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GET IT NOWMy Coconut Chicken Recipe Is Crispy, Juicy, And Totally Crave-Worthy
Years ago in my early college days, I got coconut crusted chicken almost every day after my shift at the restaurant where I worked. It’s been two decades since then, but they were so good that I still think about them sometimes! So, I made this coconut chicken recipe to satisfy those cravings, and you’ll be craving it too once you try it. It tastes a lot like coconut shrimp, but with chicken instead. Here’s why it belongs in your dinner rotation:
- Just the right amount of sweet – The unsweetened coconut flakes toast up golden and bring out a natural sweetness, without making it taste like dessert.
- Wholesome, simple ingredients – Just 6 ingredients plus salt and pepper, and they’re all naturally gluten-free and low carb. You’d never guess it’s that healthy.
- No frying needed – The oven gives it that crispy outside and juicy center without the mess. I use a wire rack so it gets golden all around.
- Perfect for picky eaters – My kids are hit-or-miss with most new dinners, but they devour this every time. I think the crunchy coating wins them over.
It’s fast, flavorful, and feels a little tropical, without the takeout. Make it with me!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my coconut chicken recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Chicken – I used boneless skinless chicken breasts and cut them into strips, but you can totally use whole breasts or even chicken thighs if that’s what you have.
- Wholesome Yum Coconut Flour – This is my go-to for this recipe! It’s super fine, so it sticks well and helps the egg cling to the chicken. It also boosts the coconut flavor and happens to be gluten free and low carb, which I love.
- Eggs – I just grab mine straight from the fridge. Cold eggs actually help the breading stick better!
- Coconut Flakes – I go for unsweetened flakes since they’re still a little sweet on their own, but if you want more sweetness, you can mix in a little sweetener or use the sweetened kind.
- Spices – I kept it super simple with garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Nothing fancy, but it gives the perfect flavor combo.
How To Make Coconut Chicken
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Prep and season the chicken. Pound the chicken to an even thickness, cut into strips, and pat dry. Season both sides with the salt and pepper.
- Set up your dredging stations. Grab three bowls: one for the beaten eggs, one for the coconut flour, and one for the coconut flakes mixed with the spices.
- Coat the chicken. Dip each strip in coconut flour, then egg (shake off the extra), then roll it in the coconut flakes. Place on a greased wire rack over a lined baking sheet (I use this set).
- Bake. Cook the coconut chicken until it’s golden brown and cooked through, flipping halfway. For extra crispiness, I broil it for a couple minutes per side at the end.
My Recipe Tips
- I always try to get the chicken the same thickness so it cooks evenly. If it’s uneven, the thin pieces dry out before the thicker ones are done.
- If your flakes are large, toss them in a zip top bag and give them a few good whacks with a rolling pin. Smaller pieces stick so much better.
- Don’t dunk all the chicken into the coconut mixture at once. I just scoop some into a smaller bowl and dip a few strips at a time so it doesn’t get clumpy.
- Use one hand for the dry stuff and one hand for the wet stuff. It helps keep the coating neat and prevents your fingers from turning into a sticky mess.
- I always bake my coconut chicken on a wire rack to keep the bottoms from getting soggy. I use this set because it heats evenly, the rack fits just right, and I use it for everything — baking bacon, bacon wrapped asparagus, chicken wings, and more. Just make sure to spray or brush it with oil so nothing sticks.
Coconut Chicken (6 Ingredients)
Crispy, easy coconut chicken recipe made with coconut flour and flakes. Bakes in under 25 minutes for a quick, flavorful dinner or snack!
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Place a nonstick wire rack onto a lined baking sheet (here's the set I use). Spray or brush the rack with oil.
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Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness, then cut into tenders (about 3 tenders per chicken breast). Season both sides with sea salt and black pepper.
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Optional step if you have big flakes: Pour the coconut flakes into a ziploc bag and seal. Pound the bag several times to break up the flakes into smaller pieces.
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Arrange three bowls – one with beaten eggs, one with coconut flour, and one with a mixture of coconut flakes, garlic powder, smoked paprika, sea salt, and black pepper.
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Dredge each chicken strip in the coconut flour, dip in the egg shaking off the excess), and finally press/roll in the coconut flakes. Place on the wire rack.
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Bake coconut chicken for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until firm and cooked through.
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Optional: Turn the oven to the broil setting. Broil on the top rack for about one minute, until one side is crispy. Flip the chicken over, then broil one minute on the other side.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 2 coconut chicken tenders
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get evenly cooked chicken, a smooth, clump-free coating, and the crispiest texture possible!
- Serving ideas: See my serving ideas below for easy sides and dips to turn this coconut chicken into a full meal everyone will love.
- Store: Best fresh, but leftovers keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat: Warm in the oven at 350 degrees F or air fryer for extra crispiness.
- Freeze: Freeze before or after baking—just lay them flat first. Bake from frozen or reheat later!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Coconut Chicken
Serving Ideas
These coconut chicken tenders are perfect for dipping in honey mustard sauce (pictured above) or ranch, but if you want to turn them into a full meal, here are some easy ideas:
- Rice – I like to make coconut rice because the flavors play off each other perfectly. You can totally use regular rice, but I usually go with cauliflower rice and stir in a little coconut milk and salt because it’s quick, easy, and keeps things light.
