Crispy Coconut Chicken with Piña Colada Dipping Sauce

Healthy chicken fingers?? Oh yes, I did. Y’ALL these chicken fingers are everything. If you like fried chicken and coconut you will LOVE these! And even if you’re not a huge coconut fan, I’m pretty sure you’ll still like them.

They have a really mellow coconut taste. Maybe that’s just because I use so much coconut in my day to day cooking that I’m immune to it’s flavor though, ha! Trust me though, it’s not like the taste you get from sweetened flaked coconut or artificial coconut flavoring. It’s more of a subtle, salty, toasted, nutty flavor. And it is amazing.

To be honest, the incredible flavor you get from these delicious chicken fingers makes them good to eat as-is. They really don’t need a dipping sauce at all. Especially because the pan-frying method leaves the meat nice and juicy. But you know I had to include one anyway because that just takes it to another level.

Enter: Pina Colada Dipping Sauce. YESSS. So good. This sauce is super simple to make and includes just 3 ingredients that you whiz together in a food processor, blender, or using a stick blender. So easy!

I like to make this recipe in a cast iron pan to get the chicken even more crispy and prevent it from sticking to the bottom. I use my trusty 15-inch Lodge cast iron skillet for the job! I use this pan a lot because it’s huge and you can cook a TON of food at one time.

If you have a larger family or entertain then this pan is a must-have. You can cook steaks for 8-10 people in it. Yes, I’ve done it. It’s also great if you meal prep and are cooking for a few days at a time. One of my favorite recipes to cook in it is my Easy (20 minute!) Cashew Shrimp Stir-Fry recipe! YUM!

I hope you enjoy the recipe!

Join My Community!

Want to get my new recipes delivered straight to your inbox?
Sign up for my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe!

Subscribe

Crispy Coconut Chicken with Piña Colada Dipping Sauce

• Gluten-Free
• Dairy-Free
• Paleo
• Low Carb
• Keto
• Whole30

5 from 1 vote

Print

This recipe is paleo, Whole30, gluten free, and dairy free. It can be made low carb and keto by omitting the dipping sauce, reducing the amount of pineapple, or even using a sugar-free pineapple syrup. Please note that this sugar-free pineapple syrup does contain Splenda, which is not a sweetener that I recommend.

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Servings: 3 -4 servings

Ingredients 

Crispy Coconut Chicken

• 1 1/4 lb chicken breasts cut into strips (or chicken tenders)
• Avocado oil for frying*
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp coconut flour divided
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Piña Colada Dipping Sauce

• 13.5 oz can coconut milk refrigerated overnight**
• 1 cup chopped 150g pineapple pieces
• 1 pinch sea salt

Instructions

• Remove chicken from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to beginning the recipe to allow it to come closer to room temperature.
• Make the dipping sauce. Turn coconut milk can upside down and open the top. Pour off coconut water and discard or save for another recipe. What is left is the coconut cream that you will use for this recipe. Scoop out the coconut cream and blend it together with the pineapple and sea salt in a food processor, blender, or using a bowl and stick blender. 
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. You want about 1/2 inch of oil in the pan. I like to use my 15-inch cast iron skillet for this recipe.
• Bread the chicken while oil is heating up. Begin by whisking the 2 eggs in a bowl. Pour 1/4 cup of the coconut flour into another bowl. And in a third bowl, combine the shredded coconut, 2 Tbsp coconut flour, sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder and mix well. Dredge chicken strips, one by one, in coconut flour, then egg, then the shredded coconut mixture and set aside.
• Fry the chicken. When the oil reaches 370ºF (188ºC), begin frying the chicken strips by placing them gently into the oil, one by one. Make sure not to crowd the pan and work in batches. Monitor oil temperature and keep it around 325ºF (163ºC) during cooking (should still be on medium heat). Fry each piece for about 5-6 minutes per side or until golden brown on all sides (internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC)).
• Remove to a wire rack. Remove chicken pieces to a wire rack and keep warm in oven if desired. The wire rack helps the oil drain and helps the chicken stay nice and crispy! Don't be tempted to drain them on paper towels or they may become soggy from the excess oil and moisture. 
• Serve crispy coconut chicken with piña colada dipping sauce and enjoy!

Did you love the recipe? I would love it if you left me a 5-star review below!

Notes

*You can also use half coconut oil and half avocado oil for frying to get even more coconut flavor! That's what I do when I make this recipe. The smoke point of coconut oil is too low for frying, so it is not suitable to use 100% coconut oil in this recipe. 

**Remember to refrigerate the coconut milk overnight so that the coconut cream separates. Please note that some brands of full fat coconut milk do not separate well. I recommend the organic coconut milk from the Thai Kitchen and Native Forest brands to ensure good separation (and great taste!).

For the unsweetened shredded coconut, make sure to use a brand with very small shreds (like the Bob's Red Mill shredded coconut) so that it sticks really well to the chicken. If the pieces are too large then they may fall off during the cooking process. 

Category:

• 25 minutes
• American
• Appetizers & Snacks
• Chicken / Turkey
• Chicken breast
• Comfort Foods
• Dairy-Free
• Dinner
• Dips / Sauces / Dressings
• Fall
• Family Friendly
• Game Day
• Gluten-Free
• Keto
• Low Carb
• Lunch
• Main Dish
• Paleo
• Party Food
• Quick Weeknight Dinners
• Spring
• Summer
• Whole30
• Winter

Author: Kit

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @itskitskitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #kitskitchen

How did yours turn out? If you liked it make sure to let me know in the comments section below and leave a review! xxKit