You know what I secretly love? Those cheesy commercials for places like Red Lobster where they pour butter over lobster in slow motion and then you see the fried coconut shrimp bouncing onto the plate in crispy perfection. The thought of fried coconut breading always sounds delicious but we don’t really eat shrimp around here. That’s where the idea for these Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers was born. Chicken tenders are dipped in egg and a coconut-dotted breading that bakes up to crispy perfection in the oven. The coconut in the breading adds a subtle sweetness and the whole crispy chicken thing makes them super family friendly.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Chicken tenders – Raw chicken tenders (sometimes labeled “tenderloins”) come from just below the chicken breast. They are lean and tender, like the name implies, making them great for recipes like this. Chicken tenders have a little tendon running down the center that’s sometimes tiny and unnoticeable and sometimes more substantial. You can always just eat around it or, if you’d like, remove it before prepping your chicken by grasping the end of it with a paper towel and using a fork to hold the meat in place while you pull it out.
- Eggs
- All-purpose flour
- Coconut flakes – I use sweetened, but unsweetened would be fine, too.
- Panko bread crumbs – If you’re not familiar with Panko, it’s a Japanese style bread crumb. Panko makes everything SO light and crispy, you’ll be amazed. Find panko bread crumbs on the baking aisle with the traditional bread crumbs. You just want plain ones for this recipe, but the Italian ones are delicious for other things!
- Garlic powder
- Table salt
- Curry powder – A mix of spices like turmeric, coriander, cumin, ginger, black pepper, and mustard seed, among others. It’s a deep yellow and can be found with other spices in any grocery store.
- Onion powder
- Cayenne pepper – You can leave this out if you want no heat. A little bit isn’t super spicy, it just adds a nice little kick to the breading.
- Cooking spray or oil of choice – Before the breaded chicken tenders go in the oven, I like to give them a quick spray or drizzle of oil to help them cook up golden and crispy.
How to Make Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers
- Line a baking sheet with foil and spritz with cooking spray, then set aside.
- Give some shredded coconut a rough chop so it’s about the same size as panko bread crumbs. Combine the coconut, panko, salt, garlic, onion, curry, and cayenne pepper in a shallow dish.
- Place some all-purpose flour in another shallow dish, and a beaten egg in another.
- Set up your breading station: bowl of flour, bowl of egg, bowl of breading, and prepared pan. Dredge each tender in the flour, then dip in the egg, and finally coat in panko mixture and set on your baking sheet.
- When all chicken tenders have been breaded, you can spray a little cooking spray or drizzle a little oil over each one if desired, to help them cook up nice and crispy.
- Bake until juices run clear, and internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Storing and Other Tips
- These chicken fingers are best eaten fresh to enjoy the crunchy breading. If you have leftovers and you’d like to save them for later, store in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 2-3 days for best results.
- When reheating, you can crisp them back up by reheating in the oven (375°F for 8-12 minutes, flipping half way through) or in the air fryer (350°F for 3-5 minutes, flipping half way through).
- Breading Tip: If you’ve ever found that your fingers are a soggy, breaded mess when trying to bread chicken, this tip is for you! Designate one had for dry ingredients and one for wet. So maybe you use your right hand to dredge the tenders, then set it in the egg and use your left hand to flip it and move to the panko mixture, where you use your right hand again to sprinkle, flip, and transfer the breaded tender to the baking sheet.
Frequently Asked Questions
As of right now, I have not personally tested these in the air fryer. I came up with this recipe way before air fryers were common in kitchens! Because air fryers cook hot and we’re cooking raw chicken here, I would worry about the breading burning before the chicken is cooked. If you’d like to try it, I would cook it at a lower temperature, like around 350°F for and flip it half way through cooking. I’m guessing these might take 12-15 minutes total. Be sure to use a meat thermometer and confirm that they have reached an internal temperature of 165°F before serving.
Yes! Prepare chicken fingers through coating them in the breading mixture. Place in a single layer on a lined baking sheet and freeze for several hours. Remove from freezer and transfer to a gallon-sized zip top bag or freezer safe container. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 450°F and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until juices run clear.
Not necessarily. It adds a wonderful sweetness and crunch, but the panko bread crumbs will still create a nice coating on their own.
I would imagine so! There are lots of gluten-free panko brands out there (you may have to order them if your store doesn’t have a good gluten-free selection) and any good 1:1 gluten-free flour blend should work just fine for dredging.
Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers
Ingredients
- 12 chicken tenders ya know, more or less…
- 1-2 eggs start with one and crack another if it runs out
- ½ cup flour
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- ¾ teaspoon curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper you can leave this out if you want to skip the spice for the kiddos
- cooking spray or oil optional- spray or drizzle a little oil over the breaded tenders before baking to help them get crispy and golden in the oven
Instructions
- preheat oven to 450℉. Give coconut a rough chop 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 egg in another. Give the egg 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.
- Give coconut a rough chop 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 egg in another. Give the egg 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 (for easy clean up!) that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. I give mine a teeny drizzle of olive oil on top to help them crisp nicely, but it’s optional.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until juices run clear and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. 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.
Notes
- These chicken fingers are best eaten fresh to enjoy the crunchy breading. If you have leftovers and you’d like to save them for later, store in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 2-3 days for best results.
- When reheating, you can crisp them back up by reheating in the oven (375°F for 8-12 minutes, flipping half way through) or in the air fryer (350°F for 3-5 minutes, flipping half way through).
- Breading Tip: If you’ve ever found that your fingers are a soggy, breaded mess when trying to bread chicken, this tip is for you! Designate one hand for dry ingredients and one for wet. So maybe you use your right hand to dredge the tenders, then set it in the egg and use your left hand to flip it and move to the panko mixture, where you use your right hand again to sprinkle, flip, and transfer the breaded tender to the baking sheet.
- Freezer Instructions: Prepare chicken fingers through coating them in the panko/coconut mixture. Place in a single layer on a lined baking sheet and freeze for several hours. Remove from freezer and transfer to a gallon-sized Ziploc bag or a freezer safe container. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 450. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until juices run clear.
Questions & Reviews
I think I just fell in love with you.
I bet these are tasty fingers! I love coconut shrimp made this way too!
I love panko! Those look great
ooh, good idea Carrie- that sounds good! The dipping sauce I made had pineapple-apricot preserves in it and it was a great flavor combo.
I had something similar to this dish at a restaurant in Maui, and they served it with a pineapple salsa. Maybe you could try that instead of a dipping sauce?
I'm opposed to most everything from under the sea Jodi! I know, I'm a weirdo. People are always telling me to try ______ fish because it's not "fishy" lol. But actually, just last month in Seattle I tried some fried halibut (for like the millionth time) and drowned in tartar sauce it wasn't all that bad! lol
Jeni, that's a great idea, I might have to flirt with a server next time I'm out eating at a steak house!
Do you define all seafood as anything that comes from the ocean? Or are you only opposed to shellfish?
If you haven't already, you really ought to try some fresh halibut. It's not fishy tasting at all and it has a really nice flaky texture. It also tastes great when covered in panko.
But I'm with you on the shrimp, it's all rubbery and chewy.
When I worked at Outback Steakhouse we would actually have the kitchen make these for us with the same batter and breading they made the coconut shrimp with. You might be able to get someone to do it elsewhere if you ask and they're in a good mood. 🙂
i just love the texture you get with panko crumbs
Sara: I'm a panko fiend myself. I'm going to try the coconut chicken tonight! Thanks, kitty