You know what I secretly love? Those cheesy commercials for places like Red Lobster or Sizzler. You know the ones I’m talking about? Where they pour butter over lobster in slow motion and then you see the fried coconut shrimp bouncing onto the plate in crispy perfection? Well they make me hungry. I’ve always been intriged by the shrimp in particular thinking that fried coconut breading would be super good. The fact that it’s covering shrimp is the only thing that shatters my 5 second daydream because my kids won’t eat shrimp. So this little chicken number is my solution. It doesn’t come with steak and an all-you-can-eat salad bar for $6.95, but it’s dang good! And it’s super family friendly too. The coconut adds a subtle sweetness, and you can just tell the kids they’re giant chicken nuggets 🙂
If you’re not familiar with Panko, it’s a Japanese style bread crumb. I started using it in place of regular bread crumbs a few years ago and I just can’t go back now. Panko makes everything SO light and crispy, you’ll be amazed. Up until now I’ve always bought Panko in the Asian section of the grocery store. But I just found out that Progresso now makes Panko! I was so happy to see that because now you can find it next to the Progresso bread crumbs in the pasta isle. I tried the Progresso brand out with this batch and they worked beautifully. They’re just as great as the Asian brand I had been using previously, and they even make an Italian seasoned one as well.
Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers
Recipe by Our Best Bites
12 chicken tenders (ya know, more or less…)
1-2 eggs (start with one and crack another if it runs out)
1/2 C flour
1 C sweetened coconut flakes
1 C panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp table salt
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (you can leave this out if you want to skip the spice for the kiddos)
preheat oven to 450 degrees.
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…
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 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.
My kiddos think these are giant chicken nuggets so they dip them in ranch dressing (of course! What don’t they dip in ranch?) or ketchup. My hubby and I like them in sweet and sour sauce. At some point I’ll add a dipping sauce to this recipe, but I haven’t perfected it yet!
Every time I make these I fantasize about putting them on this salad, in place of the Spicy Honey Chicken. I’m thinking that might be a great combo. Let me know if any of you try it. But they also make great appetizers or party food. Gotta love crunchy breaded chicken you can eat with your hands!
Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers
Recipe by Our Best Bites
12 chicken tenders (ya know, more or less…)
1-2 eggs (start with one and crack another if it runs out)
1/2 C flour
1 C sweetened coconut flakes
1 C panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp table salt
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (you can leave this out if you want to skip the spice for the kiddos)
preheat oven to 450 degrees. 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 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.
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 am so going to make these for dinner tomorrow night! Thanks for having something without milk! I am so excited I am about to do the happy dance! I wish I knew how to make the coconut dipping sauce from Red Lobster! That would fer sure be divine with these!
I can't wait to try this, my kids love coconut and I love that it is not fried.
Panko is not special bread its just the way it is made (rough texture). Regular bread crumbs are dried bread that is ground up, but panko, is fresh bread, crumbled, and THEN dried.
I make my own "panko" using whole wheat bread. I use the ends (since no one likes them) of the whole wheat sandwich bread I buy. I (or my kids, they love to do this) crumble the bread into panko size pieces (just rub between your fingers until small sized) then I put it in my bread crumbs container lightly covered but not sealed. It dries by itself or you can spread it on a cookie sheet and let it sit in your oven overnight then store in airtight container. perfect panko texture, fiber, and no waste
i am making this for my freezer group with trader Joes Pineapple Salsa what would you serve with it?
I tried this recipe tonight. SO good! Thanks for sharing! I'm new to your blog . . . I'm really excited about trying more recipes!
Patricia- just follow the instructions, but omit the pork, pineapple, peas, and cashews.
https://ourbestbites.com/2008/04/cashew-sweet-and-sour-pork.html
Sara-when you make just the sauce from the cashew sweet and sour pork for these, how do you do it? Thanks!
ok so these are sooo yummy! i love coconut shrimp and these are such a nice alternative! i used this citrus chili dipping sauce :
* 3 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
* 1/4 cup mirin
* 6 tablespoons pineapple juice
* 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
* 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
* 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch
* 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
Combine the chili garlic sauce, mirin, 5 tablespoons of the pineapple juice, orange juice, lime juice, and orange zest in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Whisk together the remaining tablespoon of pineapple juice and the cornstarch in a small bowl. When sauce begins to boil, add the cornstarch mixture, whisking to combine. Allow sauce to boil for 1 minute, or until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and whisk in the sesame oil.
Cool sauce to room temperature and serve
🙂 i cooked them up with this hawaiian rice :
3/4 cup cooked chicken, diced
2 cups cooked rice, cold
2 green onions, diced
1/4 cup carrot, finely diced
1/4 cup pineapple, drained and diced
1 egg
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
pepper
1. Heat oil, and add the chicken, rice, onions, carrots, soy sauce and sesame oil.
2. Stir-fry until hot (about 2 minutes).
3. Add the egg and continue stirring while cooking adding pepper to taste.
4. Add pineapple to warm rice and serve.
5. Note: Always use cold cooked rice for stir fry, it's the secret.
this is such a keeper we are so excited to eat it again!
I think that a lime sauce would be really good to dip these in. I don't know how to make one but I bet there's a way. Maybe even a honey-lime sauce. Thanks for the chicken recipe! I LOVE your blog!
