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Crispy Coconut Chicken Tenders

Crispy Coconut Chicken Tenders is a kid-friendly, family friendly meal that is nutritious, flavorful and is put on the table in under 20 minutes. This is one of my go-to recipe that I make during the week.

Crispy Coconut Chicken Tender on a blue plate.

CRISPY COCONUT CHICKEN TENDERS 

My kids really like chicken nuggets in my house.

We rotate between today’s Crispy Coconut Chicken Tenders, Easy Baked Chicken Tenders, Air Fryer Chicken Tenders and these Air Fryer Coconut Chicken Tenders. 

I think my favorite thing about making chicken tenders at home is that I can control the ingredients myself and I know exactly what is in them.

I also like that these aren’t deep fried in oil but baked to make them healthier. 

These also are great for meal-prep and you can reheat them throughout the week on a busy night. 

My kids love dipping these in aioli, a dill sauce or the cilantro lime dip that is in the recipe. 

I will often serve these Crispy Coconut Chicken Tenders with sweet potato fries,  Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables, Oven Baked Carrot Fries, Roasted Balsamic Mushrooms or these Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon. 

Crispy Coconut Chicken Tenders with dip.

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN THESE CRISPY COCONUT CHICKEN TENDERS:

COCOCNUT FLOUR

EGG WHITES

LIME JUICE

UNSWEETENED COCONUT FLAKES 

CILANTRO

CHICKEN TENDERLOINS

COCONUT OIL

FOR THE CILANTRO LIME DIP:

GREEK YOGURT 

GARLIC POWDER

LIME JUICE

HONEY

CILANTRO 

Crispy Coconut Chicken Tenders with lime and dip.

HOW DO YOU MAKE THESE CRISPY COCONUT CHICKEN RECIPE

ADD DRY INGREDIENTS TO SHALLOW BOWLS: Whisk coconut flour with salt and pepper in a shallow dish and set aside. Beat egg whites with lime juice until frothy.

Mix shredded coconut with fresh cilantro in a shallow bowl.

Dredge tenders first in coconut mixture then in egg mixture then in shredded coconut.

Be sure to coat both sides. Continue until all tenders are coated.

COOK THE CHICKEN TENDERS: Heat oil in a large skillet and cook tenders, 5 minutes on each side and the coconut crust is golden brown.

Drain on paper towels. Server with the dipping sauce below, honey mustard, sriracha sauce or your favorite sauce.

FOR THE DIP: Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

HOW DO I STORE LEFTOVER CRISPY AIR FRYER CHICKEN TENDERS

You can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

If you do need to store leftovers just reheat in the air fryer or a skillet before eating. The air fryer will help to crisp them up again.

WHAT IS AIR FRY COOKING?

A lot of people might be wondering how an air fryer works. It is similar to an amped-up countertop convection oven. Its compact space promotes even faster cooking.

Crispy Coconut Chicken Tenders on a blue platter.

WAYS TO MODIFY THESE COCONUT CHICKEN TENDERS:

SPICES: Try using a variety of spices like italian seasoning, onion powder, Greek seasoning, za’atar, paprika or chili powder.

HEAT: You get to control what goes in this, which is the best part! If your family likes some spice add some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.

If your family hates spice leave it out all together and stick with salt, pepper and maybe a little garlic powder.

BREADCRUMBS: Try both regular breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs on these chicken tenders instead of the coconut.

A panko mixture will create a crunchier texture.

DIPPING SAUCES: You can serve these oven-baked chicken tenders with all kinds of sauces like barbecue sauce, ketchup, ranch or even a dill sauce

GLAZES: Brush your cooked chicken tenders with honey, balsamic reductions or a spicy glaze to add flavor! 

Crispy Coconut Chicken Tenders with logo.

OTHER CHICKEN RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE: 

COQ AU VIN

GREEK LEMON CHICKEN

MOROCCAN CHICKEN THIGHS

GREEK CHICKEN WITH TZATZIKI

GREEK MARINATED CHICKEN KABOBS

CHICKEN SLIDERS

Crispy Coconut Chicken Tenders

Crispy Coconut Chicken Tenders

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Coconut-crusted Chicken Tenders with Mayo-Free Cilantro Lime Dip is a kid-friendly, family friendly meal that is nutritious, flavorful and is put on the table in under 20 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 3 egg whites
  • juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 tbsps. fresh chopped cilantro
  • 1 lb. chicken tenderloins
  • 2 tbsps. coconut oil

For the Cilantro Lime Dip:

  • 1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
  • Juice of 1 Lime
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. honey
  • 1 tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Whisk coconut flour with salt and pepper in a shallow bowl and set aside. Beat egg whites with lime juice until frothy.
  2. Mix shredded coconut with fresh cilantro in a shallow bowl. Dredge tenders first in coconut flour mixture, then in egg whites, then in shredded coconut. Be sure to coat both sides. Continue until all tenders are coated.
  3. Heat oil in a large skillet and cook tenders, 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
  4. For Cilantro Lime Dip:
  5. Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Comments are temporarily closed while we perform maintenance on the website.

Josie

Monday 6th of April 2015

Love the idea of coconut crusted chicken tenders! A tropical, delicious twist :) Excited to try them!

Julia

Monday 6th of April 2015

Thanks Josie! They are tasty and so simple to make. Hope you like them!

Carol at Wild Goose Tea

Monday 22nd of December 2014

These are special. I love coconut and the dipping sauce puts this right over the top. Well done my little Xmas Elf!

Julia

Saturday 27th of December 2014

Thanks Carol! The dipping sauce is great!

Cate @ Chez CateyLou

Thursday 18th of December 2014

These look delicious! And I love that dip - I can't get enough cilantro!

Julia

Thursday 18th of December 2014

It is so yummy! The cilantro adds so much flavor!

Lauren @ Healthy Delicious

Thursday 18th of December 2014

This recipe made my short-list, too and I can't wait to try it. It looks delicious and your photos are gorgeous

Julia

Thursday 18th of December 2014

It is a great recipe-we loved it! And thanks so much for the kinds words.

Brenda@Sugar-Free Mom

Thursday 18th of December 2014

Thank you for sharing, happy you and family enjoyed it! My kiddies love it too!

Julia

Thursday 18th of December 2014

It is a great recipe! Love the cookbook Brenda. Congrats!

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