Talk about a meal fit for a queen!
Coronation Chicken Was Invented for Queen Elizabeth II
Published on Jun. 10, 2025
One of the main jobs of any reigning monarch is to be a good host. Whether its a state visit, royal wedding or simply a dinner party, the celebrations pretty much never end. So it’s no wonder that a lot of recipes have been created to keep up with this demanding social calendar!
Some of these recipes end up lost to history. Other times they’re just not super appealing to a modern palate (I don’t need everything suspended in gelatin, you know?). But one of the dishes created for Queen Elizabeth II’s ascendance to the throne remains in regular rotation in kitchens and restaurants across the United Kingdom and beyond. I’m talking, of course, about coronation chicken.
What is coronation chicken?
Coronation chicken is a dish specially created for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth on February 6, 1952, when her father King George VI passed away. It wasn’t until the following year, on June 2, 1953, that she had her official coronation ceremony. The gap between the two occasions isn’t unusual. For starters, it takes a while to plan a state celebration of that magnitude: King Charles III became king on September 8, 2022 and his coronation was held in May of 2023.
There was a lot to celebrate about Queen Elizabeth, though. It was a period of immense transition in the world, with World War II ending just a few years prior. England had been the site of bombings and destruction during the war, so it was a time of rebuilding and rebirth. Elizabeth’s coronation was truly unique since it was the very first televised coronation!
Naturally, a history-making occasion calls for a special menu, and thus coronation chicken was born. Created by Constance Spry and Rosemary Hume, the bright chicken salad was made with mayonnaise and cream, and flavored with curry powder, shallots and a few other spices. The original recipe was made with dried apricots, though some modern interpretations use sultanas.
For such a fancy occasion, it’s a dish that is actually pretty easy to whip up and keep on hand. It can be enjoyed on a bed of lettuce, with a bowl of rice or as a filling for sandwiches. Like most chicken salads, the best way to eat it is after you let it marinate for a couple days in the fridge. Time to get in the kitchen and make yourself a meal fit for a queen!
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