Delia Smith Coronation Chicken Recipe

Jump to Recipe

Coronation chicken has a funny way of turning up everywhere — pre-packed sandwiches, buffet tables, jacket potato fillings — yet the version worth making at home bears little resemblance to most of those.

If you are looking for the Delia Smith Coronation Chicken Recipe, you may notice that Delia Smith’s own recipe is also referred to as Curried Chicken Salad. That name is useful because it describes exactly what is on the plate: cold cooked chicken tossed with a creamy, gently spiced dressing, then lifted with mango chutney, dried fruit, toasted almonds and fresh spring onions.

Delia’s version is especially appealing because it does not need a complicated cooking session. If you have leftover roast chicken, the main work is mixing the dressing and assembling the salad.

What makes this Delia Smith curried chicken salad special?

The important thing is balance. Coronation chicken can easily become a heavy mixture of mayonnaise and curry powder, with sweetness doing too much of the work.

This version takes a lighter route by combining mayonnaise with natural yoghurt. The yoghurt brings acidity and a softer texture, while the mango chutney contributes fruitiness and a little extra sweetness.

Coronation chicken isn’t a Delia Smith invention — its story goes back to 1953 coronation chicken, when it was created for the coronation luncheon of Queen Elizabeth II.

Since then, the dish has been adapted by countless cooks, and Delia Smith’s version is one of the better-known modern takes — a recipe that keeps the original’s spirit (mild curry warmth, a touch of sweetness, cold and creamy) while making it easy to reproduce reliably in a home kitchen.

Ingredients Needed

You don’t need anything unusual for this recipe, but each ingredient earns its place:

• 650g chicken breasts (or a mix of breast and thigh) — poaching keeps it moist; leftover roast chicken works as a shortcut.
• 1 small onion, halved, 1 bay leaf, 6 black peppercorns — for the poaching liquid.
• 2 tsp mild curry powder — the backbone of the dressing.
• 1 small onion or shallot, finely chopped, and 1 tbsp oil or butter — for cooking the curry powder.
• 6 tbsp mayonnaise — the body of the dressing.
• 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt (optional) — cuts the richness and adds tang.
• 2 tbsp mango chutney — gives the dish its sweet-savoury character.
• 50g dried apricots, finely chopped (or 1 tbsp apricot jam) — adds fruitiness and sweetness.
• 1 tbsp lemon juice — sharpens the dressing.
• 2 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted — added at the very end for crunch.
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped (optional) — scattered on at the end.

How to make this Coronation Chicken

1. Poach the chicken. Place the 650g chicken breasts in a saucepan with the halved onion, bay leaf, 6 peppercorns and enough cold water or stock to cover. Bring to a gentle simmer — not a rolling boil — and cook for around 12–15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through but still moist. Overcooking here is the single most common reason coronation chicken turns out dry and stringy, so check it a few minutes early if you’re unsure. Once done, lift the chicken out and leave it to cool completely before handling it further.

2. Cook the curry base. While the chicken cools, finely chop the small onion and soften it gently in the 1 tbsp oil or butter over low heat. Once softened, stir in the 2 tsp curry powder and cook for a further minute or two, stirring constantly, until it smells fragrant rather than raw. Take the pan off the heat and let this mixture cool — adding warm spice paste to mayonnaise will split it.

3. Build the dressing. In a mixing bowl, combine the cooled curry mixture with the 6 tbsp mayonnaise, 2 tbsp yoghurt if using, 2 tbsp mango chutney, 50g chopped apricots (or 1 tbsp apricot jam), and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Whisk until smooth, then taste. This is the moment to adjust: more chutney for sweetness, more lemon for sharpness, a touch more curry powder if you want more warmth.

4. Combine with the chicken. Cut or shred the cooled chicken into bite-sized pieces and fold it through the dressing until every piece is coated. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

5. Chill before serving. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour, ideally longer. This isn’t a step to skip — the flavours need time to settle and mellow, and the dish tastes noticeably better cold and rested than it does freshly mixed.

6. Finish and serve. Just before serving, toast the 2 tbsp flaked almonds in a dry pan for a minute or two until golden, watching closely as they catch quickly. Scatter them over the chicken along with the 1 tbsp chopped coriander if using.

