Mrs Ball’s Chutney Chicken Recipe

When you think of chutney in South Africa, what comes to mind? The answer is undoubtedly, Mrs Ball’s Chutney. This is something that most South Africans can agree on: no chutney can quite compare to that made according to the original Mrs Ball’s Chutney recipe! Quite some time back, we put a bit of effort into finding and posting about the secret recipe to creating chutney just as good as Mrs Ball’s Chutney and of course, those who got their hands on it absolutely loved it. Now we’d love to take things to the next level and teach you how to use this very recipe to create South African chutney chicken that’s absolutely, mouth-wateringly irresistible. Of course, if you’d like to simply buy a bottle of Mrs Ball’s Chutney for the recipe, that’s great too.

Mrs Ball’s Chutney

Let’s talk about history for a bit…We all like to smear and dollop generous helpings of Mrs Ball’s Chutney on just about everything, but what’s the story behind this delectable condiment? Many of us don’t quite know what the “deal” is with the brand and how it officially came to be the favourite chutney of the nation. Today, it’s time to question. How did Mrs Ball’s Chutney become such a household brand? Before we dive head first into a Mrs Ball’s Chutney chicken recipe, let’s take a quick look at the history of Mrs Ball’s and why her chutney is so well loved in South Africa (and other countries too now!).

The story of Mrs Ball’s Chutney is quite quaint when you take into consideration that this giant of a chutney brand came from such humble beginnings. It all started in 1852 when Henry James Adkins and his new Canadian immigrant wife, Sarah Adkins, settled near East London (Eastern Cape) and opened up a general dealer store, selling anything and everything. In 1870, Sarah started making chutney as an income booster, using her Canadian mother’s original recipe. Ever wondered why the bottle says Mrs H.S Ball’s Chutney on it? Well, Sarah might have been great at whipping up delicious chutney, but her marketing skills were a little challenged. Her first name for the product, which is why the bottle says “Mrs H.S Ball’s Chutney”, was in fact “Mrs Henry Adkins Senior, Colonial Chutney Manufacturer, Fort Jackson, Cape Colony Chutney”. That’s more of a mouthful than the chutney itself, isn’t it?!

In the years to follow, Mrs Ball’s Chutney became quite well known and her little business grew from selling 20 bottles a day to around 8000 bottles per day. It’s an undeniable fact that Mrs Ball’s chutney was delicious. It was even exported to the United Kingdom due to the growing demand for South African chutney just like Mrs Ball’s! The business was kept in the family until 1970 when Sarah’s youngest daughter, still continuing the business until the age of 97, passed away. It was then sold to Brooke Bonds Oxo and then sold on to Unilever Foods. And now you know the general history of Mrs Balls.

The Best Mrs Ball’s Chutney Chicken Recipe

If you like Mrs Ball’s Chutney and you love a sweet sticky chicken dish (who doesn’t, right?!), why not make your own South African style chutney chicken?! The ingredients required are simple and it’s really a quick and easy process. You should be able to get everything you need, no matter where you are in the country. Whipping up a South African chutney chicken recipe is easier than you think. Simply follow these instructions.

What you need:

Once you have gathered these simple ingredients, it’s time to get started.

• 1 small/medium onion chopped finely
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1 red chilli (remove seeds and chop finely)
• 6 tablespoons of Mrs Ball’s Chutney
• 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce
• 6 tablespoons of mayonnaise
• 8 chicken thighs (with skin and bone)
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Cooked rice of your choice for serving
• Green side salad for serving

What to do:

While making a South African chutney chicken dish takes an hour including preparation and cooking, there really is very little required from you. Prepare to put your feet up, enjoy a glass of wine, and let the chicken cook through. Here’s what you need to do.

• Preheat the oven to 180 Degrees Celsius.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
• Add the finely chopped onion to the oil and fry until it starts to go translucent.
• Add the garlic and chilli and fry for an extra minute on lowered heat – the mixture should become quite fragrant.
• Stir the chutney, Worcestershire sauce, and mayonnaise into the mixture and add salt to taste.
• Season the chicken thighs with salt by patting the salt into them.
• Arrange each piece of chicken on a foil-lined baking tray and then using a spoon; scoop the chutney and onion mixture over the chicken pieces.
• Place the baking tray in the oven and roast for 40 to 45 minutes.
• Check that the chicken is cooked right through and that the sauce is sticky.
• Once the chicken is cooked through, serve it on a bed of rice with a green side salad.

One last thing to do…enjoy!

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