Hairy Bikers Coronation Chicken Recipe

Fresh mango is the twist in this Hairy Bikers coronation chicken recipe, and it replaces the usual sultanas with something brighter and juicier. The chicken gets steamed rather than poached, which keeps it tender, and the whole thing serves 4 at around 650 kcal.

The Chicken and Egg cookbook calls this “an oldie but a goodie” and says it was “invented in 1952 for Coronation Day.” The sauce is what sets it apart, because shallot, curry powder, wine, and apricot jam get reduced down before folding through mayo and crème fraîche.

Steaming the chicken sounds fussy, but it takes 15 minutes and the difference is worth it. Poaching drowns the meat in water, while steaming keeps the juices sealed in so the breast stays tender and clean-cutting.

Hairy Bikers Coronation Chicken Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Steaming Cuisine:British Courses:Lunch

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time: 25 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time: 45 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:650 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Steamed chicken breasts folded into a curried mayo built from a reduced shallot, wine, and apricot jam base with crème fraîche. Diced mango, spring onions, coriander, and toasted almonds finish it off.

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the curry sauce

• Knob of butter
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 2 tsp Madras curry powder
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 100ml dry white wine
• 1 tbsp apricot jam
• 100ml chicken stock

For the dressing

• 150ml mayonnaise
• 75ml crème fraîche
• 1 large mango, flesh diced
• 4 spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
• Dash of Tabasco sauce
• 50g flaked almonds

Instructions

1. Steam the chicken: Rub olive oil over the chicken breasts, scatter the lemon zest on top, and season with salt and pepper. Line a steamer with baking parchment, add the chicken, and steam for 15 minutes until cooked through. Set aside to cool.
2. Make the curry sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the shallot and chilli, and fry for 5 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the tomato purée and cook for one more minute.
3. Reduce: Pour in the wine and simmer until halved. Stir in the apricot jam and stock, then keep simmering until the liquid halves again. Take the pan off the heat and leave to cool completely.
4. Build the dressing: Mix the mayo and crème fraîche in a large bowl, then stir in the cooled curry sauce. Fold in the mango, spring onions, lemon juice, and coriander.
5. Combine: Cut the cooled chicken into bite-sized pieces and fold them into the dressing. Season with salt, pepper, and Tabasco to taste.
6. Serve: Toast the almonds in a dry pan until golden, then scatter over the top. Great as part of a buffet, in a sandwich, or on a baked potato.

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FAQs

Why steam the chicken instead of poaching?

Steaming keeps the breast sealed in its own juices, so the meat stays firm and full of flavour. Poached chicken soaks up water and comes out softer and blander, which matters because the cold mayo dressing cannot hide bland meat.

If you do not have a steamer, a Chinese bamboo steamer over a pan of simmering water works well. The Best of British cookbook version steams for 20 to 25 minutes with 2 breasts, while our Chicken and Egg version steams 4 breasts for 15 minutes. Either way, check the thickest part is cooked through before cooling.

Is there an easy simple low-calorie version?

Yes, and it takes about 15 minutes. The Dieters Make It Easy cookbook has a simple coronation chicken salad at just 233 kcal per serving. It skips the reduced sauce step entirely and mixes low-fat Greek yoghurt with curry powder and mango chutney instead of mayo and crème fraîche.

You just fold leftover roast chicken into the yoghurt dressing with fine beans, little gem, cucumber, and spring onions. The book calls it “a great thing to do with leftover roast chicken,” and the prep is basically chopping and stirring. If you are after a healthy coronation chicken that still tastes like a proper one, that 233 kcal version is honest about what it is.

How is this different from the BBC Best of British version?

The BBC version comes from the Hairy Bikers Best of British cookbook, and the recipe is very similar but scaled down. It uses 2 chicken breasts instead of 4 and steams for 20 to 25 minutes instead of 15. The sauce method is identical: reduced shallot, curry powder, wine, and apricot jam folded through mayo and crème fraîche.

The big difference is our Chicken and Egg version adds fresh diced mango, spring onions, coriander, and Tabasco to the dressing. The mango and coriander are what make this version feel more modern, and the Tabasco gives it a kick that the plainer version does not have.

Can I make this ahead for a buffet or sandwich?

Yes, and it tastes better the next day. The curry sauce soaks into the chicken overnight in the fridge, so the flavour deepens rather than fading. Make everything up to step 5 the night before, cover, and chill.

Toast the almonds just before serving so they stay crunchy. A potato salad sits well alongside at a buffet, since that recipe uses the same mayo, crème fraîche, and lemon base. The two dishes echo each other without repeating the same flavours, and both hold up well on a table for hours.

What else should I put on the table with this?

This is a buffet dish at heart, so it wants cold companions rather than hot sides. A waldorf salad brings crunch from toasted walnuts and fresh apple that works alongside the flaked almonds and mango here. Both use crème fraîche in the dressing, so the flavour profiles sit well together.

For a bigger spread, the American layered salad fills the table with colour and crunch from shredded lettuce, radishes, and carrots. A few rolls, some crisps, and a bowl of coleslaw round everything out without any extra cooking.