This easy healthy Coronation chicken recipe is simple to make, delicious and lighter than the traditional recipes, with no compromise on taste. The perfect dish for summer lunch parties, picnics and pot lucks and my favourite leftover chicken recipe. Naturally gluten free, you can see the Weight Watchers Points below and this recipe can be adjusted to be Whole 30.
Healthy Coronation Chicken
What is Coronation Chicken and how does Healthy Coronation Chicken differ?
Coronation chicken is a cold dish of chicken in a curry based sauce. It’s perfect for preparing beforehand; a dish for those times you don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen missing all the fun.
It was created by Constance Spry and Rosemary Hume of London’s Cordon Bleu cookery school for the Queen’s coronation in 1953, with the idea that it would be a great dish for parties as people watched the service on television. You don’t need to be celebrating a coronation to enjoy it – it’s far too good for that.
The traditional recipe isn’t quick: it starts with poaching two chickens, and then moving on to making the sauce from no fewer than fourteen ingredients. I think that this level of complexity isn’t really necessary, and a simpler version is just as tasty and, as it’s much easier to make I can enjoy it far more often. Also, by adding Greek yogurt to the mayonnaise, I’ve made a far healthier version with far less fat, for minimal change in taste. It’s still a great prepare-ahead dish.
For two people, you need about 1 cup of cooked chicken pieces. This recipe is the perfect way to use leftover roast chicken, but it’s equally good with leftover turkey, making healthy coronation chicken ideal for using up Christmas or Thanksgiving leftovers.
See also
- Leftover chicken can make a rich, comforting curry; ready in 30 minutes for a simple week-night supper.
- Or my leftover chicken biryani is even easier, as it’s a one-pot dish.
- Here are all my favourite leftover chicken recipes for fuss-free, quick and easy delicious mid week meals and more.
How do I make Healthy Coronation Chicken?
Step One, as always, I find it far easier if I assemble the ingredients. Mise en place makes everything far more fuss free!
Step Two, mix mayonnaise, yogurt (or homemade milk kefir) and curry powder. If the sauce is too thick, loosen it with a splash of boiling water. Taste and add a little more curry powder if needed.
Step Three, stir in chutney, chopped apricots and most importantly, the chicken. Here we’ve used a chicken breast, but any leftover chicken will do – a combination of white and brown meat will add different texture and flavours.
Step Four, season with salt and pepper.
Finally, garnish with almond flakes and chopped herbs. Easy!
How do I Serve Healthy Coronation Chicken?
The original recipe called for a rice salad with peas, fresh diced cucumber and herbs in a vinaigrette dressing, which sounds as good now as it did then.
Coronation chicken is one of the best Chicken Sandwich Fillings . Add some peppery rocket and watercress leaves for a hint of heat.
Top a baked potato for a change from tuna or cheese.
Or how about spooning a little onto crispy little gem lettuce leaves and serving as a canapé?
It is also fantastic as a pasta salad, spooned into canape cases or enjoyed with crudités.
However you serve healthy coronation chicken, it’s such an easy and quick win that it’s really worth revisiting this old classic next time you have some leftover roast chicken.
Can I Freeze Healthy Coronation Chicken?
The yogurt and mayonnaise used in our sauce for healthy coronation chicken can’t be frozen, as they’re likely to split. It’s best to make this dish when needed, but it will keep in the fridge for a day or so. You can of course freeze your leftover chicken and then use that for the dish.
What’s the best serving temperature for Healthy Coronation Chicken?
I prefer dishes like this to not be straight-from-the-fridge cold, but to have just started to warm up to room temperature so it will have more
Can I make this recipe using leftover turkey?
Absolutely, yes! It’s a great way to use up turkey after Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Healthy Coronation Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbs mayonnaise
- 2 tbs Greek yogurt ((0% fat))
- 1 tsp curry powder ((adjust to taste))
- splash boiling water ((if needed))
- 150 g cold cooked chicken ((leftover roast chicken is perfect. Chop into 1cm pieces))
- 1 tbs mango chutney
- 6 dried apricots ((optional, chopped))
- 1 tbs flaked almonds
- chopped chives
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix the mayonnaise, yogurt and curry powder together, If needed, add a splash of boiling water to thin the sauce to the consistency of double cream.
- Stir in the chicken, chutney, and apricots (if using). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve on a bed of lettuce garnished with the flaked almonds and herbs.
Notes
- For an even lower fat dish, use light mayonnaise, or homemade milk kefir.
- Regular curry powder is perfect for this dish. Adjust the quantities to your own heat tolerance.
- For mellower flavours, briefly toast the curry powder in a dry frying pan until the aromas are released.
- Don’t serve healthy Coronation chicken straight from the fridge, allow it o come to room temperature first
- Make it vegetarian by using chickpeas in place of the chicken.
- Naturally gluten free.
- To make it whole 30, substitute cottage cheese for the yougurt Â
- The chicken entree is 11 smart weight watchers points per portion
Here are some more ideas for using up leftover chicken or turkeyCreamy
If you like this healthy Coronation chicken recipe you might also like my healthier potato salad that uses the same trick to lighten up the dressing.
Alisa
I have so been craving chicken salad a lot lately! I’ve never been against mayo, I do like it, but have a newfound addiction to the grapeseed oil Vegenaise. Hubby can’t have eggs unfortunately.
Axel Steenberg
Helen, I tend to use our Madras curry powder for Coronation Chicken. And while we do use Hellman’s, I have started using an egg-free mayonnaise from Plamil which is a bit oilier but works really well.
Sarah
This looks absolutely delicious! Seems much healthier than the original also :D Thanks for sharing!
Helen
Thank you Sarah. It really does not taste any difference from the version made entirely with mayo.
Dana
What a pretty dish! I don’t eat chicken anymore, but I’m sure I can find a way to make this for a pescetarian-friendly diet.
Helen
I am sure that coronation salmon would be delicious!
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy
Looks delicious.
Helen
Thanks Dannii. I do like this one.
Elizabeth
Oh this sounds absolutely fantastic and I happen to have all the ingredients in my house! Guess what I’m having for lunch today!
Helen
Enjoy it. I think this weather calls for a baked spud too!
Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs
I love Coronation Chicken! (Particularly in a sarnie…) But always shrug it off as unhealthy. Some great substitutions in here. Thanks Helen! PS. did I hear someone say coronation salmon…
Helen
I love this recipe. Mayo and zero fat yoghurt is a great pairing.
Lucy
This looks delicious and I love to find traditional recipes made lighter. Will add it to my grocery list and menu plan!
Helen
It is such an easy substitution. Love the mayo and yogurt trick.
Emily
Great recipes – beautiful pics!
Helen
Thanks Emily
Katie Bryson
This is one of my favourite sandwich fillings and baked potato toppers in the world… a bit of savoury, a bit of sweetness… heaven!
Helen
I’d almost rather skip the potato and bread and have extra filling!
Helen
I’ve never actually tried coronation chicken (I don’t eat chicken!) but I’ve always found it oddly fascinating – I think because cold chicken salads just never happened in our house when I was growing up. This looks delicious though, and I’m trying to figure out how to use the sauce on something else…
Helen
I think it would make a great dip, and would be good with poached salmon.
Kerry at Kerry Cooks
Oh yum! I love the idea of using yoghurt to make it healthier, and I bet you can’t even tell the difference!
Helen
You really really cannot tell the difference.
Camilla
Yummy, love Coronation Chicken and this one is healthier so even better:-)
Helen
I love my hack on it! It is a regular here.
Julia@Vikalinka
What a lovely recipe, it’s truly amazing how much leaner a dish can be with a few simple substitutions! I’ve been on a quest to make my life healthier lately so I am on a lookout for everything ‘lighter”!
Helen
Thanks Julia, lighter certainly is good!
