Coconut flakes and breadcrumbs turn basic chicken strips into crispy, flavorful fun on a stick in this baked coconut chicken skewers recipe.
GETTING CREATIVE WITH BREADED CHICKEN
My kids are happy to eat chicken nuggets or chicken tenders pretty much any day of the week.
While I love a good chicken strip (I giggle every time I say that because I immediately picture a lingerie clad chicken dancing seductively), I also like to get creative and move beyond basic breaded chicken.
These coconut chicken skewers are basically chicken tenders stretched onto a stick.
To make chicken tenders, I like to slice boneless skinless chicken breasts into strips that are 1/2 inch thick and 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide. You can definitely buy chicken tenders already cut up, but I find that to typically cost more per pound than the whole breasts.
Next you will need some sort of batter for the crumb coating to stick to. You can use any kind of sauce or condiment: mayonnaise, ranch dressing, barbecue sauce, honey mustard, tzatziki. In the coconut chicken skewers I stick with mayonnaise, but you can get creative and try something else.
The other way to get creative is with your crumb coating. Crushed up cereals or chips will give a different texture and flavor than breadcrumbs. You can also mix things in with your crumbs like grated cheese, herbs, or in this case…dried coconut.
MORE CREATIVE BREADED CHICKEN RECIPES ON EATING RICHLY
- Low Carb Baked Chicken
- BBQ Chicken Nuggets
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken
- Spicy Buttermilk Hot Wings
- Gluten Free Fried Chicken
HOW TO MAKE COCONUT CHICKEN SKEWERS
The coconut chicken skewers are really fast to make. The longest part of the prep is soaking the wooden skewers ahead of time. If you have reusable metal skewers you can skip the soaking.
Or skip the skewers all together, but plan for a slightly longer cooking time since the chicken tenders will be thicker and not stretched out.
I use unsweetened dried coconut flakes (or desiccated coconut) in an effort to avoid the extra sugar, but you could totally make these with the sweet shredded usually used in dessert. I’m sure kids would love those coconut chicken skewers even more!
- Soak wooden skewers for at least 15 minutes.
- Line a baking sheet with foil (for easy cleanup) and spray with cooking spray.
- Mix 3/4 cup of dried coconut with 1 cup of breadcrumbs (I used Panko). (If using the big shreds of sweetened coconut you may need an extra 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs to balance the ratio)
- Sprinkle 1 1/2 pounds of raw chicken tenders with a bit of salt and coat in mayonnaise (about 1/2 cup).
- Then coat in the coconut crumb mix.
- Thread the chicken onto skewers and pat leftover crumb mix onto any bare spots.
- Place on the baking sheet and cook 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees F. Coconut chicken skewers should be at least 165 degrees F with a meat thermometer.
- Sprinkle with additional salt to taste.
MORE FOOD ON A STICK ON EATING RICHLY
- Grilled Teriyaki Salmon on a Stick
- Easy Soy Salmon Skewers
- Lamb Kofta
- Healthy Watermelon Ice Pops
- Cheeseburger Bites
- Chicken Nugget Kabobs
- Hot Chocolate on a Stick
PIN TO SAVE COCONUT CHICKEN SKEWERS FOR LATER
Don’t lose the recipe! Make sure to save these coconut chicken skewers to Pinterest, then add a picture to the comments of the pin when you make them. We love seeing your creations!
BAKED COCONUT CHICKEN SKEWERS PRINTABLE RECIPE
Baked Coconut Chicken Skewers
Coconut flakes and breadcrumbs turn basic chicken strips into crispy, flavorful fun on a stick in this baked coconut chicken skewers recipe. We use unsweetened dried coconut flakes, but the sweet dessert shredded coconut works as well. Adapted from Genius Kitchen.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup dried coconut flakes
- 1 cup panko style breadcrumbs
- 1 1/2 pounds raw chicken tenders, 1/2 inch thick
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste if needed
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
Instructions
- Soak skewers in water at least 15 minutes and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line your baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Mix coconut flakes and breadcrumbs in a large bowl.
- Sprinkle raw chicken tenders with salt.
- Coat the seasoned chicken tenders in mayonnaise and then the breadcrumb mix.
- Thread chicken onto skewers so stretched out long and thin.
- Place chicken skewers on prepared baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes until a meat thermometer poked in the chicken reads 165 F.
- Sprinkle with additional salt if desired.
