Perfectly crispy and crunchy, these Coconut Chicken Tenders are the dinner that everyone loves! Served with an easy spicy mayo, this easy dinner idea is the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and heat.
Looking for even more chicken tender recipes? Try these Crispy Ranch Chicken Strips or Tortilla Crusted Chicken Tenders.
I have a habit of taking healthy-ish recipes from the archives and turning them into something that is not quite as healthy.
But trust me sometimes it is worth it.
Like with these Coconut Chicken Tenders. The original version printed here was baked instead of fried. But during the re-testing, I just couldn’t fall in love with the baked version. It was ok, but no matter what I did, the tenders were not super crispy like I wanted.
So yes – these chicken tenders are fried instead of baked, but I think the flavor and texture are totally worth it!
The other change I made was to the dipping sauce. The chicken was originally served with a creamy mango chutney, but it wasn’t hitting the right notes for me this time around. I knew I needed something a little spicy to counteract the sweet from the coconut. So I did a super easy almost bang bang sauce. This just has 3 ingredients that you mix together, making it super simple!
Ingredients
- Mayonnaise: Just regular mayonnaise. This will be the base of your dipping sauce.
- Sweet Chili Sauce: I use the Mae Ploy brand.
- Sriracha: This just adds some heat. Feel free to use more or less, depending on preferences.
- Oil: You need a good frying oil for this recipe. Any neutral oil with a high smoke point should work.
- Flour: The flour is needed because it helps the egg and then the breadcrumb mixture stick to the chicken. I use all-purpose flour.
- Eggs: The eggs are the “glue” that keep the breadcrumbs on the chicken.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: I like panko breadcrumbs because they are lighter in texture than traditional breadcrumbs. If desired, you can swap in regular breadcrumbs,
- Coconut: I love the sweet and savory combination, so I like use sweetened, shredded coconut. I don’t think it is overly sweet at all, though. If you want, you can use unsweetened coconut.
- Smoked Paprika: If you know me, you know I love smoked paprika. I try to mix it into everything!
- Salt: Salt is very important in this recipe for seasoning. You’ll season the breadcrumb mixture, but I also like to sprinkle on some kosher salt as soon as the chicken comes out of the oil.
- Chicken: I used actual chicken tenders here, which I think is best for this recipe. If you don’t have tenders, you can always slice up chicken breasts.
How to Make Coconut Chicken Tenders
STEP 1: I like to make the dipping sauce first. That gives it time to hang out in the refrigerator to thicken up just a bit and for the flavors to meld.
STEP 2: To make the chicken tenders, first dip them in the flour and shake off any excess.
STEP 3: Now, take that same chicken tender and dip it into your beaten eggs. You want to make sure there are no dry spots left.
STEP 4: Then take the tender and dip it in the panko and coconut mixture. Make sure the chicken is fully coated. I will sometimes even take my hands and press the breadcrumb mixture into the chicken.
STEP 5: Fry the chicken up in a heavy skillet or pan. (I like to use cast iron.) You’ll want to keep the temperature high enough to cook the chicken and crisp it up, but you want to make sure the chicken is cooking all the way through, as well.
STEP 6: Once the chicken is cooked, remove to a cooling rack. Sprinkle the chicken with some kosher salt right as it comes out of the oil. Repeat with the rest of the chicken, then serve with the spicy mayo.
Tips and Tricks
I like to take the coconut and chop it up a bit before adding it to the breadcrumb mixture. You can leave it how it comes, but I found the coconut stuck a lot better when it was a little finer.
An instant read thermometer comes in really handy here. This way, you can know when your chicken is cooked through.
Make sure you cook the chicken in batches. You don’t want to overcrowd the skillet. I will usually set the oven to warm, then put the finished tenders on the baking sheet in the oven to stay warm while I finish frying the rest.
Leftovers? Store in the refrigerator. For best results, heat back up in the air fryer. You can also bake them, but they do risk getting dried out.
More Family Friendly Chicken Dinners
Bang Bang Chicken Skewers
Pretzel Crusted Chicken
Orange Chicken
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Coconut Chicken Tenders
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Perfectly crispy and crunchy, these Coconut Chicken Tenders are the dinner that everyone loves! Served with an easy spicy mayo, this easy dinner idea is the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and heat.
1x2x3x
Instructions
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In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha. Refrigerate until needed.
1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce, 1 tablespoon sriracha
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Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet.
Oil
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Place the flour in a shallow dish.
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
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In another dish, add the eggs and beat lightly.
2 eggs
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In a third dish, combine the breadcrumbs, coconut, smoked paprika, and salt.
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs, 1 cup sweetened coconut, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon salt
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Once the oil has reached 350ºF, take a chicken tender and dip in in the flour, coating evenly and shaking off any excess.
2 1/2 – 3 lb chicken tenders
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Next, dip the chicken into the egg, again letting any excess drip off. Transfer the chicken to the breadcrumb mixture and coat on all sides with the mixture.
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Place the chicken in the hot oil, the repeat with enough of the chicken to fill the pan. (You want to make sure and give them space, though.) Cook until the bottoms are golden brown, about 5 minutes, then flip the chicken and cook on the second side until the chicken is browned and cooked through to 165ºF, about another 4-5 minutes.
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Remove the chicken to cooling rack and immediately sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt.
Kosher salt
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Repeat with the remaining chicken until it has all been cooked.
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Serve the chicken with the dipping sauce.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide. Nutrition information is figured estimating 1/4 cup of vegetable oil absorbed. The nutrition is overestimated, since the amount of breading discarded is not figured.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 640kcal (32%), Carbohydrates: 38g (13%), Protein: 46g (92%), Fat: 33g (51%), Saturated Fat: 8g (50%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 204mg (68%), Sodium: 1224mg (53%), Potassium: 103mg (3%), Fiber: 2g (8%), Sugar: 15g (17%)
Keywords: coconut chicken tenders