Coronation Chicken is a flavorful British chicken salad that combines tender poached chicken with a creamy curry sauce, sweet mango chutney, dried apricots, toasted almonds, and fresh cilantro. The combination of warm curry spices, sweet fruit, and creamy dressing gives this chicken salad a wonderful balance of savory and sweet flavors.
It’s an easy make-ahead salad that’s especially good served cold or at room temperature. Spoon it over lettuce for a light meal, or use it as a filling for sandwiches. It’s also a great choice for lunches, picnics, and gatherings when you want something a little different from traditional chicken salad.
Coronation Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts skinless chicken breasts (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds)
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ medium white onion diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- ¼ cup red wine
- 2 tablespoons mango chutney
- Juice of 1/2 lemon about 1 tablespoon
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup chopped dried apricots about the size of a raisin
- ¼ cup toasted sliced almonds
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves chopped
- ¼ cup wate
Instructions
Poach the chicken:
- Season the chicken breasts generously with kosher salt and place them in a single layer in a large pot. Add the black peppercorns and 1 bay leaf. Pour in enough cool water to cover the chicken by about 1 inch.
- Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 8–10 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the poaching liquid and place it on a plate to cool. Once cool enough to handle, shred the chicken by hand into large pieces and place in a medium bowl.
Make the curry sauce:
- Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it becomes slightly darker in color, about 1 minute. Add the curry powder and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the red wine, ¼ cup water, mango chutney, lemon juice, and remaining bay leaf. Simmer until the mixture is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. Remove the bay leaf.
- In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise and sour cream. Add the cooled curry mixture and ½ teaspoon salt, then stir until well combined.
- Add the shredded chicken, dried apricots, and toasted sliced almonds to a large bowl. Pour the curry sauce over the chicken mixture and gently toss until the chicken is evenly coated.
- Gently fold in the chopped cilantro.
- Serve over lettuce or use as a sandwich filling. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Art of Cooking Recipes (Paulson Pursuits} is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
