Classic Coronation Chicken Salad

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You’ll be eating like a British royal with this Coronation Chicken Salad Recipe. Created for the Queen of England, this delicious salad features tender, shredded chicken in a creamy curry dressing with sweet apricots and raisins.

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Coronation chicken on bed of lettuce

Coronation Chicken Recipe

Though most everyone has a standard go-to chicken salad recipe, this curry chicken salad is literally fit for a queen! Greek yogurt gives the curry dressing a tangy twist while apricots, raisins and mango chutney add a delightful balance of sweetness. Finally, almonds are added for a little extra texture and crunch.

This classic recipe is most famous for being served at the coronation luncheon of the Queen of England. Though it was originally served as a filling in tea sandwiches, you can serve the chicken mixture over a bed of lettuce as a salad, in pita pockets, as an appetizer with your favorite crackers or as a filling for a full-sized sandwich.

Serve it with a bowl of soup, like this French Onion or Easy Potato Soup for a main course meal that’s always a crowd favorite!

Coronation chicken salad on white plate

Why We Love This Recipe

  • Delicious: It has a wonderful sweet and savory combination of flavors
  • Easy: This is a very straightforward type of recipe. Just cook the chicken or use leftovers, mix in the other ingredients and toss until coated
  • Awesome meal prep: The flavors are even better the next day, making it perfect for make ahead lunches.
  • Versatile:  You can serve this so many ways. Try it in sandwiches, salads, wraps, lettuce cups…you choose!

Want more easy chicken recipes? You’ll want to try this delicious Chinese Chicken On A Stick, Chicken Piccata or this easy Air Fryer Chicken Curry.

Ingredients 

Ingredients for coronation chicken
  • Cooked chicken breasts, shredded
  • Mayonnaise
  • Greek yogurt
  • Mangi chutney
  • Curry powder
  • Cinnamon powder
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • Salt
  • Apricots, chopped
  • Black raisins
  • Toasted almond flakes
  • Chopped parsley

👩‍🍳How To Make Easy Coronation Chicken Salad

Step 1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together mayonnaise and Greek yogurt.

Mayonnaise and Greek yogurt in bowl

Step 2. Chop the apricots and add them to the raisins.

Fruit mixed into mayo and yogurt

Step 3. Stir in the mango chutney.

Mango chutney added to yogurt mixture

Step 4. Add cinnamon, curry powder, black pepper, and salt.

Spices added to yogurt and mayo mixture

Step 5. Stir until smooth and creamy.

Yogurt and other ingredients for coronation chicken in bowl

Step 6. Mix in chopped parsley and toasted almonds.

Parsley and sliced almonds in bowl with yogurt mixture

Step 7. Stir in the shredded chicken meat and mix well until the chicken is coated.

Coronation chicken in glass bowl

Serve and enjoy!

Who Created Coronation Chicken?

The original recipe for this cold chicken salad was created by Constance Spry and Rosemary Hume from the Le Cordon Bleu London. Named Poulet Reine Elizabeth, or Chicken Queen Elizabeth, it was first served at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, all the way back in 1953.

It may seem odd that a simple chicken salad was served at such an important event but the ingredients, like curry powder, were not very common at the time because of post-war rations. That’s what made this such a dish a specialty in its day.

Coronation chicken salad on a bed of lettuce

How do I Make Mango Chutney?

You can buy store-bought chutney or make your own. Here’s a super simple recipe that you can whip up in minutes.

  • 3 cups diced fresh mango
  • 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
  • 1/3 cup golden raisins
  • 1/4-1/3 cups brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons finely minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons finely minced ginger root
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • Pinch of salt
  • Pinch red pepper flakes

Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, turn off and allow it to cool. Transfer it to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and store in the fridge.

Mango chutney in white bowl

📖 Queen’s Coronation Chicken Salad Recipe Variations:

  • Raisins: If you’re not a fan of raisins you can omit them or use dried cranberries instead.
  • Chicken: This recipe called for shredded chicken, but you can also cut it into cubes if you prefer your salad to have a chunkier texture.
  • Chutney: Instead of chutney, you can use apricot jam or peach jam. It won’t have the exact flavor, but it’ll give the sauce added sweetness similar to chutney.
  • Yogurt: If you’d like to use something other than yogurt, sour cream or creme fraiche are good options.
  • Other add-ins: Green onions or spring onions, a finely diced celery stalk, lemon zest, or just a little lemon or lime juice are all great ways to add fresh notes of flavor to the salad.

How Do I Cook Chicken for Coronation Chicken Curry Salad?

The original version calls for poached chicken breasts. You can add flavor to the poaching liquid with wine, bay leaf, lemon juice or other herbs and seasonings. We also love using rotisserie chicken or leftover roast chicken as a shortcut.

Scoop of coronation chicken

Coronation Chicken Storage Tips

Leftover chicken salad can sit out for a couple of hours. After that, it should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. We don’t recommend freezing it because the creamy dressing tends to separate.

More Easy Chicken Recipes

Coronation chicken salad recipe card
5 from 1 vote

Coronation Chicken Salad


Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 25 minutes
This delicious Coronation Chicken Salad, with tender chicken & dried fruit in a creamy curry dressing, will have you feeling like royalty!

Equipment

Ingredients
 

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, mix together mayonnaise and Greek yogurt.
    6 tablespoon mayonnaise, 3 tablespoon Greek yogurt
  • Add the raisins and chopped apricots.
    2 tablespoons raisins, 5 dried apricots
  • Stir in the mango chutney.
    2 tablespoon mango chutney
  • Add cinnamon, curry powder, black pepper, and salt.
    1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoon curry powder, ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • Stir until smooth and creamy.
  • Mix in almonds and chopped parsley.
    2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • Stir in the shredded chicken meat and mix well until the chicken is coated.
    1.1 lb cooked chicken breasts
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

If you can’t find chutney, you can use apricot jam or peach jam. It won’t have the exact flavor, but it’ll give the sauce added sweetness similar to chutney.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 310mg | Potassium: 592mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 581IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2mg
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used.

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