Coronation Chicken

Here I’ll show you how to make Coronation Chicken in the easiest and most delicious way possible!

Coronation chicken is an absolute British classic. There’s a few different ways to make and serve it, but today I’ll show you how I make mine. I’ve kept its traditional roots in tact so if you’re new to this dish you’re in safe hands 😉. Follow me…

Coronation Chicken

When I tell you this stuff is running through my veins I truly mean it. This is actually one of the first recipes I ever made, and it’s still one I make to this day. Just quickly, for those new around here:

What is Coronation Chicken?

Coronation chicken is a cold chicken salad, most commonly served as a sandwich filler, but can also be seen in leafy salads and baked potatoes. It’s believed to have been created in the 1950s when it was created and served to Elizabeth II at a banquet.

What does Coronation Chicken taste like?

Coronation chicken has a really unique flavour. It’s creamy yet tangy and fruity yet savoury.

Coronation Chicken Sauce

I’m a firm believer that coronation chicken should have a saucy consistency. As such, it’s important that the sauce itself is full of flavour. Here’s what you’ll need:

Coronation Sauce Ingredients

• Mayo – Full fat whole egg mayo for a fuller flavour.
• Greek Yogurt – Many recipes actually use all mayonnaise, but I find it far too rich and heavy. As such I like to go 50/50 with mayo and yogurt.
• Curry Powder – I’m a sucker for spice, but here you really want more of the flavour from the curry powder, not so much the spice. As such I usually go for mild curry powder.
• Mango Chutney – This is a crucial ingredient. It adds fruitiness, tanginess and sweetness to the sauce, all of which are essential in coronation chicken.
• Lemon Juice – Livens up the sauce.

I like to make the sauce separate then incorporate it with everything else. This way you get more of an even distribution of ingredients and can easily adjust seasoning if needed. You can also make the sauce ahead of time and store in the fridge until needed!

How to make Coronation Chicken

Once the sauce is ready to rock and roll it’s all plain sailing from there. For the chicken itself you’ll want to use rotisserie chicken. That or you can fry up some chicken breasts, leave to cool and dice up from there. In both cases though it’s important the chicken is cold or room temp. If it’s still warm it’ll make the sauce go gloopy.

Coronation Chicken Fillings

• Chicken – discussed above.
• Coriander/Cilantro – This adds a nice burst of flavour and compliments the curry powder really well.
• Spring Onion – Spring onion is great because it offers a light onion flavour without overpowering. It also has a subtle texture which works great here.
• Sultanas – These are essential for coronation chicken. Can sub raisins.
• Flakes Almonds – These adds a nice crunch. Can omit for allergy reasons.

Can I make Coronation Chicken ahead of time?

Yep! You’ll find making ahead of time will actually allow the flavours to marry a little more. Just be aware as it rests it becomes less saucy, where the chicken begins to soak up the sauce.

How long does Coronation Chicken last in the fridge?

This depends on how long you’ve had the cooked chicken for. Chicken cooked the day of making this means the coronation chicken will comfortably last 3 days tightly covered in the fridge, longer at your discretion.

Serving Coronation Chicken

There’s a few different ways you can serve coronation chicken. Typically you’ll find it in two contexts here in the UK. First is in a sandwich filler, often found in supermarkets. Second is at a baguette/sandwich shop or some sort of deli. If you’re serving it in a sandwich I recommend Giraffe or Tiger Bread (something with a nice crust) and only add iceberg lettuce and butter. That’s how I always serve mine. You don’t need anything else!

Two other ways to serve coronation chicken are on a baked potato or with a leafy salad. Heck just grab a spoon already, I’m starving! 🤪

For more coronation recipes check out my Coronation Chicken Curry and Coronation Chicken Pasta Salad!
For another classic sandwich filler check out my Chicken Tikka Sandwich Filler!

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this coronation chicken shall we?!

How to make Coronation Chicken (Full Recipe & Video)

Classic Coronation Chicken

Here I'll show you how to make Coronation Chicken in the easiest and most delicious way possible!

5 from 7 votes

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Servings (click & slide): 5

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: British

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Calories per serving: 322kcal

Author: Chris Collins

Cost per serving: £2.50 / $3

Cook Mode(prevent your screen from going dark)

Equipment:

• Large Mixing Bowl
• Small Mixing Bowl
• Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
• Spatula

Ingredients (check list):

• ▢ 2 packed cups / 300g Cooked Chicken, diced into cubes (see notes)
• ▢ 1/2 cup / 120g Full Fat Mayo
• ▢ 1/2 cup / 120g Plain Unsweetened Greek Yogurt
• ▢ 1/4 cup / 60g Mango Chutney
• ▢ 1/4 cup / 40g Sultanas
• ▢ 1/4 cup / 30g Flaked Almonds, optionally toasted (can omit for allergy reasons)
• ▢ 1 1/2 tbsp Mild Curry Powder (can use medium/hot curry powder if you want it spicy!)
• ▢ 2 medium sized Spring/Green Onions, finely diced
• ▢ 1 tbsp finely diced Coriander/Cilantro
• ▢ 1/2 Lemon, juice only
• ▢ Salt & Black Pepper, to taste

Instructions:

• Sauce: In a small mixing bowl combine mayo, yogurt, mango chutney, curry powder, lemon juice and salt & pepper (to taste). Place to one side.
• Coronation Chicken: In a large mixing bowl add diced chicken, flaked almonds, spring onion, coriander/cilantro and sultanas. Pour in sauce and combine until everything's evenly distributed.
• Serve: Serve in a baguette, pita, wrap, sandwich, baked potato or leafy salad!

Quick 1 min demo!

Notes:

a) Chicken - Leftover rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken breasts (both cooled) work great here. If you've only got raw chicken, you can fry or bake that. 2 large chicken breasts (around 14oz/200g each) will equate to 2 packed cups of cooked cubed chicken.

b) Can I make this ahead of time? - Yep! Just tightly cover in the fridge and serve cold. How long depends on how long you originally had the cooked chicken. Chicken cooked on the day of making this will last 3 days in the fridge, longer at your discretion.

c) To Serve - I usually serve this in a sandwich or baguette (two most traditional ways) but a baked potato is rather tasty! 

d) Calories - 1/5 of whole recipe:

Your Private Notes:

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Nutrition:

Nutrition Facts

Classic Coronation Chicken

Amount Per Serving

Calories 322 Calories from Fat 193

% Daily Value*

Fat 21.49g33%

Saturated Fat 3.429g17%

Trans Fat 0.043g

Polyunsaturated Fat 10.994g

Monounsaturated Fat 6.204g

Cholesterol 52mg17%

Sodium 180mg8%

Potassium 318mg9%

Carbohydrates 13.25g4%

Fiber 2.2g9%

Sugar 9.28g10%

Protein 19.51g39%

Vitamin A 186IU4%

Vitamin C 5.9mg7%

Calcium 67mg7%

Iron 1.45mg8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition is based on the absence of salt unless stated as a measurement in the ingredients. Cost is worked out based on ingredients bought from UK supermarkets, then divided by the number of servings. In both instances these values are just for guidance. Please check out my FAQ Page for more info.

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Looking for more?You'll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook 'Comfy'

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