A lovely chicken dish created to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II back in 1953, Coronation Chicken is something that's still so special today.
Coronation Chicken is a cold chicken salad dressed in a creamy, curry-flavoured sauce. It contains curry powder, and other herbs and spices, along with chutney or jam and some sultanas or dried fruit.
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The history
It's quite literally a dish fit for royalty! The recipe for Coronation Chicken was created in 1953 by Constance Spry, a well-known florist and cook, and Rosemary Hume, a chef and teacher.
It was the dish created to to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and was served at the coronation banquet, which was held at Westminster Abbey in London.
Back to the chicken though.
Coronation Chicken was an instant success and remains popular today. It's a great dish that is best made in advance and can be enjoyed as a salad, on a sandwich and is perfect party or picnic fare.
Want more regal recipes? Check out my recipes for Queen Elizabeth II's favourite Chocolate Biscuit Cake, another for Jubilee Cake and the fabulous recipe for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Trifle.
The recipe
This is my own recipe for Coronation Chicken, based on the many versions I reviewed in preparing this post. It's mild, fresh and packed with flavour.
As I said above, though, it's such a great dish to switch things about a bit to suit your own particular preferences.
Ingredient notes
To make this dish you'll need:
- cooked, cold, finely shredded chicken
- celery, finely chopped
- onion, finely chopped
- dried apricots, chopped
- orange marmalade (or mango chutney)
- slivered almonds
- mayonnaise
- olive oil
- curry powder
- cinnamon
- fresh coriander
- salt and pepper.
What type of chicken works best?
Here, I bought a cold BBQ chicken from the supermarket and shredded meat from the breast, thigh and drumstick in my stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment and beat on low-medium for a minute or two.
You can also use a hand mixer to shred chicken or do it manually by using two forks (hold a fork in each hand and use them to pull the meat apart).
How to make Coronation Chicken
Once you have shredded your cooked chicken and chopped the celery, spring onion and dried apricots, it really couldn't be easier to put this dish together.Simply stir everything together in a mixing bowl until well combined. Place in the fridge and, ideally, allow the flavours to develop for a few hours before serving.
Serve cold on a Coronation Chicken sandwich or as a salad served with crisp lettuce. If you're celebrating something special, enjoy your Coronation chicken my favourite way – with champagne and potato chips (crisps) in the side. Fancy!
Recipe FAQs
Provided the chicken used in the recipe was cooked on the day of making the Coronation Chicken, it should last up to a few days in the fridge if stored covered. But please use your own judgment and discretion.
Yes. As I mention above, it was actually designed to be made ahead of time and reaches optimum flavour if made at least a few hours ahead of serving.
You can used a stand mixer or hand mixer to quickly shred chicken. Just place in the mixing bowl and mix until the meat is finely shredded. Otherwise, use two forks – one in each hand – to break apart the meat.
More chicken recipes
Love a chicken dinner? Check out these other recipes:
Made this recipe and love it? Please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. (And it really makes my day to hear how Nana Ling's recipes are being made, shared and loved all around the world! - Libby x)
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Coronation Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked, cold, finely shredded chicken
- 1 stick celery, finely chopped
- 1 spring onion, finely chopped
- 5 dried apricots, chopped
- 1 tablespoon orange marmalade (or mango chutney)
- 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon curry powder
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons fresh coriander, chopped (or ½ teaspoon dried coriander) (also known as cilantro)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Stir all ingredients together in a mixing bowl until well combined.
- Place in fridge and, ideally, allow the flavours to develop for a few hours before serving.
- Serve cold on a sandwich or as a salad served with crisp lettuce.
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