Choclette
CT adores Coronation Chicken, but of course doesn’t get it at home. I actually prefer a half yoghurt half mayonnaise mix in these types of sauces. Fab photos as ever.
Helen
Thanks Choclette, I do like my mayo yogurt mix.
munchies and munchkins
This looks delicious.Andrew is obsessed with coronation chicken and I’m on a health kick so this looks perfect.
Helen
I love this version – I make it again and again.
Matt @ Plating Pixels
I could always use more healthy chicken recipes. Thanks!
Helen
Enjoy it Matt.
Kari
This looks great and I love that you lightened things up by adding the greek yogurt; I try to sub it in for mayo and cream whenever I can too!
Helen
0% Greek yogurt is the perfect ingredient.
Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence
I’ve never had Coronation Chicken, but I do love chicken salad, so I’m sure I’d love this :)
Helen
It is a very British thing, but so very very good.
Susie Davey
I love that this version is healthier than the normal recipe. It looks lovely!
Helen
Thanks Sus, this one is a staple for sing up chicken in my kitchen.
Helen at Casa Costello
I love how this easy recipe,using not too many ingredients can completely transform chicken in minutes.
Helen
Thanks Helen. It is a classic but very easily varied.
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy
I always use Greek yoghurt in my sauces to make them creamier and I love the tanginess it gives it too.
Helen
I love 0% Greek Yoghurt. A fridge staple.
Bryan B
coronation chicken is what I always choose when I go to the sandwich shop for a filled baguette. So tasty. The idea of making with yogurt is great, and adds that less guilt feeling to a tasty sandwich filler.
Eleanor
I love Coronation chicken, perfect for easy summer meals. Sometimes on a baked potato. Although causes argument as to whether it should have fruit in it or not. I prefer some, my husband hates the fruit.
Suzie S
Your salad looks so tasty, and is easy to make. Great having less fat in the dressing with the use of yogurt.
Debs
I much prefer using yogurt for salad dressings than mayo, much less fat and I think it tastes better.
Maggie T
You can’t beat a tasty Coronation chicken salad, and more so because you’ve made it healthier. Great for a quick and easy mid-week meal.
Louise Jenkins
Am I being dim? I can’t see the quantities.
Helen
they are there, use the jump to recipe button, or scroll down.
Nicole L
I love Coronation chicken in or on anything. I can’t say I’ve ever made my own, it looks really easy.
Amber
Great recipe for one of my favourite chicken fillers, love that you use yogurt. Any tweaks to make food healthier is always a bonus.
Yasmine Kirkwood
It never dawned on me that Coronation chicken was thought of for The Coronation. It’s one of those “I should have known that moments”. I’ve always loved this dish, so tasty and your recipe is great to make it at home.
Gary H
Easy to make and very tasty, this is a great recipe.
Faye Henderson
such a tasty recipe, and the rice sounds good too. I usually like my coronation chicken on a baked potato.
Cally Gray
Yummy! I love Coronation chicken, although never keen on any fruit added. Hate it when you get sultanas in it.
Dolly
My Grandmother always used to make this for us when we went to hers for tea. Such a treat. Yours looks just as good Helen, I shall have to give it a go myself.
Diana Black
I use so much 0% Greek Yogurt now, much prefer using it for dressings than mayo. Delicious recipe, just right for summer dining.
Wiga
A very good, quick recipe – will do again, thank you!
Ben
Instead of the mayonnaise,I use 1 or 2 pots of Yeo Greek yoghurt depending on the quantity of the chicken I use.
Helen
I like a mix of mayo and yogurt – as I like the taste, but all mayo is far too much.
Gordon
My wife and I have very different tolerances for curries but this worked beautifully for both of us. We used it as the filling for a baked potato – delicious!
Madeleine Baker
I love Coronation Chicken. I usually use apricot jam, heated for a few minutes in the microwave to make it runny, stirred into the sauce. The apricot jam from Aldi is very cheap but tasty and can keep for ages in the fridge.