Coronation Chicken Recipe

Coronation Chicken recipe, a British Classic! This salad is a delicious combination of cold-cooked chicken, dried apricots, toasted almonds and spring onions, all in a creamy curry dressing. This is my version, which will please anyone who loves delicious food.

You can also try another reader’s favourite Potato and Chicken Salad, ‘Olivier.’

Coronation Chicken Salad remains a British staple but is relatively unknown outside the British Isles. It was not until I moved to London that I heard about it.

This recipe is available in many UK shops. It’s both good and bad. It’s good because it introduces many tourists to the local speciality.

Many of the many variations on this salad, which is almost a century old, lack flavour and freshness. This is why people are not impressed by this salad when they first try it.

Coronation Chicken Salad

The Jubilee Chicken recipe that was created to celebrate the Silver Jubilee reign of King George V was certainly an inspiration for this Coronation Chicken Recipe. However, it was actually made for Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation.

Le Cordon Bleu London created the recipe for a 1953 coronation dinner. A small kitchen made it difficult to prepare the menu.

This was the origin of Coronation or, as originally named, Poulet Reine Elizabeth. It is indeed a salad fit for a king or queen.

The first time it was served, coronation chicken looked a lot more luxurious than what we see today. It was a dish of aspiration in the context of post-World War II.

Even though it was only served to a few people at first, the dish has gained popularity over the years, even if its recipe has changed a little.

Ingredients

As the name implies, the main ingredient is cooked chicken. This isn’t too unusual or unique. You might be wondering what makes chicken salad “coronation”.

Today, the cooked chicken is usually mixed with nuts and raisins. Even though I love classics, I thought I could improve the original recipe. Or, at least, add my personal touch.

Since I was not invited to the luncheon for the Coronation, I can’t say with certainty that my recipe is superior. My version is fresher and more delicious than the food you’ll find in many shops today.

I kept it classic by making a chicken salad with a curry dressing. I substituted the sultanas, which are often used now, with apricots. The original recipe for coronation chicken used apricot preserves, but I like dried apricots.

I also added spring onions, fresh cilantro (cilantro), and black sesame seeds. Nigella seeds can be used as well.

This salad is easy to make when you use a pre-cooked rotisserie rotisserie. It’s my favourite salad to make when I have leftovers of roast chicken. Use my air fryer recipe to quickly cook chicken. You can cook the chicken in 45 minutes!

The dressing is what makes this chicken salad Coronation. It is sweet, tangy, and aromatic. This brings the whole salad together to create a familiar but slightly exotic dish.

Notes and tips on recipes

• Add arugula only if you are planning to eat the salad immediately. If you want to skip it or add it just before serving.
• I love to make this salad with leftover roast chicken. This salad would also be great with turkey!
• The toasted almonds make this salad special. In a medium or low heat frying pan, toast them. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn. The perfect toast will quickly become overdone, so take them out of the pan as soon as they begin to colour and let them cool.
• The dried apricots I used were chosen for their sweet, tangy taste. They are also closer to the original recipe. It’s not uncommon to see raisins/sultanas being used. They will work well as a substitute.

Serving Suggestions

This salad is perfect for a lunch. I have added lots of greens. This salad is great to bring to a barbecue or a picnic.

It’s not how I prefer to eat coronation poultry. It makes an amazing sandwich that will make your office jealous. You will not be let down if you serve it in some delicious bread or a sandwich wrap.

Store leftovers

Coronation chicken can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. My recommendation is to prepare a large batch of this chicken and store it in the fridge for future lunches.

Please keep it in an airtight jar to prevent it from absorbing other flavours and smells in the refrigerator. If you’re storing it for later use, mix it with arugula/rocket only when you’re ready to eat.