Coronation Chicken Salad
A traditional British curried chicken salad with chutney, apricot jam, grapes, and almonds — delicious as a sandwich filling or spooned over a bed of lettuce.
- 1 tablespoon oil, neutral flavored (a mild olive oil or coconut oil)
- 3 tablespoons shallot, diced (1 medium)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons curry powder, more or less to taste
- 2 tablespoons Major Grey chutney, large pieces diced
- 3 tablespoons apricot jam
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 12 ounces chicken breast meat, cooked, cubed or shredded (about 2 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 cup red or green grapes, halved
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped raw almonds
- Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the diced shallots and sauté briefly, 1 to 2 minutes, until softened. Stir in the curry powder and mustard powder and cook for another minute, then remove from the heat.
- Dice any large pieces of the chutney, then add the chutney, apricot jam, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to the shallot and curry mixture.
- Transfer the chutney-curry mixture to a food processor or blender along with the mayonnaise, and pulse or blend until smooth. Taste and adjust with more salt, black pepper, lemon juice, or curry powder as needed.
- In a large bowl, fold in the chicken, curried mayonnaise, grapes, and almonds. Keep in mind that adding the chicken, grapes, and almonds will dilute the flavor of the dressing, so re-season the finished salad if it tastes flat.
- Serve as a filling in a sandwich, or spoon over a bed of lettuce for a lower-carb, gluten-free option.
Chef's Note: This salad dates back to Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953, when it was created to be served cold to visiting dignitaries — the curry, chutney, and apricot jam combination was considered fittingly exotic and celebratory at the time. Blending the dressing smooth before folding in the chicken is what gives coronation chicken its signature silky texture, rather than leaving visible flecks of curry and chutney throughout.
Don't skip re-seasoning at the end — the chicken, grapes, and almonds genuinely mute the dressing's flavor once folded in, so a taste test and a pinch more salt or curry powder often makes a real difference. This salad keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days, and the flavor actually deepens slightly overnight, making it a solid make-ahead option for sandwiches or a light lunch.
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