Baked Crispy Coconut Chicken Nuggets
Originally posted August 7, 2017: Updated with new photos and additional text.
I have been making coconut chicken off and on for years. It is one of those snacks (okay, sometimes I make extra and eat it as a meal) that I crave randomly.
It might be because I loved chicken nuggets as a child or it might be because coconut is one of my favourite foods and flavours.
I hope you enjoy this recipe for Baked Crispy Coconut Chicken Nuggets!
How do you make coconut chicken nuggets?
(Full ingredient amounts and instructions available in the recipe card down below)
Pound the chicken until it has even thickness. I like ½ inch thickness. Then, slice the chicken into bite size pieces.
I like to pound the chicken breasts so that the chicken is uniform and bakes evenly using a kitchen mallet.
If you don't have a mallet, you can use a heavy pan or the flat bottom of a large whisk or spoon.
- Technically, it is not a required step, but I find that the extra couple minutes spent tenderizing the chicken helps with the overall soft and juicy texture of the chicken.
Prepare the dredge in three separate bowls.
For the breading, I prefer mixing shredded coconut with Panko breadcrumbs because Panko is flakier (it has a coarser texture)than regular breadcrumbs, which results in a bigger crunch.
I also use these breadcrumbs in another baked snack: CRISPY OVEN-FRIED PICKLES WITH CHEDDAR CHEESE DIP.
These chicken bites are lightly spiced with paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt and pepper for additional tasty flavour. Feel free to change up the quantity or type of spices to suit your preferences.
After the chicken is dredged, bake at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway,until cooked through.
I like baking the chicken because it's healthier than frying and you don't have to worry about getting the oil to the right temperature or risk hot oil splattering on you.
Overall, you get wonderfully crispy, lightly spiced, coconut-flavoured tender chicken bites!
Serve it with a dipping sauce of your choice!
I like to serve them with a spicy and sweet sauce.Usually, something sweet like chopped pineapple or honey mixed with Sriracha sauce (hot chilli sauce). My husband likes dipping these chicken bites in jalapeño mustard too.
What would you dip this chicken in?
Did you make this easy chicken nugget recipe? Leave me a rating and comment down below or tag me on any of my social media. I'm @yay_for_food on Instagram. Please share your recipe pictures!
Baked Crispy Coconut Chicken Nuggets
Crispy bites of deliciousness. These baked coconut chicken nuggets are the perfect dippable snack that’s quick and easy to make!
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 8-10 oz each)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1½ teaspoon smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Line a cutting board with plastic wrap, place the chicken breasts on top, and then cover the chicken with plastic wrap. Using a mallet (meat tenderizer), gently pound the chicken breasts until uniform in thickness* (see first note). Then, slice the chicken into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
- In three wide rim bowls (or plates), place flour, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in one bowl, eggs in the second bowl, and shredded coconut with Panko breadcrumbs in the third bowl.
- Take a chicken piece, coat first with flour mixture, then egg, and finish with the coconut and breadcrumb mixture before transferring to your baking sheet. Repeat for the rest of the chicken pieces.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway, until done**(see second note). Season with additional salt and pepper over the warm chicken nuggets. Serve immediately or warm with a dipping sauce of your choice.
Notes
- *The exact thickness of the chicken is not as important as achieving a uniform thickness so they bake evenly. The nuggets I made in this recipe are about ½ inch thick.
- **Using a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should be at least 165 degrees F.
- Dipping sauce option: 3 tablespoons of sriracha sauce and a half cup of diced pineapple. Sriracha sauce and honey is also a great quick dip option.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 384Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 144mgSodium: 310mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 27g
They look so delicious, Marie! I believe that my kids would love them.
I will give it a try and treat my love kids 🙂
I hope they enjoy them! Thanks Vivian!
Coconut is a versatile ingredient you can use sweet and savoury recipes, lovely pictures!
Totally! One of my favourite ingredients. Thanks Jagruti!
Oh boy my family would go nuts for these gorgeous nuggets! So creative to add the coconut. The dipping sauce sounds fantastic too - great recipe!
Thanks Tricia!
This is how we make our chicken nuggets too. I love the addition of coconut to make it nice and summery.
Thanks Dannii!
Coconut chicken nuggets are a firm favourite in our house. That dipping sauce sounds fab x
Thanks Michelle!
Never thought about adding coconut to anything branded that is a wonderful idea I definitely will veganize this recipe using tofu or mashed chickpeas 😊 beautiful presentation!
Great idea!
Sriracha and honey..... yums.
Yep! It's a great sauce for coconut chicken!
Looks so yum, Marie. I would totally have this as a meal 🙂 And that dipping sauce could be a recipe all on it's own. What a great idea.
Thanks Marie!
i was one of those snooty kids who didn't want chicken nuggets, only chicken tenders. sigh. these sound delicious though, and since i've come to my senses upon becoming a bit older, i'll have to make these (;
Ha ha! I was never that picky with chicken growing up! When you make your own, you know what part of the chicken you are eating too! 😉
Hmm, I love chicken nuggets and they formed basically most of my childhood. I loved the ones the were different animal shapes as well, haha. Thanks for posting, these look delicious! Will definitely need to make these in the future 😀
Me too! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Chynna!
It's been a while since I've had coconut chicken, and I want some right now. These are making me hungry! I l really like that these are baked—a little easier on the waistline. 🙂
Definitely! I like that it's still crispy and not oily at all!
I'm making these! I assumed they were deep-fried, so I almost didn't look at the recipe! YUM. And my grand daughter would love them as well.
Thanks Mimi! I hope you enjoy them!