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My 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.
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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)
By
Crispy, easy coconut chicken recipe made with coconut flour and flakes. Bakes in under 25 minutes for a quick, flavorful dinner or snack!
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]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.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
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.
120 Comments
SissysweetP
0Any suggestions on a keto version of a sweet citrusy dip to go with this? I’m thinking sugar free orange marmalade mixed with a little Dijon mustard. ? (Serving with baked sweet potato)
Wholesome Yum D
1Hi SissysweetP, Here is a recipe for Sweet & Sour sauce.
Susan
0These came out pretty well, but I left all the seasoned coconut in its bowl, and the net result was that the seasoning all went to the bottom of the bowl. I am not sure how to keep the seasoning evenly distributed in the coconut. I also found that the recipe amounts gave me way more than enough coconut flour, plenty of egg, but only about half of what I needed of the coconut. I am giving consideration to mixing the spices in with the coconut flour, so that the chicken pieces will be evenly spiced. That would also enable me to follow your directions about not having all the coconut in one bowl. I am not sure I’ll make them again, just because I don’t have a thing about chicken tenders (one of the hazards of being old and never having had children).
Erin
1Put the seasoning on a plate instead of a bowl! That was a game-changer for me when I started making my own tenders. Much easier to distribute the seasoning and you can just keep remixing it when it doesn’t look even. Hope that helps!
Karen
0Very successful and satisfying. We cooked a bit longer and turned half time for a crispier crunch.
Denise Loveless
0Curious what do you use as a keto dipping sauce?
Wholesome Yum M
1Hi Denise, The images show my Keto Honey Mustard recipe from the Easy Keto Cookbook. You can use any dressing as a dip! I have several dressings here.
Cookingmama
0I found this recipe on Pintrest and it is delicious. I followed the recipe and the chicken was moist and tender and the coconut crust was crisp and amazing. I will definitely be making this again.
Anna H
0OMG….!!!! AMAZING.As my first Paleo recipe getting a bit more complicated I truly loved it. I also made a paleo honey mustard. Highly recommend!
Megan
0I used this recipe and made Coconut Shrimp as I had some shrimp that needed to be cooked and no chicken on-hand. They were delicious! Very easy to make. I made them with the Asian salad. Both were very good. I will definitely make these again, and will definitely make the chicken version.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Megan, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! For anyone else interested, here is the recipe for coconut shrimp.
Gabrielle
0Wow, this was absolutely amazing. We had some friends come over and served this with premade sweet chili sauce mixed with plain yogurt and siracha. I seriously ate like 7 tenders!!
Sara
0I made these last night, and had to adapt for stovetop cooking. I used saved up bacon grease to pan fry. They came out crispy and juicy, and cooked faster than I had anticipated. These are wonderful! I made a low carb “honey” mustard dipping sauce. I did have some issues with gooey fingers and had to rinse twice while breading. I also just put the spices directly on the chicken before dredging in the coconut flour since I wasn’t sure how much of the flakes I would actually use. I will definitely be making these again, and I am not a fan of chicken.
Rebecca Ansel
0Looks delicious! What do you use for the dipping sauce?
Wholesome Yum M
1Hi Rebecca, The images show a mustard dipping sauce, the video shows sugar-free ketchup. I hope you enjoy!
Laura
0Hi there! I cant wait to make these! They sound amazing! My boyfriend loves chicken strips but always wants a sauce with them. What would you recommend for a good dipping sauce for these?
Thanks!
Wholesome Yum L
0Hi Laura, you might like this sauce recipe.
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!