Coconut Chicken Fingers with Orange Dipping Sauce

These tender, baked, coconut chicken fingers are a slightly more sophisticated and healthier version of the classic fried variety. Inspired by the coconut shrimp you see on many restaurant menus, this kid-friendly cuisine is entirely suitable for the adult palate. Everyone will love them!

If you’ve ever ordered coconut shrimp at a restaurant and loved it, this recipe is for you. Replacing the shrimp with chicken and using an “oven-fry” technique makes this is a super practical, wholesome dinner choice for the entire family. Tender chicken with a crispy, coco-nutty coating served with a tangy, sweet orange dipping sauce and it’s all pulled together in 30 minutes or less. Fantastic! With back-to-school time upon us, these easy, wholesome meal ideas are precisely what are in order.

Coat each tenderloin in the buttermilk/egg mixture and then it gets a turn in the coconut mixture.

Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with heavy duty foil. Generously coat the foil with non-stick cooking spray and transfer the coconut coated chicken to the prepared baking sheet. Spray the tops with a little additional non-stick cooking spray.

Pop them into a preheated 425 degree oven for about 8 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and carefully turn the chicken over. Return the pan to the oven for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown and fully cooked through.

The orange dipping sauce consists of orange marmalade, honey, Dijon mustard, and a few drops of red pepper sauce. Tangy, sweet, with a kick! You can easily amp up the heat by adding as much red pepper sauce as you want – or eliminate it all together if the kiddos are sensitive to heat.

This post was sponsored by BlogHer and Tyson but as always, all opinions expressed are 100% my own. For more delicious recipes visit PickTysonFresh.com.

Coconut Chicken Fingers with Orange Dipping Sauce

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 16 minutes

Total Time: 26 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Valerie Brunmeier

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Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup plain panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt all purpose seasoning mix
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 18.4 ounce package Tyson Premium Chicken Breast Tenderloins

Orange dipping sauce:

• 1/2 cup orange marmalade
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons
• Dijon mustard
• 4 drops hot pepper sauce or to taste

Instructions

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
• In a shallow bowl or pie plate, lightly beat egg with buttermilk. In second shallow bowl, mix coconut, panko bread crumbs, flour, seasoned salt, and fresh ground pepper.
• Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken tenderloins. Dip each tenderloin into buttermilk/egg mixture then transfer to dish with coconut mixture and coat well on both sides. Place in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Spray tops of breaded chicken lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 8 minutes then remove pan from oven and carefully flip pieces over. Return to oven and continue cooking for another 6 to 8 minutes or till golden brown and cooked through.
• Meanwhile, combine ingredients for orange dipping sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
• Remove chicken fingers from oven and serve with orange dipping sauce.

Notes

Chicken must be cooked to an internal temperature of 170 degrees for boneless products and 180 degrees for bone in chicken products.

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