Quick, healthy and delicious - the holy trinity of midweek food. Well, this coronation chicken jacket potato recipe is all three and so much more!
So, whether you’re cooking a midweek meal for a busy family or want to whip up a simple lunch, this fabulously easy and terrifically tasty recipe is for you.
Coronation chicken jacket potato recipe
If the thought of spending your weeknights standing over a saucepan is enough to make you break out in a cold sweat, fear not! I’ve got the answer for you.
No, not a takeaway. I’m talking about a healthy, humble home cooked classic that’s as British as it gets.
This jacket potatoes with coronation chicken recipe is the perfect warming weeknight meal. There’s minimal prep time and the oven does most of the work, while you chill with your feet up and a well-earned glass of your favourite tipple in hand.
The humble yet glorious jacket potato
Who doesn’t love a jacket potato? There’s something very old-school British about a good old jacket potato. Simple, straight forward, convenient, no fuss… yet it delivers every time!
The jacket potato has been a British institution since the 19th century. In his book London Labour and the London Poor, journalist Henry Mayhew wrote about potato men – street sellers who would sell freshly baked potatoes on the streets of London.
The humble spud is still going strong today. A jacket potato is the perfect convenient meal to please and fill up the whole family – from weaning toddlers and ravenous teens to adult foodies with a taste for the finer things.
It’s quick and easy to whip together, delivers plenty of value for money and nutritious to boot. It’s also a zero-waste food – buy your potatoes fresh from your greengrocer or supermarket and there’ll be absolutely no plastic wrapping in sight.
Best of all, a jacket potato is the king of versatility. You can experiment with toppings until your heart’s content. You can even serve your spuds with several toppings, dishing out each family member’s favourite to create the perfect midweek meal for everybody.
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How to make the perfect jacket potato
The perfect jacket potato is irresistibly crispy on the outside and lusciously soft on the inside. It’s not just about whacking it in the oven and hoping for the best – there’s a bit of an art to achieving this combination.
In terms of making the perfect jacket potato, I have a few key recommendations:
- You can definitely make a damn fine jacket potato in the microwave – it’s very convenient and gets the job done in doubly quick time. We also like to prepare them in the classic manner. For this, you’ll need the oven.
- Despite what you might have heard, don’t wrap your potatoes in foil. All this will do is trap the moisture, preventing your jacket potatoes from crisping up
- Unless you want a nuclear-grade spud, prick the potatoes with a fork all over to allow heat and pressure to escape while cooking. Also, sprinkle over a generous amount of salt on the skins of your potatoes
- Cook your jacket potatoes in the oven at a hot – but not blisteringly – hot temperature. As I state in the recipe below, 200ºC/180ºC fan/gas mark 6 is a good temperature
- Here comes the key to the crisp! After 40 minutes at 200ºC/180ºC fan/gas mark 4, turn your oven up to 220ºC/200ºC fan/gas mark 8 and cook for a further 20 minutes
What is coronation chicken?
Coronation chicken is a mixture of cooked chicken breast, mayonnaise, yoghurt, curry powder and mango chutney. You can also add finely chopped coriander, a touch of lemon juice and chopped spring onions to add extra flavour to this coronation chicken recipe.
I also add sultanas. The little sweet explosion of a sultana, alongside the sweet tanginess of the mango chutney, just adds another dimension to coronation chicken. Feel free to leave the sultanas out if they’re not your cup of tea.
Aside from mango chutney, you could also use persimmon chutney or plum chutney.
If you want to adapt this coronation chicken recipe to make it a low-fat coronation chicken, replace the Greek yoghurt with crème fraîche. You could also use low-fat mayonnaise.
Who invented coronation chicken?
As it’s a spicy chicken dish, lots of people assume that coronation chicken was invented in India. In fact, it was invented in the UK.
Constance Spry, an English teacher, food writer and royal florist, is credited alongside Rosemary Hume, a professional cook and food writer, as having invented coronation chicken.
The two foodies prepared dishes for the celebratory banquet for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The cold chicken and curry cream sauce dish that was prepared quickly became hugely popular.
It was soon known, of course, as coronation chicken and the rest is history.
Are potatoes good for you?
Not only are potatoes delicious, they’re also naturally fat-free. Potatoes are a source of essential nutrients as well.
They contain potassium and thiamin (vitamin B1). Potassium helps to maintain healthy blood pressure, muscle function and the nervous system. Thiamin helps normal heart function, psychological function and the release of energy from foods.
Not a lot of people know that potatoes also make a contribution to vitamin C, vitamin B6 and folate intakes in diets of adults in the UK. Vitamin C is important as it helps to maintain a healthy immune system.
In addition potatoes are a natural source of fibre when eaten with their skins – so jacket potatoes are ideal.
What are the best potatoes to use for jacket potatoes?
The best potatoes to use when cooking jacket potatoes are the big floury types.
The stand out spud has to be Maris Piper. Introduced into England in 1966 – only the second best thing to happen that year – the good old Maris Piper has gone on to become the most popular potato in the country and one of the most widely-eaten spuds in the world.
The King Edward potato is another great choice for baking. Also originating in Britain, the King Edward potato has been sold commercially since 1902 – making it one of the oldest commercial potatoes in the world.
Other good potatoes for making jacket potatoes include Desiree and Russet.
More great potato recipes
If this coronation chicken with jacket potato recipe has got you in the mood to cook up some classic potato dishes, why not try some of these delicious recipes?
- Cottage pie – classic British comfort food at its finest, this cottage pie recipe is perfect to warm the cockles on a cold winter’s day
- Aloo chaat – a sumptuous spicy street food straight out of India, this potato recipe is to die for. Cumin, red chilli and mango chutney bring the flavour
- Rosemary potatoes – this fantastic recipe is made up of simple ingredients. The magic lies in the prep, when each potato is prepared with grooves to give the potatoes an irresistible texture
- Parmentier potatoes – a classic roast potato recipe, using simple ingredients all working together in perfect harmony. Serve this one up with a slow cooked roast
- Boulangere potatoes – a rustic French tray-baked classic, this recipe involves very little prep time and brings big flavour
- Confit potatoes – soft, moist and deep in flavour, these bad boys are incredible. The potatoes are poached in a pot in oil, giving them a mouth watering taste and texture
- Gluten free scalloped potatoes – America’s answer to France’s potato gratin, this is one indulgent dish. Creamy, rich and unbelievably tasty. Serve it alongside a heavenly roast meal and your taste buds will be dancing a merry dance
📖 Recipe
Coronation Chicken Jacket Potato
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Coronation Chicken is the classic British recipe loved by all. You can have it as a potato filling, in a sandwich or salad. A perfect family meal!
Ingredients
- 4 baking potatoes, washed
- 60ml (4 tbsp) mayonnaise
- 60ml (4 tbsp) Greek yogurt
- 6g (1 tbsp) curry powder
- 45ml (3 tbsp) mango chutney
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 40g (¼ cup) sultanas
- 450g (1lb) cooked chicken, torn into pieces
- 5g (1 tbsp) flaked almonds, toasted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC / fan 180ºC / 400ºF / gas mark 6.
- When the oven has reached temperature, place the potatoes in a baking dish and cook for 40 minutes.
- After the allotted time, crank the oven’s heat up to 220ºC / fan 200ºC / 425ºF / gas mark 7, then bake the potatoes for a further 20 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, stir the mayonnaise, yogurt, curry powder and chutney in a large bowl until a smooth sauce is formed.
- Season to taste then tip in the sultanas and cooked chicken, and mix until everything is covered with the sauce.
- Once the potatoes have finished cooking, remove them from the oven, make an incision in each and open them up.
- Top with the coronation chicken filling and sprinkle with almonds.
Serve with a green salad. Enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to play with the different ratios of mayonnaise, yogurt and chutney.
- Tweak the spice level by adjusting the curry powder used.
- If you’re not a fan of sultanas, you can omit it from the recipe and substitute it with another dried fruit such as apricot, or simply leave it out altogether!
- Creme fraiche can be used instead of Greek yogurt.
- If you’re a fan of celery, you can use some chopped celery in the recipe.
- If you find that you have lots of chicken leftover after making this recipe, why not try my fantastic Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe to use it all up?
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: A potato heaped with filling
- Calories: 539
- Sugar: 8.7 g
- Sodium: 346.7 mg
- Fat: 19.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55.2 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 35.3 g
- Cholesterol: 92.6 mg
P.S. This is a sponsored post.
Bev
11/02/2024 made this today for tea and it was absolutely delicious I didn’t use the whole amount of ingredients asked for in the recipe as it was for two of us so just cut the amount down and it was delicious its definitely a keeper and will be on a regular basis thank you for sharing this recipe.
Emily
Absolutely love this recipe!
Is the jacket potato included in the total calories, or is that just for the corrination chicken? 😊
Michelle Minnaar
So glad you love the recipe, Emily! The nutritional information includes the potato. 🙂
Avril Main
Hi, just made the sauce - still need to add the chicken before we have it with a jacket potato. It tastes gorgeous and so easy to make. I thought it have found a good version in a jar but no more shop bought for me!! Thank you.
Michelle Minnaar
So please to hear you like the sauce, Avril. You're right! Once you try homemade, you never go back.
Sarah Christie
These look amazing I adore the sweetness of coronation chicken this is one I need to try!
Michelle Minnaar
Please let me know how it goes, Sarah!
MANDY
Those jacket potatoes look so good - a delicious meal all in all!
Michelle Minnaar
We are having it once a week! 🙂
Jennifer Howze
These look sooooo delicious. I absolutely love Coronation Chicken and how this recipe turns it into an entire tasty meal with health benefits! Thanks for the history lesson too!
Wendy
This looks completely amazing! Love the idea of Coronation Chicken stuffed potatoes!
Michelle Minnaar
Thanks, Wendy. You should try it!
Alexandra George
Love love LOVE this recipe! Made this last night and my daughter begged me to make it again tonight. Thank you!
Michelle Minnaar
So happy you discovered a new favourite recipe!