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Home / Main Dishes / Chicken

Coconut and Cashew Crusted Chicken Tenders

5
/5
40 minutes
28 Comments
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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 07/13/2015

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Not your run of the mill baked chicken tenders… this chicken is crusted in a delicious coconut and cashew breading and baked to golden brown perfection!

Who doesn’t love a great crusted chicken tender?  Why not switch flavors up and try these coconut and cashew crusted chicken tenders with a smoky chipotle pineapple BBQ dipping sauce!

Not your run of the mill baked chicken tenders... this chicken is crusted in a delicious coconut and cashew breading and baked to golden brown perfection!

I love chicken tenders.  Um, a lot!  And I really love baking them… I think you can get them super crispy, without the added calories, not to mention hassle, of frying them!  The secret to a super crispy crust is the panko breadcrumbs… they’re like SUPER breadcrumbs!

Lately, I’m all about the tropical flavors… and incidentally, these chicken tenders pair perfectly with this tropical coconut pineapple rice 🙂

Not your run of the mill baked chicken tenders... this chicken is crusted in a delicious coconut and cashew breading and baked to golden brown perfection!

I like to sprinkle mine with some chopped fresh cilantro 🙂

Now for me, I have to have some dipping sauce for my chicken tenders… it’s not an option lol.  I love making my own sauces, so this time, I decided to go for a sweet/smoky/hot combo.  Chipotle pineapple barbecue sauce!

Not your run of the mill baked chicken tenders... this chicken is crusted in a delicious coconut and cashew breading and baked to golden brown perfection!

It’s not much to look at while it’s cooking, but oh man, is it GOOD!  And relatively easy to make… just saute some garlic and onions in a little vegetable or coconut oil.  Once they’re soft, add in the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes or so, stirring every once in a while.  You can leave it chunky if you’d like, or give it a zip in your food processor/blender until it’s at the consistency you’d like 🙂

Not your run of the mill baked chicken tenders... this chicken is crusted in a delicious coconut and cashew breading and baked to golden brown perfection!

It has just the right amount of sweetness from the pineapple, smokiness from the molasses, and spiciness from the chipotles.  I’ve also had some on a burger, topped with a grilled pineapple, and it was heaven!  Gotta love a versatile sauce!

Okay let’s get to the star of the show here today, the chicken.

Not your run of the mill baked chicken tenders... this chicken is crusted in a delicious coconut and cashew breading and baked to golden brown perfection!

The breading starts by lightly toasting some coconut flakes and cashews, then pulsing them in a food processor until they’re about the same size as the panko pieces.  Combine the coconut mixture with the panko and spices.  Now just bread your chicken as usual (instructions in the recipe below), and place them on a baking sheet that’s been lined with foil with a cooling rack on top that’s been sprayed with cooking spray.  Spray the tops of the chicken lightly with cooking spray and bake for 25 minutes.

Not your run of the mill baked chicken tenders... this chicken is crusted in a delicious coconut and cashew breading and baked to golden brown perfection!

I like mine extra crispy, so I turned on my broiler for a minute or so at the end of cooking to get a deeper golden color.

Not your run of the mill baked chicken tenders... this chicken is crusted in a delicious coconut and cashew breading and baked to golden brown perfection!

These also make awesome chicken nuggets!

Now just grab some of that dipping sauce and dig in!

Not your run of the mill baked chicken tenders... this chicken is crusted in a delicious coconut and cashew breading and baked to golden brown perfection!

Not your run of the mill baked chicken tenders... this chicken is crusted in a delicious coconut and cashew breading and baked to golden brown perfection!

I’ve also wanted to serve these chicken tenders over a nice salad… I think the crunch would be awesome.

Not your run of the mill baked chicken tenders... this chicken is crusted in a delicious coconut and cashew breading and baked to golden brown perfection!

I got this amazing chicken recipe from Carlsbad Cravings, adapted it slightly, then just made my own dipping sauce 🙂  To see her version or to see her delicious mango dipping sauce, go HERE!
Not your run of the mill baked chicken tenders... this chicken is crusted in a delicious coconut and cashew breading and baked to golden brown perfection!

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Not your run of the mill baked chicken tenders... this chicken is crusted in a delicious coconut and cashew breading and baked to golden brown perfection!

Coconut and Cashew Crusted Chicken Tenders

5 from 2 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 -6 servings
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Not your run of the mill baked chicken tenders... this chicken is crusted in a delicious coconut and cashew breading and baked to golden brown perfection!

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs chicken tenders or chicken breasts cut into strips
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1 cup cashews
  • cup ½ sweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ½ garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried minced onion
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • tsp ½ pepper
  • tsp ¼ cayenne pepper or more to taste
  • 1/4 tsp ancho chipotle chile powder
  • SWEET AND SMOKY CHIPOTLE PINEAPPLE BBQ SAUCE:
  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil or vegetable
  • 2 cloves garlic grated or finely minced
  • 1/2 yellow onion minced
  • 2 cups ketchup
  • 1/2 cup crushed pineapple with juice
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp molasses
  • 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 in chipotle peppers adobo sauce (more or less depending on how spicy you want it)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread out cashews and coconut flakes in a single layer. Toast in the oven for about 4-5 minutes, until very lightly golden brown.
  • Add cashews and coconut flakes to food processor (or blender), and process until cashews and coconut flakes are roughly the size of the panko crumbs.
  • Wipe off the aluminum foil on the same baking sheet and place a cooling rack on top of the foil. Spray the cooling rack with cooking spray and set aside.
  • To a shallow dish, add cashew and coconut mixture, panko crumbs, brown sugar, garlic powder, dried minced onion, ground cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and ancho chipotle chile powder, and stir with a fork until evenly combined.
  • Place the flour in another shallow dish. Whisk together the egg and lime juice in another shallow dish.
  • Place your dishes in a line leading up to the prepared baking sheet.
  • Carefully dredge one chicken tender in flour and then coat in the egg, and then finally toss in the panko mixture, coating it thoroughly by pressing it into the mixture.
  • Place on prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining chicken tenders.
  • Lightly spray chicken with cooking spray and bake for about 25 minutes, or until cooked through.
  • Turn on your broiler and broil for an additional minute.
  • TO MAKE THE SAUCE:
  • Heat the oil in a saucepan over MED heat, and saute onion and garlic for 5 minutes, or until soft and tender. Add remaining ingredients, stir to combine thoroughly, and simmer (uncovered) for 15 minutes.
  • Either leave as a chunky sauce, or add to a blender/food processor and process until desired consistency.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

** For an almost mess-free breading process, designate one hand to be your "dry" hand, and one hand to be your "wet" hand. Use your dry hand to dredge chicken in the flour and place into the egg mixture. Use your wet hand to coat the chicken in the egg and place it into the breadcrumb mixture. Use your dry hand again to coat the chicken with the breadcrumbs and place onto baking sheet. This helps to prevent breading your fingers 🙂
** Recipe adapted from CARLSBAD CRAVINGS

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Meet The Chunky Chef

Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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Recipe Rating




  1. Lois Demers says

    Posted on 3/26 at 1:25 pm

    Must try this! I wonder if you can substitute pistashios for the cashews? And maybe try this coating on fish?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 3/26 at 8:42 pm

      I haven’t tested switching the cashews for pistachios, but that sounds delicious! I have tried this coating on some halibut and it was yummy 🙂

      Reply
  2. Carrie says

    Posted on 9/7 at 5:03 am

    I made this recipe last night for my husband and I and it was a huge hit!   The chicken crusted so well and the first bite ( and many more!) was just so delicious!  I made the BBQ sauce with some OJ instead of pineapple because that’s what I had on hand.  Still turned out amazing.  Thank you for the great recipe!!!!!

