These Coconut Chicken Tenders ooze kid appeal. Tender pieces of chicken are coated in a coconut crumb, giving the chicken a crisp texture with a subtle sweetness.

Child Grabbing Coconut Tender from Plate

Chicken nuggets have become synonymous with "kid food." Take a glance at a kid's menu and typically they will feature, usually at the top. However, a lot of store-bought /restaurant chain nuggets have a long list of ingredients that we can't even pronounce and they aren't always the best choice for our kids.

Making your own is easy and a great way to get kids involved in the kitchen. These coconut tenders are a favourite in our house and I'm sure they will be with your family too. And make sure to check out our chicken nuggets with veggies or our quinoa chicken nuggets.

Ingredients Information

Chicken Tenders - Chicken tenders are the little strips of meat that are attached to the underside of each chicken breast. They taste the same as breast meat and are tender and moist when cooked properly. You can buy packs of chicken tenders easily in both the UK and Australia but I know, through reader feedback, that you can't always buy them this way in other countries. If you can't find them I recommend cutting chicken breasts into strips.
Flour - I used plain (all-purpose) flour. If you are looking for a gluten-free option I have also trialled it, with success, using buckwheat flour and brown rice flour. I don't recommend coconut flour as I felt it made the chicken too dry.
Egg - If you are looking for an egg-free alternative I tried milk, which worked well.
Panko Breadcrumbs - I love the texture the panko breadcrumbs give but if you don't have panko breadcrumbs you can use any dried breadcrumbs. If you are looking to make these gluten-free you can just coat in the coconut. I don't, however, find it produces such a good result. To me, the chicken has a drier texture without the breadcrumbs.
Desiccated Coconut - I use unsweetened desiccated coconut. If you can't find desiccated coconut you can use coconut flakes. Simply pulse the flakes in a food processor /blender until they are fine.

Bowl Panko Breadcrumbs and Desiccated Coconut Mix

Cooking Tips and Tricks

Set Up Your Coating Station - It pays to be organised when coating. Have all the ingredients ready, and in separate plates, before you start. You will also want to have your baking tray /wire rack ready for the coated chicken to go straight onto.
Only add a little of the coconut/panko mix to the plate at a time. If you add it all to the plate in one go often what happens is the coconut /panko mixture will clump together and then becomes difficult to get it to stick to the chicken.
Coat the tenderloin in flour, make sure it is fully coated before moving onto the next step.
After dipping in the egg, make sure be sure to shake off any excess egg, if you don't it will drip into your coconut mixture and cause it to clump together.
Roll in the coconut mixture, rolling using two hands makes this easier and you can really push down into the coconut to get a good covering.
Baking the chicken on a wire rack, set inside a baking tray produces the best results.
If you want a darker, more golden, coloured coating, then pre-baking your coconut/panko mixture, before coating, for approx 10 mins to add depth of colour.

Process Steps for Coating Coconut Tenders

Serving Suggestions

Coconut tenders can be served with a range of sides and dips. I love to make a big platter plate and serve them with some sweet potato wedges, a range of chopped veggies, some grilled pineapple and a selection of dips. It is a fun and interactive lunch the whole family will enjoy.

Hand Dipping Coconut Chicken Tender into Dip

Storage Instructions

These coconut tenders are best enjoyed fresh, straight out of the oven. However, they will keep, in the refrigerator, for a couple of days in an airtight container.

If you want to freeze, it is best to do it with chicken that is coated but uncooked. Freeze first, for a few hours, on a baking tray. Once frozen, transfer to a large ziplock bag / freezable container and store for up to three months.

Child Holding Chicken Coconut Tender with Bite Out to Camera

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5 from 5 votes

Author: Amy