Description
Crispy coconut chicken strips deliver a crunchy tropical twist that’ll make your taste buds dance with delight. Grab some pantry staples and get ready to whip up a meal that brings Caribbean-style flavor straight to your dinner table.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 1.5 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
Coating Dry Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups sweetened flaked coconut
- 0.75 cups panko crumbs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 0.25 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Wet Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 0.25 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Sweet red chili sauce, for dipping
Instructions
- Whisk 2 eggs, ¼ cup milk, and 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Mix 1 ½ cups sweetened flaked coconut, ¾ cups panko crumbs, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper in a shallow dish.
- Dunk each chicken strip into the egg mixture, ensuring complete coverage.
- Press each egg-coated strip into the coconut mixture, carefully coating every surface.
- Heat ⅓ inch vegetable oil in a skillet to exactly 375°F over medium heat.
- Gently lower chicken strips into hot oil, cooking 3-4 minutes per side until coconut turns deep golden brown.
- Check internal chicken temperature reaches 165°F for safe consumption.
- Transfer fried strips to a paper towel-lined baking sheet kept warm in a 200°F oven.
- Serve immediately with sweet red chili sauce for dipping, while strips remain crisp and hot.
Notes
- Work with clean, dry chicken strips to help the coating stick perfectly and create a crisp exterior.
- Mix the dry coconut coating thoroughly to ensure even seasoning across all the chicken strips.
- Use a meat thermometer to check chicken reaches 165°F internal temperature for safe cooking without overdrying.
- Drain fried strips on paper towels to remove excess oil and maintain maximum crunchiness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 460 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg