This easy coronation chicken sandwich recipe is creamy, fruity, mildly spicy, and so delicious. It's also a classic British dish fit for a royal, made with a few pantry staples and perfect for afternoon tea, picnics, a tasty lunch, and party buffets.
Did you know that coronation chicken curry was created for a very special occasion? It was the dish that was served at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. How amazing is that?!
The original recipe was invented by two ladies, florist Constance Spry, and Le Cordon Blu cookery teacher, Rosemary Hume who was in charge of the Coronation luncheon and feeding the guests who came to see the Queen being crowned.
They created a delicious coronation chicken salad in a creamy sauce with flavors of curry. Interestingly, it used ingredients that were not easy to find back then. They called it Queen Elizabeth's Chicken and it is now commonly served in deli shops all over the country.
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✔️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's the best coronation chicken sandwich ever!
- Versatile and can be enjoyed in many different ways
- Much quicker than the original coronation chicken recipe
- Great for using leftover chicken and simple ingredients
- The coronation sauce has a lovely balance of sweet and savory
- Classic British dish with a royal history that makes it extra special and fun to serve
🛒 Ingredient Notes
Please see the printable full recipe card with exact ingredient quantities and preparation instructions at the bottom of this post.
Skinless chicken breasts - it is much cheaper to cook raw chicken breasts from scratch than buy ready-cooked chicken. Or you can use leftover roast chicken, then cut it into small pieces
Mayonnaise - accessible cupboard ingredient for a creamy base
Greek yoghurt - makes the sauce extra creamy and fresh, but you could use sour cream, creme fraiche, or even quark
Spices - medium curry powder and ground cinnamon, but you could blend your own coronation chicken spice mix
Mango chutney - this is the main ingredient to add a little sugar, but make sure any large chunks are finely chopped.
Sultanas - or sweet golden raisins, dried mixed feel or mixed dried fruit. Or swap for fresh grapes.
Celery - finely diced for extra flavour and a bit of crunch
Dried apricots - to add a bit of squidgy sweetness
Almond flakes - these are toasted for flavour and crunch
Shallot - finely diced for a sweet tang, or slice up some spring onions
Lemon juice - for some acidity, or use a splash of Worcestershire sauce
Salt and black pepper - I recommend adding this at the end to suit your tastes
Fresh coriander - to enhance the flavours, or any leafy salads work great for an absolute British classic chicken salad sandwich
Bread and butter - any bread of your choice, whether it be a panini, flatbread, or ciabatta rolls for luxury afternoon tea sandwiches
📋 Instructions
1. If you're working with raw chicken, place them in a large saucepan and fill it with water halfway.
Cover with a lid and bring to a rolling simmer for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.
Then remove and chop and set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, toast the almond flakes in a dry frying pan. This should take around 2-3 minutes.
Keep shaking the pan, and stop when they start to crackle.
3. Now start making the sauce for coronation chicken by stirring all of the wet ingredients into a large bowl.
4. Add the remaining ingredients except the chicken, coriander and almond flakes.
5. Dice the chicken breasts into small bite sized pieces and stir them into the sauce.
6. Now sprinkle the rest of the ingredients on top as a garnish and serve in slices of buttered bread.
Expert Tip: poaching the chicken is a great way to also create chicken stock to use in another recipe, like in this creamy chicken soup!
👩🍳 Substitutions
Depending on your dietary needs, here are a few simple swaps you can make:
- Chicken - you can use leftover cooked chicken, rotisserie chicken or poached chicken breast as I do. For a vegan coronation chicken recipe, swap for chickpeas or Quorn pieces and refer to the yogurt substitution ideas
- Mayonnaise - you can use lighter mayonnaise if wanting a low fat version or vegan mayonnaise to reduce the calories and fat. Alternatively, why not try fat free cottage cheese (and instead of Greek yogurt) for an unofficial Slimming World coronation chicken?
- Greek yogurt - swap for crème fraîche or sour cream for a creamy dressing. Or swap for a dairy-free yogurt to make a vegan version
- Curry powder - you can use mild, medium or hot curry powder depending on your preference. You can also use curry paste, which will also enhance the orange colour
- Mango chutney - you can use any kind of chutney you like, or swap it for apricot jam. Or try making your own chutney with fresh fruit and sugar
- Sultanas - you can use raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dates, or dried apricots for some sweetness and chewiness. Or omit completely if you don't like dried fruit
- Almonds - swap for other nuts or seeds, such as pistachios, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or toasted pine nuts
- Bread - swap for any bread you wish, or Gluten Free if needed, or enjoy with jacket potatoes for an easy dinner
⚖️ Variations
Here are some different ways you can enhance and truly personalise this really good sandwich:
- Cheesy - top your sandwich with bechamel sauce and grated mature cheddar cheese (above) and bake in the oven to make a croque monsieur
- Spicy - add some red pepper flakes, fresh chilies, or hot curry powder to the coronation chicken sauce mix for some extra heat
- Fruity - add some fresh or canned pineapple, pomegranate seeds or peach to the chicken mixture for some juicy, tangy sweetness
- Crunchy - add some apple chunks, walnuts or cashews to the chicken mixture
- Creamy - add a splash of water or coconut milk to loosen the sauce for a richer and creamier taste
- Herby - add some of your favourite fresh herbs, such as oregano, or basil if you prefer Italian recipes
- Kid friendly - use mild curry powder or try korma paste for a subtle taste
You could also make it a coronation tuna version!
