Chicken or turkey, rice, and vegetables including carrots, broccoli, and/or dark-green leafy; cream sauce, white sauce, or mushroom sauce
Common food
Photo: Wikipedia
This is a comforting, savory dish of tender chicken or turkey pieces nestled in a bed of fluffy rice, mixed with vibrant carrots, broccoli, or dark greens, all enveloped in a rich, creamy sauce. The texture is a delightful contrast between the soft rice, the firm vegetables, and the smooth, velvety sauce that coats every bite. It offers a balanced nutritional profile with a moderate calorie count, providing a good source of lean protein and energy from carbohydrates.
Calorie split: 16% protein · 45% carbs · 39% fat
↓ Full nutrition💚 Why it's loved
People adore this dish for its ultimate comfort-food appeal, where the creamy sauce unifies the savory chicken and wholesome rice into a warm, satisfying hug in a bowl. Its versatility is key—it's a beloved classic for weeknight dinners, potlucks, and using up leftovers, adapting easily to different vegetables and sauce preferences.
⚠️ Watch-outs & how to enjoy it better
The cream or white sauce can be high in saturated fat and sodium, and the refined rice may cause quicker blood-sugar spikes for some. To counteract this, opt for a sauce made with low-fat milk or broth, choose brown rice or add extra vegetables to increase fiber, and practice portion control by filling half your plate with the non-starchy vegetables first.
Key benefits
- Provides lean protein from poultry for muscle maintenance.
- Delivers complex carbohydrates for sustained energy.
- Contains fiber and vitamins from mixed vegetables.
- Offers calcium and healthy fats from the cream-based sauce.
- A complete, balanced meal in a single serving.
🍽️ Popular dishes
🌍 Where it's eaten
💡 Did you know?
The 'à la King' style, popular in early 20th-century America, was named not for royalty but for a prominent hotelier or a chess master, with the exact origin still debated by food historians.
Full nutrition (USDA data · scales with serving)
| Water | 73.3 g |
| Energy | 131 kcal |
| Protein | 5.3 g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 5.7 g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 14.6 g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 0.80 g |
| Total Sugars | 0.97 g |
| Calcium, Ca | 25.0 mg |
| Iron, Fe | 0.72 mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 11.0 mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 67.0 mg |
| Potassium, K | 104 mg |
| Sodium, Na | 346 mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.51 mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.05 mg |
| Selenium, Se | 6.9 ug |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 3.5 mg |
| Thiamin | 0.09 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.05 mg |
| Niacin | 1.7 mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.09 mg |
| Folate, total | 31.0 ug |
| Folic acid | 22.0 ug |
| Folate, food | 8.0 ug |
| Folate, DFE | 46.0 ug |
| Choline, total | 14.8 mg |
| Vitamin B-12 | 0.09 ug |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 79.0 ug |
| Retinol | 6.0 ug |
| Carotene, beta | 716 ug |
| Carotene, alpha | 304 ug |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0.00 ug |
| Lycopene | 0.00 ug |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 145 ug |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 1.0 mg |
| Vitamin E, added | 0.00 mg |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 0.10 ug |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 16.3 ug |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0.00 g |
| Caffeine | 0.00 mg |
| Theobromine | 0.00 mg |
Fat & fatty acid profile (per 100g)
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 1.0 g |
| SFA 4:0 | 0.01 g |
| SFA 6:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 8:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 10:0 | 0.01 g |
| SFA 12:0 | 0.01 g |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.03 g |
| SFA 16:0 | 0.70 g |
| SFA 18:0 | 0.20 g |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 2.1 g |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.07 g |
| MUFA 18:1 | 2.0 g |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.03 g |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0.00 g |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 2.1 g |
| PUFA 18:2 | 1.9 g |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.24 g |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0.00 g |
| Cholesterol | 14.0 mg |
Amino acid profile (per 100g)
Estimated from Turnover, chicken- or turkey-, and vegetable-filled, reduced fat, frozen — USDA does not publish this profile for Chicken or turkey.
| Tryptophan | 0.16 g |
| Threonine | 0.41 g |
| Isoleucine | 0.47 g |
| Leucine | 0.80 g |
| Lysine | 0.61 g |
| Methionine | 0.23 g |
| Cystine | 0.13 g |
| Phenylalanine | 0.47 g |
| Tyrosine | 0.37 g |
| Valine | 0.53 g |
| Arginine | 0.51 g |
| Histidine | 0.30 g |
| Alanine | 0.45 g |
| Aspartic acid | 0.80 g |
| Glutamic acid | 2.2 g |
| Glycine | 0.38 g |
| Proline | 0.87 g |
| Serine | 0.42 g |
| Hydroxyproline | 0.00 g |
FAQ
Can I make this dish lighter?
Absolutely. Use Greek yogurt or a cornstarch-thickened broth instead of heavy cream, swap white rice for quinoa or cauliflower rice, and double the portion of vegetables like broccoli and spinach.
Is this dish gluten-free?
It can be. Traditional cream sauces often use wheat flour as a thickener. To make it gluten-free, thicken the sauce with a cornstarch or arrowroot slurry and ensure all other ingredients are certified gluten-free.
What's the best way to store and reheat leftovers?
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of milk or broth to revive the sauce's creaminess, as it may thicken upon chilling.
Nutrient density (calculated · NRF9.3)
Nutrient Rich Foods index: beneficial nutrients (protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals) minus saturated fat, added sugar & sodium, per 100 kcal.
NRF9.3 index — Fulgoni, Keast & Drewnowski, 2009. Computed from USDA nutrients.
Weight-loss friendliness (composite index)
Energy density 1.31 kcal/g · 16% calories from protein · 0.8 g fiber · 1.0 g sugar per 100 g.
Composite of energy density (Rolls et al., 1999), protein & fiber satiety, minus sugar. A calculated heuristic — ranks satiety-per-calorie, not a clinical measure.
Dietary load (calculated from USDA values)
Potential renal acid load. Positive = acid-forming, negative = alkaline-forming.
Sodium-to-potassium ratio: 3.33 (lower is better — aim for ≤ 1)
Sodium:potassium per WHO potassium guidance. Computed from USDA nutrients.