Save

Important Cooking Tips

• Cook the curry powder before it meets the mayonnaise. This single step is what separates a well-made coronation chicken from one that tastes of raw spice.
• Let every hot component cool before combining. Warm chicken or a warm curry base can cause the mayonnaise to thin out or split.
• Season and taste as you go. Curry powders vary enormously in strength, and mango chutneys vary in sweetness, so treat the quantities as a starting point rather than a fixed rule.
• Don’t skip the resting time. An hour in the fridge makes a genuine difference to how the flavours come together.
• Add nuts and fresh herbs last. Toasted almonds lose their crunch quickly once mixed into a creamy dressing, so hold them back until serving.

Nutrition Per Serving

• Calories: ~320 kcal
• Protein: ~24 g
• Fat: ~22 g
• Saturated Fat: ~3.5 g
• Carbohydrates: ~11 g
• Sugars: ~8 g
• Fibre: ~1 g
• Sodium: ~340 mg

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Dry, stringy chicken. Usually the result of poaching at too high a heat or for too long. Keep the liquid at a gentle simmer and check the chicken a little before you think it’s ready.

A dressing that tastes floury or harsh. This nearly always means the curry powder went in raw. Cooking it briefly first removes that rawness.

Too sweet, or too sharp. Because mango chutneys differ so much in sweetness, it’s worth tasting the dressing before adding the full amount and adjusting the lemon juice accordingly.

A watery sauce. Chicken that hasn’t been drained and cooled properly can release liquid into the dressing. Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper before mixing if needed.

Variations and Substitutions

Coronation chicken is forgiving, and there’s plenty of room to make it your own:

Swap some or all of the mayonnaise for Greek yoghurt for a lighter, tangier result. Use dried apricots soaked briefly in hot water instead of jam, for a chunkier texture. Add a small handful of sultanas or raisins alongside the apricot for extra sweetness.

Stir through finely chopped celery or spring onion for a bit of crunch and freshness. For a dairy-free version, use a good-quality plant-based mayonnaise in place of the standard version.

If you prefer more heat, add a pinch of chilli powder or a little extra curry powder — though it’s worth remembering that the original dish was always meant to be mild rather than fiery.

What to serve with Coronation Chicken

Save

Coronation chicken is genuinely versatile, which is a large part of its enduring popularity:

• Piled into sandwiches on good white or granary bread, ideally with a little lettuce for crunch.
• Spooned over a green salad or mixed leaves with cherry tomatoes.
• Served as part of a buffet spread, alongside rice salad, which is closer to how the dish was originally presented.
• Stuffed into a jacket potato or Dauphinoise Potatoes for a simple, satisfying lunch.
• Wrapped in a flatbread or tortilla with shredded lettuce and cucumber.

Storage and Reheating

Coronation chicken keeps well in the fridge, covered, for up to three days. Because the dish is meant to be served cold, reheating isn’t really part of the plan — the mayonnaise-based dressing doesn’t hold up well to heat and can separate.

If you do want to use leftovers in a hot dish, it’s better to treat the chicken as a base and stir it through freshly cooked rice or vegetables rather than warming the dressing itself.

Coronation chicken isn’t suitable for freezing. The mayonnaise dressing tends to split and turn watery once thawed, and the texture never quite recovers.

Make-Ahead Advice

This is one of the better dishes to prepare in advance, since chilling actually improves it. The chicken can be poached a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge, and the dressing can be made separately and stored for up to a day before combining.

If you’re serving it for a gathering, mixing everything together the morning of the event — rather than the night before — tends to give the best balance between developed flavour and fresh texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use leftover roast chicken instead of poaching it fresh?

Yes, and it works well. Just make sure the chicken isn’t dry to begin with, since the dressing won’t compensate for chicken that’s already lost its moisture.

Is coronation chicken supposed to be spicy?

No. The dish was designed to be mild and approachable, with warmth from the curry powder rather than any real heat. If you want more spice, it’s easy to add, but it moves away from the traditional character of the dish.

What’s the difference between coronation chicken and curried chicken salad?

They’re closely related, but coronation chicken specifically includes fruit — traditionally apricot — alongside the curry-mayonnaise dressing, which gives it its distinctive sweet-savoury profile.

Final Thoughts

Coronation chicken is one of those dishes that’s easy to make badly and only slightly harder to make well.

The difference lies almost entirely in a few small habits — cooking the spice properly, poaching the chicken gently, letting everything cool before combining, and giving the finished dish time to rest in the fridge.

Get those right, and you end up with something far removed from the pre-packed version most people know: a dressing that’s balanced rather than sweet-heavy, chicken that stays tender, and a dish that’s just as happy on a lunch plate as it is at the centre of a buffet table.