🔪 Equipment
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- Saucepan
- Frying pan
- Chopping knife
- Chopping board
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Mixing bowl
- Lemon juicer
- Spatula
❄️ Storage
Storing - as we eat coronation chicken cold in sandwiches, storing is super simple, stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Freezing - If you want to make this coronation banquet filling in advance, store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months
Heating - if wanting to eat the next day, defrost in the fridge if required and microwave if preferred until piping hot, or on the hob or stove. You might need to add a little water to loosen the mixture
💡Pro Tips
- When poaching the chicken, slice the breast in half to ensure there is no pink raw flesh in the middle, otherwise continue cooking.
- Try poaching the chicken in a broth with some aromatics, such as carrot, onion, celery, bay leaf, and peppercorns - and don't forget to use the stock later in a soup!
- To make the sauce more smooth and creamy, you can use a blender or a food processor to mix the mayonnaise, yogurt, curry powder, cinnamon, and mango chutney together.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Baked potato: to make the dish more filling and satisfying, you can serve this coronation chicken sandwich filler on a crispy baked potato with a chunk of butter and a pinch of fresh coriander.
Wholegrains: - thinking beyond a classic packed lunch from a sandwich shop, you could enjoy it hot with some wholegrains such as brown rice, couscous, quinoa or kitchiri rice salad
Indian flatbreads - another incredibly delicious way to eat it is with naan bread, roti, or chapatis flatbread to make a coronation chicken wrap
Vegetables - serve with some steamed or roasted vegetables for a hearty and comforting dinner that's ideal for cold days
Pasta - why not make a coronation chicken pasta salad by stirring in some cooked pasta and placing on a bed or chopped lettuce or spinach?
Leafy salad - one of the original ways to serve it is on a bed of mixed leafy greens and lettuce or watercress. This will make a quick and easy lunch that's perfect for work or school with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
❓ FAQ
Coronation chicken is a dish that was created for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. It consists of cooked chicken pieces coated in a creamy sauce flavoured with curry powder, mango chutney, sultanas and almonds. It can be served cold or warm, as a salad, a sandwich filling or a main course.
Coronation chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months, but make sure to thaw it completely before serving. You can reheat it in the microwave or on the stove, but you may need to add more cream to loosen it.
➕ More British Recipes
Looking for more British food to try? Why not continue here?
➕More Indian Recipes
If you love the taste of curry spices, then I recommend trying these recipes:
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📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Coronation Chicken Sandwich Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken breasts (500g cooked or 750g raw)
- 5 tablespoon Creme fraiche (70g)
- 8 tablespoon Mayonnaise (116g)
- ½ stick Celery diced
- 3 tablespoon Sultanas (35g)
- 3 teaspoon Medium curry powder
- 1/16 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ½ Lemon juice (and zest if you wish)
- 3 tablespoon Mango chutney (55g)
- ⅛ teaspoon Sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Black pepper
- ½ Shallot finely diced
- ½ cup Almond flakes (3 tbsp/22g)
- Fresh coriander
Serve in:
- Bread
- Butter
Instructions
- If you're working with raw chicken, place them in a large saucepan and fill with water halfway. Cover with a lid and bring to a rolling simmer for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.Then remove and chop and set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, toast the almond flakes in a dry frying pan. This should take around 2-3 minutes.Keep shaking the pan, and stop when they start to crackle.
- Now in a large bowl, stir in all of the wet ingredients.
- Add the remaining ingredients except the chicken, coriander and almond flakes.
- Stir in the diced chicken breasts into small bite sized pieces and stir into the sauce.
- Now sprinkle the rest of the ingredients on top as a garnish and serve in slices of buttered bread.
Disclaimer
*This is an unofficial page and has no affiliation or endorsement from Slimming World. Slimming World's website can be found at https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/. Any syn values are personal estimates and not verified by Slimming World.
Video
Notes
- When poaching the chicken, slice the breast in half to ensure there is no pink raw flesh in the middle, otherwise continue cooking.
- Try poaching the chicken in a broth with some aromatics, such as carrot, onion, celery, bay leaf, and peppercorns - and don't forget to use the stock later in a soup!
- To make the sauce more smooth and creamy, you can use a blender or a food processor to mix the mayonnaise, yogurt, curry powder, cinnamon, and mango chutney together.
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