    Reply
  3. Stephanie says

    Posted on 7/20 at 8:13 pm

    This looks amazing!! Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! This post has been pinned on the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! I love having you and can’t wait to see you next week!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 7/20 at 8:21 pm

      Thank you Stephanie!!

      Reply
  4. Miz Helen says

    Posted on 7/20 at 4:59 pm

    Your Coconut and Cashew Crusted Chicken Tenders look amazing, we will just love this recipe. I appreciate you sharing this awesome post with Full Plate Thursday and have a great day.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 7/20 at 8:19 pm

      Thank you so much Miz Helen!

      Reply
  5. Lou Lou Girls says

    Posted on 7/20 at 1:43 pm

    I’m loving this! Pinned and tweeted! I always love your creations, thanks for sharing this with us! I hope to see you tonight at 7 pm. Lou Lou Girls

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 7/20 at 8:19 pm

      Thank you Kimmie!! It’s always fun joining in your great party 🙂

      Reply
  6. Jennifer A Stewart says

    Posted on 7/19 at 1:18 pm

    Thanks for linking up this week! I needed a Paleo chicken recipe that made me feel like I was cheating a bit! Hope to see you next week on #SaucySaturdays!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 7/20 at 8:18 pm

      Thank you Jennifer!! The meals where we feel like we’re cheating always taste the best 😉

      Reply
  7. Karly says

    Posted on 7/19 at 11:10 am

    This is my kind of dinner and that dipping sauce sounds amazing! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 7/20 at 8:17 pm

      Thank you Karly!! And thanks for hosting such a fun party 🙂

      Reply
  8. Cristina @ I Say Nomato says

    Posted on 7/16 at 2:54 pm

    Ooooooh my goodness. Those sound freaking incredible! And THAT BBQ SAUCE! I might have to make that just for me!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 7/16 at 9:55 pm

      Thank you Cristina!! I totally licked the spoon with that sauce on it, I couldn’t get enough 🙂

      Reply
  9. mimi says

    Posted on 7/16 at 9:07 am

    This is just gorgeous and I love the ingredients! I love that you used a spicy sauce to pair with the sweetness. Brilliant!!!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 7/16 at 9:50 pm

      Thank you so much Mimi!! I’m a sweet and spicy fanatic, and any excuse to eat more cashews is a win in my book lol 🙂

      Reply
  10. Ruth says

    Posted on 7/16 at 8:46 am

    Coconut and cashew! Two of my favourite things!! These look and sound amazing 🙂

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 7/16 at 9:49 pm

      Thank you Ruth!! 🙂

      Reply
  11. Melissa says

    Posted on 7/16 at 8:13 am

    I could eat chicken everyday of the week. These tenders look so good! Can’t wait to try them.

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 7/16 at 9:48 pm

      Thank you Melissa!! Me too, we eat chicken more than anything else, that’s for sure 🙂

      Reply
  12. Sam @ SugarSpunRun says

    Posted on 7/15 at 2:34 pm

    I’m with you, I definitely need a dipping sauce for my tenders! These sound awesome!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 7/15 at 9:48 pm

      Thank you Sam!! Dipping in sauces is just so much fun 🙂

      Reply
  13. mila furman says

    Posted on 7/14 at 5:10 pm

    Amanda, these look soooo perfectly crispy and delicious! But I am kind of rooting for that sauce! That looks like major yums!

    Reply
  14. Amber | Caleigh's Kitchen says

    Posted on 7/14 at 4:08 pm

    Holy moly, that sauce though! These sound perfect!!!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 7/15 at 9:46 pm

      Thank you Amber!! I’m obsessed with that dipping sauce now 🙂

      Reply
  15. Becky says

    Posted on 7/13 at 10:24 am

    YUM! The chicken looks so good and the sauce looks heavenly as well. Can you bathe in that stuff?!!!!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 7/13 at 8:14 pm

      Thank you Becky!! Lol, I’d bathe in it if I could get away with it 😉

      Reply

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