This classic British dish is decadent and super simple. Bring something a little regal to the table with this creamy and delicious Coronation Chicken recipe. Enjoy it in sandwiches, wraps, salads or even jacket potatoes.
Is Coronation Chicken the tastiest sandwich (and possibly even baked potato) filling ever? I’m saying hard yes.
It was an absolute joy when I went for a fancy afternoon tea last Christmas and finger sandwiches with this filling were presented. Just THE BEST.
This homemade version has a creamy, tangy, nutty and slightly curried flavour, the unique creation that is Coronation Chicken is a tasty treat, but it’s also SO easy to recreate.
Why you’ll love this Coronation Chicken recipe
Tried-and-tested simple recipe with loads of flavour
Ready in about 20 minutes
Elevates any picnic, special lunch or just your average sandwich!
How we came up with this recipe
I am a big fan of Coronation Chicken and I wanted to share with you my version of this classic recipe that I’ve been making for many years.
Typically, this dish involves poaching the chicken, but I always like to roast chicken breasts instead because:
- It gives an additional layer of flavour to the meat
- Chicken breasts are easier to handle than a whole chicken
Once we’ve roasted our meat, we’re simply chopping it up and mixing the chicken chunks with the rest of the ingredients, which are regular store cupboard basics too… and that’s it!
Of course, you can always use this recipe as a way of using up your leftover roast chicken too if you have any.
I know a lot of Coronation Chicken recipes these days use sultanas, but I use dried apricots instead as I prefer the texture (this is also truer to the original version of the dish).
Where does Coronation Chicken come from?
Coronation Chicken was created to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne in 1953 at the Le Cordon Bleu London cookery school.
As part of our recent history, ‘Poulet Reine Elizabeth’ has become much-loved and its popularity continues today.
How and why the official coronation dish took this form is quite fascinating, from the fact it had to be a cold dish because of the kitchen wasn’t big enough at the Westminster School – where food was served to foreign representatives attending the event – to the fact that it was created as the UK was still in the thick of post-World War II rationing, so would have been seen as luxurious.
Read more about it here on Le Cordon Bleu London.
Coronation Chicken Ingredients Notes
- Chicken breasts – This recipe uses x4 chicken breasts, which is roughly 650g. Skinless and boneless are easiest to handle, but you an also remove the skin or bone yourself if you prefer.
- For the marinade – Coat the chicken in Greek yoghurt and mild curry powder
- For the rest of the sauce – This is made up of mayonnaise, more Greek yoghurt, mango chutney, mild curry powder, chopped dried apricots, flaked toasted almonds and salt and pepper
How to make Coronation Chicken
1. Mix the Greek yoghurt and curry powder with the chicken until coated, then roast as per the recipe below.
2. Once cooked and cooled, slice the chicken up and add the rest of the ingredients into a bowl. Mix well.
Substitutions
- Sultanas – If you prefer yours with sultanas, feel free to use these instead of apricots
- Precooked chicken – If you have some cooked chicken to use up, go ahead and mix this into the sauce ingredients. It might not have quite the same depth of flavour but it will still be delicious
Leftovers
In the fridge It’s fine to keep any leftovers in the fridge for about 2 days. It tends to go a little watery after that so I wouldn’t recommend storing it any longer.
In the freezer Coronation chicken isn’t suitable for freezing as the yoghurt and mayonnaise mixture can split on defrosting. You could however cook and freeze the roasted chicken part in advance. Then defrost and add the dressing.
Top tipS
How to serve Coronation Chicken
There are many ways! Traditionally you’ll find it in sandwiches, often delicate finger sandwiches served with afternoon tea, but you can eat it however you like.
As well as the traditional sarnie, you could also enjoy it in wraps or flatbreads, with a salad or even in a jacket potato.
Shred or chop the chicken
It’s up to you how you prefer to eat this. You can either chop the chicken into chunks to the size you like it, or you can shred it up with two forks once it’s been cooked.
More sandwich ideas…
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FAQs
Yes, you can use low fat or full fat for this recipe. Your choice.
Sure, simply use a hotter curry powder! We’re using mild for this recipe, but if you use regular or hot curry powder, you’ll get more heat.
They really do add something to the flavour and texture, but it’s fine to leave them out if you have allergies or don’t like them.
Yes! It’s a cold dish so it’s fine to make it a day or two before you eat it. Just make sure to cover it well and keep it in the fridge.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Coronation Chicken {Easy Recipe}
Ingredients
To cook the chicken:
- 650 g Chicken breasts x4 breasts
- 3 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 1 tbsp Mild curry powder
For the sauce:
- 6 tbsp Mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 2 tbsp Mango chutney
- 2 tsp Mild curry powder
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp Dried apricots Chopped
To serve:
- 2 tbsp Flaked toasted almonds
Instructions
To cook the chicken breasts:
-
Preheat the oven to 200C.
-
Mix the Greek yoghurt and curry powder with the chicken until it’s coated well.
-
Grease some foil with olive oil on a baking tray. Place the chicken on top.
-
Roast this for about 18 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.
-
Leave to cool.
To make the coronation chicken:
-
Shred, slice or chop the chicken.
-
Put the chicken into a large bowl with the rest of the sauce ingredients and mix until well combined.
-
Sprinkle over the almonds to serve.
Notes
Precooked chicken: If you have some cooked chicken to use up, go ahead and mix this into the sauce ingredients. It might not have quite the same depth of flavour but it will still be delicious
Serving suggestions: As well as the traditional sandwich, you could also enjoy it in wraps or flatbreads, in a salad or even in a jacket potato
Slicing: You can either chop the chicken into chunks to the size you like it, or you can shred it up with two forks once it’s been cooked.
To freeze: As long as you freeze this soon after cooking, you can keep it frozen until you want to eat it, and then enjoy it cold. No need for reheating.
Nutrition
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