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Super Easy Coronation Chicken

Apr 22, 2023 | 2 comments

Coronation chicken is a British classic for a very good reason, and this 5-minute recipe couldn’t be easier. Sweet, spicy creamy sauce mixed with shredded chicken might sound strange, but it’s a seriously delicious combination, perfect for salads, sandwiches or wraps. It’s also a wonderful way to use up leftover roast chicken.

Coronation chicken mixed in a small white bowl.

This recipe keeps things SUPER simple by using cooked chicken (it’s also the perfect use for any leftover juicy herb-roasted chicken), but you can cook fresh chicken if you like, and I’ve included instructions for that in the recipe card.

Originally created by Le Cordon Bleu as part of the celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953, coronation chicken has become a classic British dish, evolving slightly to become what we commonly recognise today. It’s most often used as a filling for sandwiches or wraps, but it’s also great tossed through a crunchy green or grain salad (or even just by itself!)

My favourite way to serve it is in gem or cos lettuce cups, which is what you’ll see in the photos below. This is a lovely fresh way to serve it and makes for a very tasty lunch.

Ingredients

Ten easy-to-find ingredients go into this recipe, and you’ll probably have the majority of them already.

Ingredients for coronation chicken, laid out on a white marble background and labelled.
  • Aioli. I love using aioli rather than plain mayonnaise here, just for the added garlicky flavour. Try my egg-free garlic aioli – it’s what I’m using and it really is delicious. You could of course use regular mayo, or use a mix of aioli/mayo and Greek yogurt.
  • Sultanas. If you don’t like them, use another dried fruit like apricots, cranberries or even mangoes. You’ll need to chop the apricots or mangoes if you do use them.
  • Flaked almonds. These provide a lovely crunchy element to the sauce and the finished dish, but you can use chopped almonds, or cashews, pistachios, walnuts or hazelnuts instead. And to keep it nut-free, use pumpkin (pepita) seeds or sunflower seeds.
  • Sweet chilli jam. Most recipes call for mango chutney, and you can of course use that if you prefer, but I never have it and prefer the depth of flavour sweet chilli jam provides.
  • Cooked chicken. Use either cooked chicken from the store, or this is a wonderful way to use up any leftovers you might have from a roast. Smoked chicken is also lovely here.
  • Spring onions (scallions). They bring freshness and I recommend including them, though you could use herbs like mint, flat-leaf parsley or coriander (cilantro).
  • Nigella seeds. These pair well with the spring onions, with their subtle onion flavour. You could use white or black sesame seeds if you can’t find them.

How to make it

Mix all the ingredients for the coronation sauce, then shred your chicken (or cook it according to the recipe in the notes below).

Combine the shredded chicken, coronation sauce, sliced spring onions and nigella seeds then mix well so that everything is well-coated in the sauce.

It’s now ready to serve. I love to pile it into little gem lettuce cups – they make a lovely crunchy and fresh vessel for the chicken. But you can use it however you like – in a sandwich, piled onto toast, tossed through a salad or as a topping for a baked jacket potato.

Got a question?

What’s the best chicken to use?

You can use whatever cut you like here – I’m using leftover chicken breast, but you could use chicken thighs or tenderloin.

Where did coronation chicken originate from?

The original recipe was created by Le Cordon Bleu to be served at Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation luncheon in 1953. At that time, it was called Poulet Reine Elizabeth and was chicken served in a curry cream sauce. Over time, it’s developed into what we now commonly recognise as coronation chicken, usually served cold or at room temperature.

How can I serve coronation chicken?

I love serving it inside a little lettuce leaf because it provides lovely freshness and crunch, but it’s great in sandwiches, inside baked potatoes or tossed through salads.

Like this recipe? Here are more you might enjoy

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave me a comment below.

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Coronation chicken mixed in a small white bowl.

Super Easy Coronation Chicken


  • Author: Kate Alexandra
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

Coronation chicken is a British classic for a very good reason, and this 5-minute recipe couldn’t be easier. Sweet, spicy creamy sauce mixed with shredded chicken might sound strange, but it’s a seriously delicious combination, perfect for salads, sandwiches or wraps. It’s also a wonderful way to use up leftover roast chicken.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1/2 cup aioli or mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup sultanas
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1.5 tablespoons sweet chilli jam/mango chutney
  • 2 tablespoons flaked almonds
  • 500g cooked chicken (or 500g raw chicken, see notes for the instructions if you need to cook your chicken)
  • 2 teaspoons nigella seeds
  • 2 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced
  • Baby gem lettuce, to serve (optional)

Instructions

 

  1. Mix the coronation sauce. Add 1/2 cup aioli, 1/3 cup sultanas, 2 teaspoons of curry powder, 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric, 1.5 tablespoons of sweet chilli jam, and 2 tablespoons of flaked almonds to a small bowl. Mix with a spoon to combine into a cohesive sauce.
  2. Shred the chicken. Use two forks to shred your cooked chicken into strips, then place in a mixing bowl along with the 2 sliced spring onions (scallions) and 2 teaspoons of nigella seeds.
  3. Mix the coronation chicken. Add the coronation sauce to the bowl, and mix it through the chicken so that everything is well coated. If you’re using the gem lettuce leaves, separate the leaves and wash them, then spoon in a couple of heaped tablespoons of the coronation chicken. Repeat with the remaining coronation chicken mixture, and enjoy.

Notes

HOW TO COOK YOUR CHICKEN: To poach your chicken breasts, fill a pot you have a lid for with enough water to properly cover the chicken and bring it to a boil. Once it’s boiling, add your chicken then put the lid on and bring it back to a boil (the chicken will drop the temperature of the water). Once it’s boiling again, remove the pot from the heat and leave the chicken in the pot for 20 minutes. After this time, carefully remove it, then follow the rest of the recipe. To bake your chicken breasts, heat your oven to 180C/360F fan, then place the chicken on a lined baking tray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, then bake for 20 minutes, until the juices run clear when you cut into it, or, if you have a meat thermometer, the centre of the chicken hits 75C/165F. Remove from the oven and continue with the recipe.

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: This is going to depend on when you cooked the chicken you’re using – chicken is fine for 4 days after cooking, stored in the fridge. If you’re using leftover chicken, the coronation chicken isn’t going to last as long as it will if you cook the chicken fresh.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: I love to serve this in gem lettuce leaves as little cups, but you can use the chicken as a sandwich filler (it would be lovely with no-knead focaccia or no-knead rosemary parmesan bread), as a topping for green salads or on top of a baked jacket potato.

SUBSTITUTIONS: I love using egg-free aioli in this recipe, but you can use regular aioli or mayo. Swap the spring onions (scallions) for mint leaves, flat-leaf parsley or coriander (cilantro, and use black or white sesame seeds in place of the nigella seeds. You could use chopped almonds, cashews, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts or dukkah instead of flaked almonds, or make it nut-free by swapping the almonds for pumpkin (pepita) seeds or sunflower seeds.

  • Prep Time: 5
  • Category: meat
  • Method: no cook
  • Cuisine: british

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 125g

Keywords: coronation chicken recipe, leftover chicken

Welcome!

I’m Kate, the creator behind Dished. I love creating flavour packed, simple (ish) recipes for you, designed for every day and special occasions.

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2 Comments

  1. Magda

    It wasn’t a bad call to triple the amount 😂 it was very popular over the coronation weekend. I never made it before but gosh how simple it is, we will definitely be coming back to this recipe

    Reply
    • Kate Alexandra

      Hahahaha yes it’s very easy to eat, isn’t it! So pleased you enjoyed it x

      Reply

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