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Coronation Chicken
Coronation chicken is creamy, gently spiced, and full of sweet and savoury flavour, with tender chicken folded through a curried mayonnaise dressing with fruity, tangy notes. It’s simple to prepare and works beautifully in sandwiches, wraps, salads, or as part of a relaxed lunch spread. This is one of those classic recipes that manages to feel both nostalgic and genuinely useful, especially when you’ve got leftover cooked chicken to use up.
Coronation Chicken
This coronation chicken has become one of my favourite ways to use up leftover roast chook. Creamy, lightly spiced, and full of flavour, it’s perfect in sandwiches, wraps, or spooned over salad. I make mine with mayonnaise, curry powder, mango chutney, and a few pantry staples – quick to whip up and always a hit. It’s a retro classic for a reason, and once you’ve tried homemade coronation chicken, you’ll never reach for a store-bought version again.
Ingredients
- 500g cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
- 100g mayonnaise
- 100g mango chutney
- Juice of 2 limes
- 3 tsp mild curry powder
- Maldon sea salt flakes, to taste
Instructions
- Mix together the mayonnaise, mango chutney, lime juice, curry powder, and a large pinch of Maldon sea salt flakes in a bowl until well combined.
- Add the chicken and stir through until everything is evenly coated in the creamy sauce.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then serve.
Notes
- Coronation chicken is a British classic that's been a staple of sandwich shops and buffet tables since it was created for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953. This version is simple, punchy, and comes together in minutes.
- Leftover roast chicken or rotisserie chicken from the deli works brilliantly here. This is one of the best uses for leftover chicken there is.
- Mango chutney adds sweetness, fruitiness, and a slight tang that's essential to the flavour of coronation chicken. Major Grey's is the classic brand but any good quality mango chutney works well.
- Mild curry powder keeps the heat gentle and the flavour warm and aromatic rather than spicy. If you want more heat, add an extra teaspoon or switch to a medium curry powder.
- Lime juice adds brightness and cuts through the richness of the mayonnaise. Don't substitute with lemon juice as the flavour profile is slightly different.
- For extra texture, add a handful of sultanas, roughly chopped toasted almonds, or finely sliced spring onions to the finished dish.
- Using a good quality mayonnaise makes a difference here. Homemade olive oil mayonnaise is brilliant if you have it, but a good store-bought mayo works just as well.
- This keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The flavours actually improve after a few hours as everything melds together. Give it a good stir before serving as it can separate slightly as it sits.
- Not suitable for freezing as the mayonnaise-based sauce will split and become watery after defrosting.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 343Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 5gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 172mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 21g
Please note, this nutrition information is to be used as a guide only. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Serve this with
- Make it with my Homemade Olive Oil Mayonnaise for a richer, fresher base. It works beautifully with the curry spices, mango chutney and chicken without overpowering the filling.
- Serve alongside my Coronation Egg Salad for something a little different. They share the same gently spiced, creamy flavour profile and work brilliantly together for lunches or entertaining.
- Spoon into sandwiches, wraps or croissants with crisp lettuce for an easy lunch. The creamy chicken filling works best with something simple that lets the curry and mango flavours shine.
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Probably the Best Coronation Chicken Recipe
The perfect recipe for the upcoming coronation of King Charles III!
Let’s talk coronation chicken, shall we? It’s one of those things that sounds a bit weird when you first hear about it – curry powder? With mayo? And chutney?? But trust me, it works. This Coronation Chicken Recipe has become my go-to when I want something that feels a little special but is ridiculously easy. I like mine with loads of curry powder and a generous spoonful of mango chutney because life’s too short for bland chicken. It’s sweet, it’s savoury, it’s comforting, and honestly, it’s just so British in the best possible way.
If you grew up in the UK and never had coronation chicken, did you even really grow up in the UK? It’s one of those classic picnic or party dishes that shows up everywhere, usually sandwiched between two bits of bread or dolloped on a buffet plate. When I lived in Scotland, I’d wander down to Billington’s of Lenzie and get myself a toasted coronation chicken sandwich on gluten-free bread, and it was pure happiness in a bite. That golden colour, the hint of spice, a little bit of crunch from lettuce – it cheered up even the greyest of Scottish days.
Now that I’m back in Australia, I still make it all the time, especially when I have friends over. It’s easy, it’s nostalgic, and it tastes like a home I no longer have. Whether you tuck it into a sandwich, throw it on a salad, or just eat it straight from the bowl with a fork (no judgement here, I do it too), it’s one of those recipes that makes you feel like everything’s going to be okay.
Friends for Lunch
I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since I moved back to Australia. Between unpacking my life and adjusting to being home again, I still haven’t caught up with half the people I meant to. But when I do, you better believe I’m pulling something out of the kitchen. It’s how I show love, say thank you, or just say, “hey, I missed you.” And yes, I’m the friend who always has an apron on and something simmering when you walk in.