Kristin
Hi! I'm LOVING your blog!! I'm on a super-strict diet right now, and I cannot wait to try all of these recipes out!! I just wanted to offer a tip.. I noticed you use olive oil on these chicken strips, coconut oil might be fantastic with this… they have coconut oil with the flavor removed, or with the flavor… either would work. The great thing about coconut oil is when you cook with it, it retains it's nutrition (unlike olive oil) when cooked. It's actually healthy.
LOVE your recipes!!
I made these last night and served them with a pineapple habanero salsa. They were really really good! Can't wait to have the leftovers today!
The dressing I use when I make coconut chicken salad is a spicy honey mustard:
1/3 cup mayo
1/3 cup honey mustard
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
I can't wait to try your coconut chicken recipe. The one I currently use is good, but high in fat (it involves butter). 🙂
Delicious coconut chicken!! Yum Thanks for sharing!
Here's one of our favorite homemade sweet and sour sauces. It is pretty easy and the best homemade sauce I have had. It's also nice because you can double or triple the sauce and it freezes nicely. I don't know where the recipe came from.
Sweet and Sour sauce recipe:
Part I
⅓ cup vinegar, rice or white
1 cup water
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon white pepper
⅛ teaspoon tabasco sauce
Part II
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Part III
3 tablespoons ketchup
½ teaspoon ginger, paste or minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Over medium heat bring part 1 to a boil. Mix part 2 ingredients and add to boiling mixture. Cook until bubbly and thick. Remove from stove and add part 3 ingredients. This will keep in the refrigerator for weeks. Room temp ketchup mixes easier than cold. Serve warm.
I added just a couple pinches of white sugar and they tasted great. Thanks for the heads up.
I tried these with the salad you mention at the very end and it was soo yummy. I don't actually like the honey chicken so this was a great alternative.
Hmmm Rachel…I suppose you could try adding a little sugar to the breading mixture? It wouldn't take much to add just a hint of sweetness and the coconut would still give it a nice crunch. This is all in theory of course since I've never tried it that way before. Good luck!
I’ve done it half sweet and half unsweetened coconut (because I wanted to use up the unsweetened that I have). It tastes just as good, and is probably a tiny bit healthier!
I am thinking of making these for dinner tonight but I have unsweetened coconut. Is there an fix for the missing sweetness?
I made something similar to this this weekend. I left out the spices and added chopped pecans with the coconut and bread crumbs (no panko 🙁 )and it was delicious!!! I served it with a pineapple sauce and, well, sadly there were no leftovers.
Just tried this out and they were sooo good!! I didn't even want to dip them in anything, which is odd for me. I liked the sweetness when you first put them in your mouth and then the subtle spice left after you swallowed. We are already planning on servings these to guests.
These look really good- I hadn't thought about using coconut. I bet dipping them in ketchup would make then even tastier with the salty/sweet combo.
Awesome blog- I bought the ingredients to make the pumpkin alfredo today!
OK I'm a serial commenter today! (I'm doing all my cooking today! I'm surprised I haven't crashed your server.)
I used to work at Red Lobster and I loved their coconut shrimp. They cant and wont make anything else in the batter. it comes premade. Second of all, the sauce is my favorite part and I've duplicated it like the girl a few above me in her comment. Coconut milk is the key!
I am so stoked about this recipe – number one it's not fried. THat helps me out with Weight Watcher points! ha!
Hi Peggy- brrr, it sounds cold up there! You definitely need to bake up some pies to keep warm 😉 One of my favorite sweet and sour sauces is actually the sauce from this recipe:
https://ourbestbites.com/2008/04/cashew-sweet-and-sour-pork.html
It's all stuff I usually have on hand, and it's quick and easy. I'd love to see yours too!
These are great! What type of sweet and sour sauce do you like? We have a great recipe which I originally got out of a book on regional Chinese cooking but later was given the same recipe by the cook at a Chinese restaurant (he was originally from China but came over to cook in a relatives restaurant…) If you would like to try it, drop me a line!!
By the way, I just came across your blog yesterday after following a link for the individual freezer pies!! What a great idea!! WE will definitely keep those on hand after our move!!
Peggy in the frozen north (aka interior of Alaska)
Please send me ur sweet sour sauce and freezer pies recipe. Thanks
I'm planning on making this soon after I get to the store. I don't know if I can find panko (I live in Europe and would have to do some hunting).
My plan has been to make a copycat version of the pineapple dipping sauce at Red Lobster that they put with their coconut shrimp…yogurt, pineapple, coconut, coconut milk & sugar. Yum!
We made these the other night and they were AWESOME!!! I made a dipping sauce with crushed pineapple, dijon mustard, apricot jam, and sweet and sour sauce and it was pretty darn tasty, too. I can't wait to make 'em again… 🙂
I just made these tonight and the sweet potato fries! YUM Thanks for sharing!
This looks really yummy too. I'm going to try this one soon. Thanks for sharing!
Sorry Carly, it makes me gag. 🙂
BUT! We just finished eating these and WOW. They were so good.
Believe it or not, Derek dipped them in country bob's and was quite happy with it. I think a pineapple salsa would be GREAT!
I made these last night and they were delish! The entire family liked them. Thank your for sharing. I {adore} your blog.
Hubs and I had coconut breaded chicken on our honeymoon, and I have attempted to recreate it a few times since then. Yours look absolutely delicious. I will definitely give this a try… my hubby will be so happy!
I've made a similar chicken recipe before which called for an apricot mustard dipping sauce. It sounds strange but it's really good!