All-in-one coronation chicken traybake recipe, prepped in under 20min
A revamp of the classic, whether enjoyed as a full-on hosting roast or midweekified for an easier dinner. Just check out the GH tip at the bottom of the recipe for our speedier version
A great ‘plonk in the middle of the table’ dish that combines all the lovely sweet and tangy flavours of coronation chicken with those of a classic roast. The mayonnaise baste keeps the meat super juicy and also adds loads of flavour.
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Yields:
6
Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
1 hr 20 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 40 mins
Ingredients
For the coronation chicken paste:
125 g mayonnaise
75 g dried apricots
Juice of 1 lemon, halves reserved
1 tsp. ginger and garlic paste
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 1/2 tsp. medium roasted curry powder
400 g shallots
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 whole chicken
275 g basmati rice
1/2 tsp. turmeric
750 ml hot chicken stock
30 g flaked almonds, toasted
Fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Directions
Step 1Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. To make the paste, put the mayonnaise in a mini food processor with the dried apricots, lemon juice, ginger and garlic paste, turmeric and curry powder and blitz to a paste. Season with a little salt.
Step 2Peel the shallots, cut half of them in half lengthways and add to a roasting tray. Drizzle with ½tbsp of the oil, then place the chicken in the tray. Carefully prise the skin away from the breast meat and, using your fingers, rub the coronation paste under the surface of the skin. Put the juiced lemon halves into the cavity, then rub any remaining paste over the skin. Season with sea salt and roast for 30min.
Step 3Meanwhile, finely slice the remaining shallots. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and fry the shallots over a medium heat for 6-8min, until crispy and golden brown. Set aside.
Step 4Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer to a board. Add the basmati rice, turmeric and chicken stock to the tray and stir well. Return the chicken to the tray and cover loosely with foil, sealing the edges well. Bake for another 30min, then remove the foil. Give everything under the chicken a stir and cook uncovered for another 20min.
Step 5Remove the tray from the oven and transfer the chicken to a board. Toss the fried shallots, flaked almonds and coriander through the rice and return the chicken to the tray. Cover and leave to rest for 15min. Take the chicken and rice to the table in the tray or transfer to a serving dish.
GH Tip:
For the chicken thigh traybake:
Make the paste and coat the chicken thighs. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and brown the thighs, skin-side down, for 4min. Turn and cook for a further 4min. Meanwhile, slice the shallots.
Remove the chicken from the pan and add the shallots. Cook for 2min, until softened. Add the rice and chicken stock and stir well, then return the chicken thighs to the pan.
Cover with foil and bake for 30min, then remove the foil and bake for a further 20min. Finish with flaked almonds, crispy shallots and coriander.
Sarah is Good Housekeeping's Kitchen and Homes Director, looking after all things food and homes for the brand. Sarah started her career in journalism, then retrained as a chef 15 years ago following a lifelong dream to work in food. Since retraining, she has worked as a private chef, assisted on tv commercials, created recipes for some of the country's leading brands and became the go-to birthday and wedding cake baker in her friends and family network. In 2025, she was shortlisted for Cookery Writer of the Year by the Guild of Food Writers
