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 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. 

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 

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.

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! 

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