Coconut Chicken Tenders Recipe with Pina Colada Dipping Sauce

4.74 from 15 votes

Coconut Chicken Tenders Recipe with Pina Colada Dipping Sauce

Crispy chicken tenders are fried in a coconut breadcrumb coating, then served with a sweet pineapple coconut dipping sauce!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 530kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

Ingredients

For the Coconut Chicken Tenders:

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken tenders *
1 cup sweetened shaved coconut **
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 cup coconut oil
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 large eggs
¼ cup coconut milk heated for 30 seconds in the microwave

For the Pina Colada Dipping Sauce:

½ cup sweetened condensed coconut milk
¼ cup canned pineapple drained from the juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Mix the flour, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in a shallow bowl.
½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder
In a separate shallow bowl, whisk the eggs together then pour in the coconut milk and whisk again to combine.
2 large eggs, ¼ cup coconut milk
In a separate bowl, mix the breadcrumbs and shaved coconut together.
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs, 1 cup sweetened shaved coconut
Heat the coconut oil in a large frying pan over low-high heat to 350℉.
1 cup coconut oil
Dredge a chicken tender in the flour, then in the egg mixture, then press the breadcrumb mixture onto the chicken.
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken tenders
Fry in the oil for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden in color.
Repeat the process with the remaining chicken tenders but add no more than 3 tenders to the pan at one time.
Once cooked, remove the chicken from the pan and drain off the excess oil on a plate with a paper towel or on a cooling rack.
While the chicken is frying, blend the sweetened condensed coconut milk, pineapple and salt together and pour it into a small bowl.
½ cup sweetened condensed coconut milk, ¼ cup canned pineapple, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Once all of the chicken has been fried, serve immediately with freshly chopped cilantro and the dipping sauce.

Video

Notes

*I prefer to grab chicken tenders whenever available, but you can also cut chicken breasts into strips.

**Sweetened shaved coconut adds texture, sweetness, and coconut flavor to the chicken; but unsweetened coconut also works.

Tips:

If baking or air frying, I recommend toasting the coconut and breadcrumbs in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes before breading. This helps it get extra crisp!
Let the coated tenders sit on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before frying. This “sets” the coating and dramatically reduces the chance of it falling off in the oil.
Maintaining the oil at 350°F ensures the coating crisps while the chicken cooks through without absorbing excess oil.
To know for sure that your chicken is fully cooked, use a meat thermometer. When the inside of the chicken reaches 165°F, it's fully cooked, safe, and ready to eat!
Let the coconut fried chicken fingers sit on a paper towel to drain the grease before serving.
As far as garnishes go, I just like to do a light dusting of chopped cilantro for a fresh kick! However, squeezed lemon juice is also quite fresh and tasty on these summery strips.

Alternative Cooking Instructions:

Air Fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Brush the breaded tenders with oil and cook for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Baking: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Spray or brush the breaded tenders with oil and bake for 18-22 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Storage: Coconut chicken tenders are best eaten the day they are made but will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. The dipping sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutrition