Coconut Chicken Tenders Recipe (2024)

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These quick and easy Coconut Chicken Tenders are healthy and delicious! Featuring 100% whole wheat breadcrumbs and coconut flakes, these oven-baked dippers are a favorite of all ages.

Happy New Year — again! I know I’ve already said that to you and I know I’ve posted a couple times since the new year started, but this post is my official first recipe of 2014.Woohoo!

To start off the new year, I’m happy to share that I have joined up with 12 talented bloggers to bring you a monthly event on the 12th of each month, where we’ll be sharing a themed recipe with 12 ingredients or less. Our theme for January is Quick & Easy Healthy Meals — a theme I’m sure many of you will appreciate as we get this fresh start in the new year. Be sure to check out the end of this post to get all the links to their blogs and recipes.

My contribution to the 12 Bloggers event is Coconut Chicken Tenders. We make chicken tenders quite a bit in our house, but this recipe is by far our healthiest and more delicious. They feature unsweetened coconut, whole wheat bread crumbs, coconut milk…all good stuff that came together perfectly for a dinner everyone in our house enjoyed.

My Coconut Chicken Tenders are coated in three quick steps: first they are dredged in some 100% whole wheat pastry flour, then they take a dip in coconut milk (I used light) and then finally they are finally coated in a mixture of each parts whole wheat bread crumbs and unsweetened coconut flakes.

To keep these nice and healthy, the tenders are baked in the oven. To help with browning, I sprayed the pan and the tops of the chicken tenders with a bit of coconut oil.

When they are done, you’ll have fragrant and delicious chicken tenders! I made a Mango Dipping Sauce to go along for dipping, which was SO amazing with these. The kids liked it too, but they still have their favorites for dipping — one likes ketchup, another one likes barbecue sauce, and yet another likes honey mustard. To each his own…go for what you like best.

Description

These quick and easy Coconut Chicken Tenders are healthy and delicious! Featuring 100% whole wheat breadcrumbs and coconut flakes, these oven-baked dippers are a favorite of all ages.

Ingredients

Scale

2 pounds boneless (skinless chicken breast)
1 cup 100% whole wheat bread crumbs
1 cup coconut flakes (unsweetened)
1/2 cup 100% whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup coconut milk
Coconut spray or another non-stick cooking spray

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Instructions

Spray a large baking sheet with coconut spray and preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut chicken breasts into strips of chicken, weighing about 1 1/2 – 2 ounces each. The amount of tenders/strips you will get out of each half breast depending on its size (a 4 oz chicken breast will give you two 2-ounce chicken tenders)
In a shallow bowl or baking dish, combine bread crumbs and coconut. Place pastry flour in another bowl or baking dish and mix in salt and pepper. Place coconut milk in another shallow bowl or dish.
Dredge a chicken tender/strip in the flour first, shaking off excess and then dip in coconut milk. Allow excess coconut milk to drip off. Immediately place tender/strip into bread crumb/coconut mixture and coast, pressing mixture onto chicken, as necessary. Place tender/strip on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken.
Spray tops of chicken with coconut spray. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center and coating is browned.

Notes

–If you can’t find whole wheat bread crumbs, make your own with 100% whole wheat bread. Toast a few slices, tear into pieces and place in food processor. Pulse until you have fine crumbs. If needed, you can toast crumbs further by laying them in a layer on a baking sheet and baking at 350 degrees F just until dry and toasted (keep a close watch, they with brown quickly).

Category: Main Dish
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

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