A little while ago, one of my mates offered to help with my poor, neglected garden. It had turned into an overgrown jungle, the kind that laughs at you when you think one Sunday afternoon will fix it. In return, I did what I do best and cooked up a feast: chicken shish, saffron rice, quinoa tabbouleh, garlicky yoghurt dip – the whole works. While they were out sweating and digging, I stayed cool in the kitchen, pretending I was on MasterChef and not just very grateful for the help.
That day was lovely. The garden looked halfway respectable by the end of it, and for once, I remembered to actually take photos of the food before it got demolished. Usually I forget until I’m scraping the last bits off the plate. Cooking for friends always fills my heart a little, especially when we’re all laughing, eating, and catching up like no time has passed. And yes, that was the day I started thinking about making a proper batch of coronation chicken again. You can’t go wrong with it.
Weeknight Wins
After a full day at work, the last thing I want to do is spend an hour cooking dinner. If it takes longer than ten minutes and creates more than two dishes, it’s a hard no from me. That’s why coronation chicken is a weeknight hero. I can make a batch on the weekend and use it for lazy dinners and quick lunches all week. This week I’ve got Schar’s gluten-free Pane Casereccio ready to go – toast it, add some watercress, slap on a generous scoop of coronation chicken, and boom. Dinner is served.
It’s the little things that make a big difference when you’re tired. Having something already made and waiting in the fridge feels like a gift from past-you to future-you. Weeknight dinners at mine tend to be very low effort – soup, toasties, or if I’m really winning at life, leftovers. But lunch? That’s when I like something a bit more nourishing. Coronation chicken is perfect for that. It feels like you’ve gone to a café, but you’re still in your slippers.
I always spend part of my weekend cooking and prepping meals for the week ahead. It makes life so much easier and stops me resorting to cereal or crackers for dinner. This one is especially handy because it gets better after a day or two. All those flavours soak into the chicken and mellow out beautifully. So if you’re knackered at the end of the day but still want to eat something delicious and homemade, this recipe might just save your sanity.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the history behind coronation chicken?
It was created in 1953 for the banquet celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, developed by Constance Spry and Rosemary Hume. It’s been a staple of British sandwich shops, buffet tables, and deli counters ever since, which is a reasonable track record for a dish that takes ten minutes to make.
Can I use leftover chicken?
Yes, and it’s arguably the best use case for this recipe. Leftover roast chicken or rotisserie chicken from the deli both work brilliantly because they’re already seasoned and have more depth of flavour than freshly poached unseasoned breast. This is one of the best things you can do with leftover chicken.
Why lime juice rather than lemon?
Lime has a slightly different acidity and a tropical fruitiness that complements the mango chutney in a way that lemon doesn’t quite replicate. Given that mango chutney is already doing tropical work in the sauce, lime juice ties everything together more cohesively than lemon would.
Ingredient breakdown
Cooked chicken
Chopped or shredded, whichever gives you the texture you prefer. Leftover roast chicken or rotisserie chicken is the best option because it’s already seasoned and has considerably more flavour than freshly cooked plain breast. Any cooked chicken works here though, including poached breast or deli-bought sliced chicken. The sauce is robust enough to carry almost anything.
Mayonnaise
The creamy base of the sauce that everything else is stirred into. A good quality mayonnaise makes a noticeable difference in something this simple where the sauce is doing most of the work. The homemade olive oil mayonnaise from this collection is brilliant here if you have it. A good store-bought mayo works just as well.
Mango chutney
The ingredient that makes coronation chicken coronation chicken rather than just curried chicken salad. It adds sweetness, fruitiness, and a slight tang that is essential to the character of the dish. Major Grey’s is the classic brand but any good quality mango chutney works well. Don’t reduce the amount because the balance between the chutney and the curry powder is what makes the sauce taste right.
Lime juice
Two limes, which adds brightness and cuts through the richness of the mayonnaise while complementing the tropical fruitiness of the mango chutney. Fresh lime juice only. Don’t substitute with lemon because the flavour profile shifts noticeably and the lime-mango combination is part of what makes this version work.
Mild curry powder
Three teaspoons of mild curry powder, which gives the sauce its characteristic warm, aromatic flavour without making it aggressively spicy. Mild is the right choice here because coronation chicken should be warmly spiced rather than hot. If you want more heat, increase to a medium curry powder or add an extra teaspoon.
Maldon sea salt flakes
A large pinch stirred into the sauce before the chicken goes in, then tasted and adjusted at the end. The mango chutney brings its own sweetness and the mayonnaise its own richness, so taste carefully before adding more salt.
