Cooked cold chicken in a creamy, spicy sauce with sultanas and apricots, this Coronation chicken is a British classic!
It makes a fantastic sandwich filler, jacket potato topper or serve with a lovely crisp salad.
This is my super-quick version, using rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken – ready in less than 10 minutes.
If you’ve never heard of Coronation chicken, it’s a cold dish of cooked chicken (shredded or chopped) in a curry spiced mayo-based sauce with mango chutney, sultanas and apricots for sweetness.
Sounds like a bit of an unusual combination, but it really works.
It was invented back in 1953 as part of a celebration banquet for the coronation of queen Elizabeth II.
The recipe was widely published so that it could be enjoyed at homes and in street parties for the celebration.
This is my take on that classic dish.
📋 What do we need?
You can use leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken. Alternatively, poach chicken breasts in stock until cooked. Then cool them and chop them up.
🔪 How to make Coronation Chicken
Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.
👩🍳PRO TIP If you want to loosen the sauce a little, simply stir in a tablespoon or two of cold water.
I love to serve it on a nice crisp salad with red onion, cucumber and radishes, alongside a few flatbreads or slices of homemade bread – so people can make sandwiches out of it if they like.
Now that’s what I call a loaded flatbread ⬇️⬇️
🍲 More fantastic chicken salad recipes
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Coronation Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 7 tbsp (105ml) mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp Greek yogurt or crème fraiche for a creamier taste
- 1 ½ tsp madras curry powder
- ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp white pepper
- 3 tbsp mango chutney
- 2 tbsp sultanas
- 3 dried apricots finely chopped
- 500 g (1.1 lbs) cooked chicken breast roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp toasted almond flakes
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, curry powder, cinnamon, salt, pepper, mango chutney, sultanas, and apricots until combined.7 tbsp (105ml) mayonnaise, 3 tbsp Greek yogurt, 1 ½ tsp madras curry powder, 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp white pepper, 3 tbsp mango chutney, 2 tbsp sultanas, 3 dried apricots
- Add in the chopped chicken and stir to coat the chicken.500 g (1.1 lbs) cooked chicken breast
- Place in a serving bowl and top with flaked almonds, then serve as part of a salad or in a sandwich.1 tbsp toasted almond flakes
Video
Notes
- Swap out the Greek yogurt for regular, natural yogurt.
- Add in seeds – such as pumpkin or sunflower seeds, or pine nuts.
- Use low fat mayo (and low fat yogurt) if you’re looking for a lighter option.
- Use spicy curry powder if you want the Coronation chicken to be hotter.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Big hit! Makes wonderful sandwiches and tasty on a Triscuit. Thank you!
Toasted almonds are a huge plus! Don’t skip it! I also added celery & and red onion for more crunch.
I added the mango chutney and sultanas, too, and like this mix a lot.
Good use of left over chicken and and easy meal for busy working people ☺️
Why spoil a magnificent dish with mango chutney and sultanas; they played no part in the original recipe and they don’t add to the dish now.
Well I like them. So I added them 🙂
Coronation Chicken.
I have not made this for years.
It was wonderful to be reunited this old favourite again.
The perfect meal for a hot day with a crisp salad.
Monsoons coming soon to cool things down a tad.
My wife being Asian had boiled rice and I had lightly toasted garlic butter bread stick. YUM.
Only thing missing was 1 or 3 pints of fine English real ale, never mind have to do with what I have.
Peter.
Made this dish this evening with a salad, quick and easy to prepare. Really nice and tasty on a hot summer evening. Will be adding this to my regular recipes. Highly recommend.