Coronation Chicken is an absolute British classic and here I’ll show you the easiest & most delicious way to make it!
When I tell you coronation chicken is running through my veins I truly mean it. Since I was a young warthog, coronation chicken has always been my go-to sandwich filler and without fail my go-to order at a sandwich shop. As great as store-bought coronation chicken is, you really can’t beat it homemade. Luckily it couldn’t be easier to make! Follow me…
Coronation Sauce
All great coronation chicken recipes start with a great coronation sauce. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Mayo – Full fat, of course.
- Greek Yogurt – A lot of coronation chicken recipes actually use 100% mayo for the base, but I like to go 50/50 with mayo and yogurt. Ensure it’s plain unsweetened yogurt.
- Curry Powder – Mild curry powder works best here, you want more of the flavour itself than the spice.
- Mango Chutney – More on this just below.
- Lemon Juice – Adds a vibrance to the sauce.
Coronation Chicken Mango Chutney
Mango chutney is an absolute game-changing ingredient. Coronation sauce should have 3 distinctive elements: Fruity, tangy and sweet. Mango chutney offers all 3 of these in one go. Most recipes add either 1 or 2 tbsp, but I like this to really shine through and offer those three elements, so I tend to add around 1/4 cup.
Coronation Sauce Consistency
In my opinion coronation chicken should be saucy. You know, the kind of saucy that begins to spill out the sandwich as you eat it. This is partly the reason I use half yogurt in the sauce – to help thin out the sauce without it being a mayo overload.
Process shots: add all ingredients to a bowl (photo 1), combine and test for seasoning (photo 2).
Coronation Chicken
For the chicken itself you’ll want to dice up some cooked rotisserie chicken. That, or you can fry up a couple of breasts, allow them to completely cool and dice them up. In both cases just make sure the chicken is cool before you mix in the sauce otherwise it’ll start congealing.
Coronation Chicken Filling
In terms of the filling, alongside the chicken and the sauce you’ll want to chuck in a few extra goodies. In order of importance here’s what I suggest:
- Sultanas – Or raisins. This is one of the most classic ingredients in coronation chicken!
- Spring Onion – Don’t sub any other onion. Spring onion is light enough in flavour not to overpower the coronation chicken, both in terms of texture and flavour.
- Coriander/Cilantro – This is optional, but highly recommended. If you absolutely hate coriander/cilantro you can leave it out.
- Flaked Almonds – These are optional, but they do add a nice bit of crunchy texture against the softer ingredients.
Another traditional ingredient in coronation chicken is apricot. I tend to leave this out though, I find it fruity enough with the sultanas and mango chutney.
Process shots: add chicken to a bowl (photo 1), add fillings (photo 2), pour in sauce and stir (photo 3).
Coronation Chicken Sandwich
Best bread to use?
If you’re reading this in the UK then you 100% need to use Tiger (or Giraffe) Bread. Mainly because it’s what I grew up using, but that chewy/textured crust 🤤 you just can’t beat it!! Sourdough makes a nice sub though. You can also use a baguette which is also popular option in the UK.
Better be butter!
Buttering both sides of the bread helps create a barrier between the bread and the coronation chicken. Like I mentioned earlier, this recipe offers quite a ‘saucy’ coronation chicken, so butter works wonders here.
Process shots: slice bread (photo 1), spread butter (photo 2), add lettuce (photo 3), add coronation chicken (photo 4).
Serving Coronation Chicken Sandwiches
Can I make coronation chicken ahead of time?
Absolutely! I recommend just making the chicken (not the sandwich, it’ll go soggy if left too long). Just tightly cover in the fridge. This will actually help the flavours to develop too!
How long can you keep coronation chicken in the fridge?
This is completely dependent on how long you had the rotisserie chicken beforehand. If it’s cooked up and made the same day, I usually keep coronation chicken in the fridge for 3 days (longer at your discretion).
What to serve with a coronation chicken sandwich?
- Crisp/Chip Recommendation: I recommend a thick (preferably ridged) ready salted. This will give you a good scooping tool for any filling that spills, and it’ll let the coronation chicken shine without overpowering the flavour.
- Side Recommendation: Go wild and add some Garlic Parmesan Fries!
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this coronation chicken sandwich shall we?!
How to make a Coronation Chicken Sandwich (Full Recipe & Video)
Coronation Chicken Sandwich
Equipment
- Small Mixing Bowl
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Spatula
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Ingredients
- 10 medium slices of Tiger Bread, or bread of choice
- 1 Iceberg Lettuce, finely sliced (or greens of choice)
- 2 packed cups / 300g Cooked/Leftover Rotisserie Chicken, diced into small cubes (see notes)
- 1/2 cup / 120g Mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup / 120g Plain Unsweetened Greek Yogurt
- 1/4 cup / 60g Mango Chutney
- 1/4 cup / 40g Sultanas, or more to preference
- 1/4 cup / 30g Flaked Almonds, optional but recommended (leave out for allergy reasons)
- 1.5 tbsp Mild Curry Powder
- 2 medium Green/Spring Onions, finely diced
- 1 tbsp finely diced Fresh Coriander/Cilantro
- 1/2 Lemon juice only
- Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
- Butter, as needed
Instructions
- Sauce: In a small mixing bowl combine yogurt, mayo, mango chutney, curry powder, lemon juice and salt & pepper to taste.
- Coronation Chicken: In a larger mixing bowl add chicken, spring onion, coriander/cilantro, sultanas, flaked almonds and the sauce. Give it all a good stir then taste test. For a sweeter/fruiter/tangier flavour add a dash more chutney or for a kick more spice add in curry powder (or a pinch of cayenne/hot chilli powder).
- Sandwich: Spread one side of each of your slices of bread. Top half with lettuce, then dollop the coronation chicken on top. Place the remaining bread on top, slice in half and enjoy!
Quick Demo
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition:
For more similar sandwiches check out these beauties:
British Sandwiches
If you loved this Coronation Chicken Sandwich Recipe be sure to Pin it for later! Already made it or got a burning question? Give me a shout in the comments below!
This needs to happen soon for lunch! Looks so delicious !
Thanks Taylor 🙂
Such a beautiful chicken sandwich! I love all your tips to help make it perfect. Sounds incredible with the mango chutney.
Thanks Tara! 🙂
Oh my goodness! This looks so tasty and mouth watering! My husband is going to just love this sandwich! I will definitely be making this!
Amazing! Hope it goes down well!
Now I am hungry for lunch! So good!
So perfect for lunch!! 🙂
Love all the flavors here, I already know I’m going to enjoy this recipe a lot!
Hope you love it! 🙂