after a holiday. The only change I can think of is I might try to get by with a little less butter. Thank you for posting such an EZ and Yummy recipe.

Julie Menghini

Thursday 28th of April 2022

Thank you, Jimmy, for your breakdown of what worked for you in this recipe. It can be tough getting the kiddos to eat, and I sure would have loved being at your table for that amazing meal. Good to know that you think the butter is a little heavy. I'm sure our readers will love knowing that.

Jennifer Stewart

Thursday 10th of September 2020

The epitome of comfort food! My mom used to make this growing up and now I can make it like she did!

Julie Menghini

Thursday 10th of September 2020

I agree! Thanks, Jennifer!

Michaela Kenkel

Tuesday 8th of September 2020

I used this recipe for leftover baked chicken we had Sunday -- served it over biscuits and we LOVED it!

Julie Menghini

Wednesday 9th of September 2020

That's one of our favorite ways too, Michaela! Thank you.

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