Easy Coconut Chicken

4.86 from 7 votes

These ultra-crispy baked Coconut Chicken tenders are golden, crunchy, and downright irresistible—no frying needed! Pair them with a quick and delicious five-ingredient honey-mustard sauce.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Total Time50

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Healthy

Keyword: Baked Coconut Chicken, coconut chicken

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $14.93

Equipment

Ingredients

Chicken

1 pound chicken tenderloins about 7 to 9 tenders
1 cup coconut milk full-fat; optional—see note 1

Breading Mixture

1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1 cup panko breadcrumbs see note 2
Cooking spray

Batter Mixture

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 large egg
2 tablespoons coconut milk full-fat, see note 1
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1-1/2 teaspoons paprika
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons mayo
1-1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard
1 lemon
1-1/2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon honey BBQ sauce like Sweet Baby Rays
Salt and pepper

US - Metric

Instructions

Optional Marinade: Pat chicken tenders dry with a paper towel and trim any fat, then remove tendons (try this easy hack!). Add to a large bag or container and pour 1 cup coconut milk over. Toss with tongs to coat the chicken. Cover container or seal bag and refrigerate for at least 20–30 minutes, up to overnight. When done marinating, discard coconut milk; holding one tender at a time, run your fingers down the tender to remove excess coconut milk. Dab with a paper towel. (It’s okay if some coconut milk remains.)
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Set out a large sheet pan and wire cooling rack.
Breading: Add the coconut flakes to a blender or food processor and process to crumbs. Pour the crumbs on the sheet pan along with the panko. Spread in an even layer, spray with cooking spray, and add to the preheated oven. Bake for 2–4 minutes or until lightly golden brown (watch closely!). Dump the toasted panko and coconut into a shallow bowl and stir to combine. We’ll use this sheet pan again to cook the chicken; add the wire cooling rack on top of it and spray it generously with cooking spray.
Batter: Add all the batter mixture ingredients to a large, shallow bowl. Whisk to combine. Press the chicken tenders, one at a time, into the batter mixture and evenly coat all sides. Repeat to dredge all the tenders in the batter. Tenders should use up all the batter and be well coated with the mixture.
Next, dredge each tender in the breading. Again, coat them all generously; you should use most of the breading. Place coated chicken tenders on top of the wire cooling rack on the prepared sheet pan. Press any leftover breading on top and generously spray the tenders with cooking spray on one side.
Bake in the center of the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and carefully flip the tenders to the other side. Generously spray with cooking spray and bake for another 5–10 minutes or until the chicken registers 160°F on a thermometer. (Smaller tenders should be done at 5, medium at 7, and large at 10 minutes.) Remove from oven and taste test. Add a light sprinkle of salt on the tenders if needed to make the flavors come alive.
Sauce: Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce by whisking together all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Add 3/4 teaspoon lemon juice. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. (I add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.) Whisk, taste, and adjust the ingredients to preference.
Serve chicken tenders right out of the oven with lots of sauce on the side for dipping! These don’t stay crispy when stored, so I recommend cooking only enough for one meal.

Video

Notes

Note 1: These tenders are still tasty without marinating in coconut milk. If you’d like to forgo the coconut milk marinade, use 2 tablespoons mayo instead of coconut milk in the breading. Use full-fat coconut milk (like Imperial Kitchen®)—lite versions are too watery.

Note 2: Panko bread crumbs are similar to regular bread crumbs, but they create a much crunchier result. They can be found near breadcrumbs, flour, or cornmeal in the grocery store.

Nutrition Note: Calories do not include the dipping sauce as the amount you use will vary.

Storage: Store leftover Coconut Chicken Tenders in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 375°F until crispy. Keep the honey-mustard sauce separate in the fridge for up to a week and stir before using.

Nutrition