- Salad – The restaurant I worked at used to serve these strips with a mandarin orange salad, but I think they go just as well with something fresh and simple like arugula salad or creamy cucumber salad.
- Fries – My girls love them with a side of air fryer French fries or garlic parm fries, but I usually go for something lighter like zucchini fries.
- Vegetables – The sweet and savory flavors are so good with roasted delicata squash. But if you want something easier that cooks while the coconut chicken bakes, try air fryer carrots or broccoli.
118 Comments
Jade Monz
0Can I use almond flour instead of coconut flour?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jade, Usually they aren’t interchangeable in baking, but for a breading recipe like this one it should work fine.
Ashley
0This looks incredible! I hope it isn’t wrote all over your post a dozen times…but, what kind of sauce are you dipping them in in the picture? Or do you have any sauce suggestions?
Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks, Ashley! It’s a dijon mustard dipping sauce. Otherwise, I like spicy appetizer dipping sauce with just about anything.
Dana Richards
0Looking for saturated fat content. On the baked coconut fingers. Total fat is 22g. Not sure how to do about figuring that out. Thanks!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Dana, The listed nutrition info is all I have off hand, but you can enter your ingredients into any online calculator if you need more info. That being said, I don’t look at saturated fat content, as the relationship between that and heart disease has been disproven according to several studies I read.
Patti
0Do you think frying in a air fryer would work? Love unsweetened coconut.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Patti, Yes, that should work!
Brittany
0This sounds fantastic! I’m considering doing it with jumbo shrimp instead of chicken. Any thoughts or tips?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Brittany, I haven’t tried but it should work similarly to the chicken.
Rae
0Hello, would these freeze well?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Rae, Yes! I’ve frozen them without a problem. Prepare them as directed – all the steps except baking – and place on parchment lined cookie sheet, then place in the freezer. Once they are hardened, you can remove them from the baking sheet and place in a freezer bag. You can then bake them directly from frozen, or thaw before baking. If doing it from frozen, the only difference will be a longer cook time in the oven.
Natalie
0I tried the recipe, and it tasted good….but I had issues getting the coconut to stick and they definitely didn’t turn out as crispy and golden brown as yours. What’d I do wrong?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Natalie, I added some tips to the bottom of the post. I hope those are helpful!
Angela
0Where did the garlic powder come in? I saw it in the ingredients but not the directions.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks for catching that, Angela! The garlic powder gets mixed in one of the bowls in step 4 – I updated the recipe card.
Trace
0If you could think of a recipe for low carb pineapple dip that would be so amazing!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks for letting me know, Trace! I love getting requests. I’ll add that one to my list!
Lina Albelo
0Can I use whole wheat flour instead if I dont have coconut flour?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lina, Yes, you can. Usually coconut flour and wheat flour are not interchangeable because they absorb moisture differently. But, in this recipe the flour is just used to help the egg stick, so wheat flour would also work.
Toni
0No one will eat just one. Way too much saturated fat!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Toni, You can definitely eat more than just one. 🙂 I wouldn’t worry about the saturated fat, as the link between saturated fat and heart disease was disproven (source). The medium-chain fatty acids in coconut (which is where most of the fat in this recipe comes from) have actually been shown to have health benefits, like fighting infection, reducing appetite, and improving blood cholesterol levels (sources here, here, and here). I’d much rather have these over wheat breaded chicken tenders. 🙂
Tobbe
0Thanks for a tasty looking recipe! How do you make that dijon dipping sauce? And what would you serve as a side to create a full meal out of this?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Tobbe, The dipping sauce was store bought… I wish I remembered the brand, sorry. I’m working on making my own though, too. There are lots of options for side dishes! I have tons of recipes for low carb side dishes here if you’re looking for ideas.
Brittany
0About how many tenders is based off of the nutrition facts?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Brittany, The nutrition facts are for two tenders (recipe makes 6). I had large 6 oz chicken breasts, so each tender is about 2 oz of chicken. You can see the nutrition info is low for a whole meal, so you can easily have a few of these for dinner (or any meal). They’re pretty filling, too. Hope this helps!
Raegan C.
0Instead of cutting up chicken breasts and pounding them to an equal size, could you just use regular raw chicken tenders (that come in the pack, just like chicken breasts) and not pound them or do the breasts give better flavor or something? Sounds like a great recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Yes, of course you can! Pounding does give a little extra tenderness but it works fine without this step too. The important part is you’ll want them to be similar in thickness so that they cook evenly.
Allie
0What’s in the dip in the photo?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0They are shown with a simple dijon mustard sauce, but any dipping sauce you like will work!
Sumayya
0These are calling out to me. My family likes chicken, but not so much coconut, and some can’t tolerate too much heat/spice for health reasons, so I’d have to reduce the quantities. Does the coconut flavour some through at all? (I guess the other seasoning might mask it.)
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Some coconut flavor does come through in the coconut flakes. You can more finely crush the flakes so that the spices coat them better, and add more spices to mask the coconut taste. Smoked paprika is a good one that has a lot of flavor but isn’t “hot”. Hope you like them!