Crispy Coconut Chicken (2024)

Coconut Chicken is a flavorful main dish that is naturally gluten free and ready in 30 minutes. This easy dinner recipe can be fried, baked or air fried to perfection and is kid approved!

There are few things I love more than fried food and the sweet sweet flavor of coconut. Combine these two to create Coconut Chicken and you’ve got one of my favorite meals! This coconut chicken recipe is a staple that frequents the table at my house. It is requested by everyone in the family, even the kids! Once you find a recipe that makes a family with picky eaters consistently happy, you keep it in the rotation!

What makes this recipe so delicious? Well, you really can’t go wrong with fried food if you ask me, but the gluten free coconut breading creates something sweet and savory. Plus it is so simple! Just bread the chicken with coconut, fry it up, and dunk it in your favorite dipping sauce! You’ll be over the moon with your new creation and everyone you’re sharing with will be delighted as well.

This Crispy Coconut Chicken recipe can rival any restaurant appetizer or main dish with its sweet and savory coating. Your mouth will be watering as you start to see the Coconut Chicken turn a beautiful golden brown as you fry it to perfection. Yet another reason this recipe is one of my absolute favorites — it is ready to eat in 30 minutes! Being able to make a meal in under an hour certainly makes this cook happy!

What you’ll need for this Coconut Chicken Recipe:

There are just a few things you’ll need to gather for creating these delicious coconut chicken tenders:

• Vegetable Oil: This is my chosen oil to use for frying the chicken. The perfect temperature to create perfectly golden coconut chicken tenders is around 365*F.
• Cornstarch: This coconut chicken recipe is gluten-free because it uses cornstarch in the batter instead of flour to coat the chicken!
• Salt, Pepper, and Cayenne Pepper: You’ll mix these spices in with the cornstarch to create a flavorful coating for your tenders.
• Eggs: This is the glue that will keep all the ingredients together!
• Sweetened Coconut Flakes: This is the ingredient that really makes the meal. I choose sweetened coconut flakes because once these chicken tenders are fried the sweet and savory flavors are absolutely amazing.
• Chicken: I have found the best way to make coconut chicken is with boneless, skinless, chicken breasts cut into tender sizes.

How to make Coconut Chicken:

Chicken tenders are dipped in a flavorful cornstarch mixture, then eggs, then dunked in shredded coconut. Once your chicken tenders are breaded and ready to go, you’ll carefully place them in your pre-heated oil. You’ll cook the chicken on each side for approximately four minutes. This will result in deliciously golden brown coconut chicken tenders. Chicken should have an internal temperature of 165*F for safe eating.

Pro Tip!This can be done as nuggets, strips or whole breasts. Personally, I love making these in large nugget-style so I could maximize the coconut per bite ratio. You could even make coconut chicken bites by cutting the chicken up even smaller! Going the nugget route takes a little longer, so if you’re aiming to feed a few more people, I’d go with chicken strips to help free up some of your time.

I have also had readers tell me that they have made this coconut chicken recipe with an Air-Fryer! If you have one of these super handy appliances, you can certainly make coconut chicken in the Air Fryer. If you do this, you might not get the same crispy golden brown coconut chicken tenders that come from frying them in oil — but that’s the compromise I know you’re making for the sake of making these a little healthier.

Side note: I plan on making this in the air fryer soon to give you exact instructions.

How do I know when the oil is ready to fry the Coconut Chicken?

A little trick I picked up for checking of the oil is ready to fry your chicken is using the end of a wooden spoon! Place the end of a wooden spoon in the oil. If bubbles form around the spoon, then the oil is ready.

If bubbles do not form around the spoon then the oil is not hot enough. Getting the temperature of the oil just right is important for creating perfectly golden and crisp coconut chicken. Remember to always be careful when frying foods in oil! Stay safe but enjoy the process.

Pro Tip: Another trick is to toss in a shred or two of coconut. If the coconut burns within seconds, your oil is too hot. If your coconut takes 5 minutes to turn golden, it’s too cold.

Can I bake the Coconut Chicken instead of Frying?

Definitely! Frying food can be intimidating, and potentially dangerous if you’re not careful, so if you’d rather bake your coconut chicken tenders that is definitely an option. If you’re going to bake the tenders instead of frying, preheat the oven to 400*F.

Next, lay the coconut breaded chicken on a baking dish lined with parchment paper, nonstick foil, or a baking mat. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn chicken over. Bake 10 more minutes (total 25) or until chicken is cooked through.

You wont get as crunchy of a coating, but you’ll get all the flavor!

Can you fry Coconut Chicken in Coconut Oil?

Coconut oil can withstand higher temperatures without being damaged like many other oils. Using Coconut Oil is safe to fry with, but has a smoking point around 350*F — which will definitely be a sight to see! Additionally, using coconut oil to fry your coconut chicken will change the flavor of this recipe just a bit. Always use caution when frying foods in any kind of oil.

Great Side Dishes to pair with Coconut Chicken:

• Squash Casserole
• Broccoli Cheese Casserole
• Fruit Salad with Cool Whip
• Potato Salad with Sour Cream
• Instant Pot Baked Beans
• Ramen Noodle Salad

Other delicious recipes with Coconut:

• Coconut Poke Cake
• Coconut Onion Rings
• Crispy Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
• Coconut Lime Chicken
• Coconut Hot Chocolate
• Pineapple Coconut Macaroons
• Coconut Banana Muffins

Coconut Chicken is one of my absolute favorite recipes to make because it makes everyone I’m sharing the meal with happy. Fried foods are certainly one of my weaknesses, and combine that with coconut and you’ve got an irresistible dish for dinner. This coconut chicken recipe is easy to create and even easier to eat. Once you try it out, I’m sure you’ll be making it again and again!

Originally posted: May 18, 2015

Photos & Post Updated: June 20, 2020