The best coronation chicken
- Published: 20 Sep 17
- Updated: 26 May 25
Our easy coronation chicken recipe pays homage to a true retro classic: the recipe was first prepared for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. We’ve stuck fairly closely to the traditional version but have added a few modern twists to create the best coronation chicken recipe:
- Make a homemade mayo. Taking the time to make a homemade mayonnaise lifts the sauce. The shop-bought stuff has more of a tang, which can overpower the other flavours. It takes a little more effort to make but pays dividends in the final dish.
- Add greek yogurt. Coronation chicken should be creamy but not too heavy. In the original recipe, Constance Spry and Rosemary Hume mixed cream into the mayo to loosen it. We’ve used greek yogurt instead, which adds the creamy texture and flavour that cream would bring, but has a slightly lighter taste and fewer calories (but we’re not saying this is a healthy-eating dish!).
- Try mixing in mango chutney. The original recipe calls for apricot purée, but mango chutney brings a delicate, fruity sweetness with a touch more piquant spice. The chunks of mango also add texture to the sauce.
- Chicken get a glow-up. We roasted, rather than poached, the chicken, which is easier to do and adds that roasted flavour to the meat. We also made a curried butter to rub under the skin of the bird before roasting to add more flavour to the meat and keep it moist. Feel free to add your own twist (see Tips below for ideas).
Transform your coronation chicken into a light lunch or dinner with our coronation chicken salad recipe.
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Serves 8 -
Hands-on time 45 min, oven time 1 hour 15 min
Nutrition
- Calories
- 593kcals
- Fat
- 43.1g (10g saturated)
- Protein
- 40.3g
- Carbohydrates
- 10.4g (8.9g sugars)
- Fibre
- 1.3g
- Salt
- 1.4g
delicious. tips
Lightly whisk the leftover egg whites and freeze in a food bag for up to 3 months, labelled with the date and the number of eggs.
How to jazz up coronation chicken
Add fresh mango. Finely chop and stir in with the chicken and curried mayo (step 4).Swap the chicken for 2kg turkey roasting joints. The curried mayo is also the ideal foil for any leftover meat.
For a lighter version, use a mix of half-fat crème fraîche and greek yogurt instead of mayo. It will still have a creamy finish.
Scatter over chopped toasted pistachios or almonds or fried onions for crunch and texture.
Make up to a day ahead, cover and chill. Add the coriander just before serving. Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Off-dry rosé is surprisingly good with this.