Description
Crispy oven-baked (or air fryer) coconut chicken tenders served with a quick homemade apricot sweet chili dipping sauce that’s sweet, tangy, and lightly spicy.
Ingredients
For the Chicken Tenders:
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes (or unsweetened coconut + 1 tablespoon powdered sugar)
- 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder *see note below
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders (or sliced chicken breast strips)
- Oil spray - Avocado, Coconut, or Canola
For the Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce
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1/2 cup apricot preserves
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2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
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1-2 teaspoons soy sauce, to taste
-
1 clove garlic minced (or 1/4 tsp garlic powder)
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1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
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1 teaspoon sriracha (optional)
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2-3 tbsp water, as needed to thin the sauce
Instructions
For the Chicken Tenders – Oven
- Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray it with oil.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk the 2 eggs until combined.
- In a second shallow bowl, combine the flour, coconut flakes, bread crumbs, curry powder, and salt.
- Dredge each tender in the eggs and then into the coconut coating mixture. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tenders.
- Place on baking sheet; lightly spray with oil if desired.
- Bake 18–22 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and 165°F inside.
For the Chicken Tenders – Air Fryer
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Preheat air fryer to 375°F.
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Arrange breaded tenders in a single layer and lightly spray with oil.
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Air fry for 10–12 minutes, flipping halfway through and spraying the second side if needed, until golden and cooked through (165°F internal temperature). Thicker tenders may need an additional 1–2 minutes.
For the Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce
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Combine preserves, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, pepper flakes (and/or sriracha) in a small saucepan.
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Warm over low heat until smooth; simmer 2–3 minutes.
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Thin with water as needed. Serve warm or chilled.
Notes
I love the flavor of the curry powder in these tenders – it is very subtle. If you don’t like curry or don’t have it on hand, use a simple blend of garlic powder and paprika instead.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes