Serving a Classic Coronation Chicken Salad is so easy. Moist, juicy chicken is tossed in a curried sauce sweetened with mango chutney and topped with crunchy toasted almonds and fresh herbs. What's not to love?
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❓Why this is the best recipe
- It's versatile - This coronation chicken recipe works at any time of year and at any event. Use it as a delicious sandwich filling, a picnic lunch, or part of a party buffet spread. You can't go wrong, and it's such a crowd-pleaser.
- It's delicious - This dish is full of flavor and texture and tastes both rich and light at the same time. The curried flavors work so well and it hardly takes any time to throw together.
- It's a British classic - Coronation chicken curry was a recipe developed to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 so it has a serious legacy. It was then revived for the coronation of King Charles III in 2023! This is my family's take on the original recipe. Read more about the history of Coronation Chicken.
📖 Ingredients List
For the chicken
- Boneless chicken thighs—These stay juicy and are at no risk of drying out like chicken breasts can. The curried sauce that I make with yogurt further tenderizes the cooked chicken, making it unbelievably moist. You can also use leftover chicken if you have any you need to eat.
- Cooking oil - Use one with a high smoke point suitable for oven roasting. I don't recommend olive oil for this dish as it doesn't quite fit the flavor profile.
- Salt and cracked black pepper
Coronation sauce ingredients
- Curry paste—This is an excellent hack for saving time making a homemade spice mix. You will still need to fry it off to cook the spices and get the most out of them. You can also use curry powder, but you will need to add more oil to the pan while cooking it.
- Yogurt—Unlike most coronation chicken recipes, I include both yogurt and mayonnaise. Adding plain Greek yogurt gives the dish some vital acidity and prevents it from becoming too rich.
- Mayonnaise—You can use store-bought mayonnaise, but try to avoid the low-fat versions, as they lack flavor.
- Mango chutney - A classic coronation chicken salad recipe often contains dried fruits like golden raisins or apricot jam (apricot preserves). But I prefer to use mango chutney as that tropical edge really lifts everything else.
- Lime - You can also use lemon juice, but I prefer lime juice with this flavor profile.
- Flaked almonds - Toasted almonds give the dish some crunch and nutty depth.
- Spring onions - These add some fresh flavor and a splash of color.
- Fresh coriander—You can leave this out if anyone has the coriander gene and can't eat it, but I love adding chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) as a garnish!
The printable recipe card at the bottom of this post provides total quantities and step-by-step directions for making easy Coronation Chicken salad.
👩🏼🍳 Instructions
Preheat the oven to 185C/365F. Pour the cooking oil into the oven tray and add the chicken thighs, spreading them flat. Season heavily with salt and pepper.
Roast the chicken thighs for 15-20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 74C/165F. Allow them to cool and rest while you prepare the coronation sauce, then chop the meat into small pieces.
Fry the curry paste in a hot frying pan for a few minutes until fragrant, then transfer it to a mixing bowl. Mix in the yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, and mango chutney. In a separate pan, fry the flaked almonds until browned.
Stir the chopped or shredded chicken into the coronation mayonnaise dressing to coat it. Transfer it to a serving dish and garnish with the toasted flaked almonds, spring onions, and coriander leaves.
🌟 Top Tip
To get a good crust on the chicken and make it a bit crispy, place the oiled tray into the oven for a few minutes to get the oil nice and hot before adding the chicken thighs. They will sizzle! Then cook as detailed above.
👩🏼🍳 Chef's tips & serving suggestions
Serve coronation chicken with leafy salads, on top of jacket potatoes, in a sandwich, or as part of a bigger spread. I like to use it as a buffet lunch recipe, alongside other dishes like a pickled cucumber salad, or warm potato and asparagus in a dill vinaigrette. I also make a version with boiled eggs for vegetarians!
🍷 Wine pairing for coronation chicken
You will need something crisp and aromatic to cut through the rich sauce and work with the curry spices. I'd serve a Gewürztraminer or Grüner Veltliner with this easy coronation chicken recipe.
❄️ Storage & Freezing
Store coronation chicken in an airtight container in the fridge and consume it within 2-3 days. Whilst you can freeze coronation chicken, I find the texture of the coronation curry sauce can be affected upon defrosting so I do not recommend it.
🥣 Equipment
You will need an Oven tray, a Frying pan, and a large bowl to make this coronation chicken salad recipe.
❓Recipe FAQ
Coronation chicken is a curried chicken salad, usually served cold or at room temperature. It is sometimes called jubilee chicken.
🍽 Other chicken recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Have you tried this recipe?
If you make this recipe, I'd love to hear how it went! Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well. Your feedback helps other readers and is greatly appreciated.
📖 Recipe
Classic Coronation Chicken Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 boneless chicken thighs skinless
- 2 tablespoon curry paste
- 3 tablespoon mango chutney
- 190 grams (⅔ cup) plain yogurt e.g., Greek yogurt
- 190 grams (⅔ cup) mayonnaise
- 2 spring onions /salad onions
- 4 tablespoon flaked almonds
- 4 tablespoon coriander
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 185C/365F.
- Spread the chicken thighs flat on a greased oven tray. Drizzle more oil over the top and season with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 15-20 minutes or until a meat thermometer measures the internal temperature at 74C/165F.
- In one frying pan, quickly fry the curry paste for 1-2 minutes until it is fragrant, then transfer it to a large mixing bowl. In a separate frying pan, toast the flaked almonds until they are browned. Alternatively, do this in the oven on a tray but watch that they do not burn.
- Mix the cooked curry paste with the mayonnaise, yogurt, lime juice, and mango chutney.
- Chop the chicken thighs into thin pieces or shred them with two forks. Mix them into the coronation dressing.
- Plate the coronation chicken salad on a serving platter and top with the toasted flaked almonds, chopped coriander leaves, amd slices of spring onion.
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