These Crispy Coconut Chicken Strips can be an easy weeknight meal or a quick-fix party appetizer! Make them as mild or as spicy as you’d like with cayenne pepper for a great sweet & spicy combo!
Need more chicken dinner ideas? Try my MIYM Chicken or my Chicken and Noodles!
Crispy Coconut Chicken Strips
My youngest’s favorite meal is fried chicken cutlets.
And while I am never one to turn away a piece of crispy chicken, I can say that switching up the usual breadcrumbs for coconut (in the case) is a welcome variation! Even my non-coconut loving child loves these!
The sweet coconut gets brown and crispy while the chicken stays tender. I love adding some sriracha sauce and a little cayenne pepper to really play up the sweet and spicy combo! AND if you’re not into frying stuff (I get it) you can TOTALLY bake these. They don’t get AS crispy, but they are still pretty delicious!
Anyhow, let’s talk about the simple steps…
How to Make Crispy Coconut Chicken Strips
Your step-up is easy. You’ll need a wet dip, a dry dip and some chicken.
In the wet dip (I think that’s the technical term 😉 ) I use eggs, milk, and some sriracha sauce. In the dry dip I use sweetened flaked coconut, panko, salt, pepper, and cayenne (if you’re feeling spicy).
Just dip your chicken into the wet, then the dry. Obviously.
You’ll need a large skillet to fry, or you can absolutely bake these if you prefer…I just really love the extra crispy that you get from pan-frying. Calories be damned!
They only take a few minutes in the hot oil, and you’ll want to serve them warm!
We like to dip them into some sweet chili dipping sauce (we use the brand Thai Kitchen) just to make them extra yummy!
I’m telling you these are gooooooood.
Enjoy!
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Crispy Coconut Chicken Strips
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Dinner
Description
These Crispy Coconut Chicken Strips can be an easy weeknight meal or a quick-fix party appetizer! Make them as mild or as spicy as you’d like with cayenne pepper for a great sweet & spicy combo!
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
- 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
- 3/4 cups panko crumbs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
- vegetable oil for frying
- Sweet Red Chili Sauce for dipping (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, and sriracha sauce. Set aside.
- In a medium, shallow dish combine the coconut, panko, salt, pepper, and cayenne.
- Dip the chicken strips in the egg mixture to coat, and then into the coconut mixture, coating completely. Transfer the chicken strips onto a plate and repeat the process with all the strips.
- Turn the oven on to the lowest (or warm) setting, this is usually 160°F. Line a large baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.
- In 10- inch frying pan fill the pan 1/3- inch deep with vegetable oil. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches a temperature of 375°, or until small bubbles form when the back of a wooden spoon is placed in the oil. In batches place the chicken in the pan, careful not to crowd the pan. Fry 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- When the chicken is done, transfer to the paper towel-lined baking sheet and place in the oven to stay warm. Repeat with all the chicken.
- Serve warm with dipping sauce, if desired.
Notes
I usually double this recipe for my family of 6.
Option to Bake: Bake chicken at 400°F for 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 509
- Sugar: 4.1 g
- Sodium: 927.2 mg
- Fat: 26.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 22.5 g
- Protein: 46.2 g
- Cholesterol: 217.4 mg
Keywords: coconut chicken recipe, homemade chicken strips, how to make chicken strips, chicken strips recipe, chicken strips, coconut chicken, spicy chicken recipe, chicken fingers
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★★★★★
We just made these, and they are delicious! I didn’t use the sriracha or cayenne, since my mom can’t eat spicy foods. I used sweet and sour sauce in the egg mixture and added ground ginger to the coconut mixture. (Fresh grated ginger might be good- will try that next time) We baked them in the air fryer, and they came out perfect! Thank you very much for sharing your awesome recipe! So good as is, and so adaptable for other tastes!
★★★★★
Oh I definitely need to try these in the air fryer! Great idea!!
This is an outstanding recipe! It works great with shrimp and pork strips or bites.
It’s one of my family’s favorite meals.
Thank you!
★★★★★
air fyer?
air fryer?
has anyone used an air fryer with this recipe?
Hello! I was wondering can I substitute the vegetable oil with refined coconut oil?
sure!
I made these last night (without the spicy ingredients) and they were delicious! My kitchen smelt amazing!! My plan was to bake my first attempt and try the fried version another day. However, I had a small batch left over for frying, but oh my goodness, I have to say the fried version was SO much better! My young boys ate both versions, but asked me to make the fried version again :). Btw, I thought it would be “fun” to make nuggets instead of strips for my kids, but I’ll stick to the strips next time as it was WAY too time-consuming to dip/coat and even place small chunks on the baking sheet or pan! Thanks for the recipe; it’s going on my dinner plan!
Love the feedback and SO glad you loved them! They are a family favorite!
I have made this repeatedly, and absolutely love it. I pan fry using very little oil, but results are the same. You have to have the sauce! Thank you so much.
What a great recipe!! I pinned it a few weeks ago and just got around to making it tonight, so yummy!! I cut my chicken into chunks/nuggets instead of strips, and I baked it for 30 min instead of bothering with the oil (too messy/smelly/fussy). I put the nuggets over a bed of brown rice and drizzled orange sauce over top. Also, I omitted all of the spicy stuff so my toddler could eat it. Still very flavorful! I will be making this again!!
Love hearing your adaptations!