Jamie Oliver Coronation Chicken

There’s something about Jamie Oliver Coronation Chicken that just does it for me. Maybe it’s the warm, punchy aroma of curry paste mingling with sweet pineapple, or maybe it’s how it feels—slightly retro, totally comforting, but with a cheeky twist. I made this on a rainy Sunday with zero expectations. Ended up standing over the platter, picking at it with my fingers before anyone even sat down. (inspired by Jamie Oliver)

Ingredients Needed

For the chicken and marinade:

• A thumb-length piece of ginger, grated until your knuckles ache
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed messy
• A couple of red chillies, sliced however you like
• A whole bunch of coriander (don’t ditch the stalks, trust me)
• Juice from two lemons
• A generous couple of spoonfuls of curry paste
• Glug of olive oil
• One whole chicken, free-range if you can swing it, around 1.8kg

For roasting:

• Four red onions, hacked into wedges
• Tin of pineapple slices in juice (435g). Save that juice, you’ll need it

For the creamy, crunchy, fruity stuff:

• 4 big spoonfuls of Greek yoghurt
• Toasted flaked almonds. Just enough to scatter
• One ripe pomegranate, seeds smacked out
• 4 little gem lettuces, torn into scoopable bits
• One cucumber, thin and salty
• A couple of poppadoms, smashed like you mean it

How To Make Jamie Oliver Coronation Chicken

1. First, the marinade. This part smells like something from a street market at dusk. Mix grated ginger, smashed garlic, sliced chilli, coriander stalks, salt, pepper, and lemon juice (just half of one to start). Stir in the curry paste and olive oil. Use your hands. Don’t be shy.
2. Now the bird. Rub it with that mixture like you’re giving it a spa treatment. Get it in all the corners. Microwave one of the lemons for a bit, pierce it like a voodoo doll, and stuff it inside the chicken. Arrange the onion wedges around it. Let it sit and think about what’s coming, ideally overnight in the fridge, covered up.
3. Ready to roast? Set the oven to 180°C. Chicken goes in breast side down. Halfway through (around 45 mins in), flip it and add pineapple slices. The smell when the pineapple starts caramelizing—ridiculous. When the skin’s gone golden and your fork slides into the thigh like butter, pull it out. Let it rest. Half an hour minimum.
4. Sauce time. Squeeze that weird microwaved lemon over the roasted onion and pineapple. Fork out the pips if they sneak in. Mix it all up with a good splash of pineapple juice and the Greek yoghurt. Don’t be too neat. Shred the chicken, toss it through this sauce, ignore the bones. Save the skin though.
5. Meanwhile. Crisp up that skin in a dry pan. It’ll sizzle, spit, smell like memories. Chop it up once it’s golden and dangerous. In the same pan, toast the almonds. Don’t walk away. They go from fragrant to burned in seconds.
6. Garnishes? Bash the pomegranate over a bowl like you’re mad at it. Toss the cucumber with salt and a squeeze of lemon. It’s quick-pickled now. Get your lettuce leaves laid out.
7. To serve? Pile the chicken mess onto a big platter. Crush those poppadoms over the top like croutons from a better world. Add your shiny red pomegranate jewels, the coriander leaves you forgot about, crunchy skin bits, and those almonds. Scatter, don’t style. The cucumber goes on top, all cool and sour. Lettuce on the side, like edible spoons. It’s cold. It’s messy. It’s brilliant.

Why I Love This Recipe

The first time I made this, I didn’t even mean to. Just had a chicken, some yogurt, and a tin of pineapple in the cupboard. But what came out of the oven felt… special. It’s part picnic, part party, part childhood flashback. My friends kept asking, “what is this?” between mouthfuls. It’s messy and proud of it.

Recipe Tips

• No chicken, Use a cauliflower. Rub it the same way, roast till golden.
• Want it richer, Swap in homemade mayo. Game changer.
• Leftover magic. Shove it in a sandwich the next day and watch it vanish.
• Crispy skin only works if your pan’s hot but not scorching. Medium is your friend.
• If the sauce’s too thick, loosen it with pineapple juice. Too thin? Add more yoghurt.

How To Store This Jamie Oliver Coronation Chicken

• At room temperature: Not long. Two hours, max. After that, you’re rolling the dice.
• In the fridge: Chuck it in a sealed container. It’ll keep for three days. Tastes better cold anyway.
• In the freezer: Freeze the shredded chicken mix (without the garnishes) for up to two months. Label it. Trust me.
• Reheating: Oven: foil-covered at 180°C for 20 mins. Microwave: two minutes, stir, one more minute. Pan: low heat, bit of water, stir like you mean it.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

• Calories: 540
• Carbs: 19.5g
• Protein: 38.8g
• Fat: 34.9g
• Sugar: 13.4g
• Fibre: 4.5g
• Sodium: 1.7g

Let’s Answer a Few Questions!

Can you make it the day before?
Yes. In fact, do. It gets better with time.

Is it sandwich material?
Oh yes. Slather it on sourdough, add a bit of rocket. Heaven.

Is it gluten-free?
As long as your curry paste and poppadoms are safe, you’re golden.

Hot or cold?
Cold. Always. That’s the magic.

Do I really have to marinate it for 12 hours?
Nope. But if you do, it’ll sing.

Try More Recipe:

• Jamie Oliver Chicken Liver Pate Recipe
• Jamie Oliver Chicken Souvlaki Recipe
• Jamie Oliver Chicken Madras Recipe