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Baked Crispy Coconut Chicken Tenders Recipe

Enjoy restaurant quality chicken tenders with this baked crispy coconut chicken recipe.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Coconut Panko Baked Chicken, Easy Chicken Dinner, Homemade Baked chicken tenders, Oven fried chicken
Servings: 6
Calories: 366kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
  • 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ teaspoon curry powder
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ⅙ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • ½ cup flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken tenders
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil

Sweet and Spicy Apricot Dipping Sauce Recipe

  • ½ cup apricot preserves
  • 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  • Roughly chop the coconut so it's about the same size as the Panko pieces. Combine it with Panko and spices in a shallow dish. Mix well to distribute all of the spices.
  • Place the flour in another shallow dish, and the eggs in another. Give the eggs a quick beating.
  • Working with one chicken tender at a time, dredge in flour and then dip in egg, and then finally coat in the coconut Panko mixture. Press in with your fingers to make sure the entire thing is well coated.
  • Place chicken tenders on a foil-lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. I give mine a tiny drizzle of olive oil on top to help them crisp nicely.
  • Bake in your 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until juices run clear. Try not to overcook them because chicken tenders go from perfect to overcooked really fast! If your tenders are on the small side, they could even be done in about 15 minutes so keep an eye on them. If they're big they can take more like 25. The coconut will be nice and golden and the Panko crisp, but light in color still.
  • To make the dipping sauce, combine the preserves, rice wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl until blended.

Notes

More dipping sauces you might want to try:
  • sweet and sour sauce
  • teriyaki sauce
  • honey
  • any Asian dipping sauce you like

Nutrition

Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 570mg | Potassium: 557mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 253IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2mg