Super crispy, mouthwatering chicken bites with a crunchy coconut-panko crust! 🥥 These are 100x tastier than takeout + fun for easy weeknight dinners. We love to serve these with ramen noodles, oven fries, or cucumber salad. So delicious dunked in Thai sweet chili sauce or honey mustard sauce (recipe included).
Let’s do weeknight dinners a little differently this week, shall we?
These crunchy coconut chicken bites were SUCH a hit with the family. And, what’s not to love? They are lightly breaded in a mixture of flour, egg, and a combination of sweet coconut flakes and panko breadcrumbs. Cooked on your stovetop and ready for devouring in under 30 minutes! These y, mouthwatering bites are a little reminiscent of popcorn shrimp, with all the comforting goodness of crispy homemade chicken tenders… made mini! The extra bit of sweetness in every bite really amps up the flavor of these fancy-ish adult nuggies.
Combined with the deliciously tangy sweet chili and honey mustard dipping sauces? So simple and unbelievably delicious… and picky kid approved. 😉
Run, don’t walk, to the grocery store for your ingredients. Time to add this dream dinner to your weekly menu ASAP!
Ready to cook your Crispy Coconut Popcorn Chicken?
• In a large bowl, whisk flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and milk. Set aside.
• In a third bowl, mix panko and coconut flakes (chopped finely).
• Dredge chicken tenders in flour mixture, then egg mixture, then panko mixture. Set aside on a plate until ready to fry.
• Fill a large pot with about 2 inches of oil (between 3-4 cups, depending on size of your pot). Set to medium heat. Flick in in a little bit of flour after a few minutes. If it sizzles and rises to the surface, it is ready.
• Add chicken (4-5 pieces at a time) and fry until golden brown, 4-5 minutes total, flipping once halfway through. Cook remaining chicken in batches. Transfer to an ovenproof, paper towel-lined sheet. Set aside.
• Place sheet in a 200-degree F oven to keep warm.
• Prepare sauces, if desired. See Notes below for our creamy Honey Mustard Sauce recipe.
Keep reading for full ingredient list + recipe, below
What should I serve with Crispy Coconut Popcorn Chicken? Try these!
• 10-Minute Saucy Ramen Noodles
• Easy Asian Dumplings with Soy-Ginger Dipping Sauce
• Crispy Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges
• Creamy Cilantro Jalapeño Sauce
• 10-Minute Asian Cucumber Salad
• Fluffy Garlic Butter Breadsticks
• Cold Sesame Cucumber Noodle Salad
Looking for more easy chicken recipes? Here ya go!
• Korean Fried Chicken Tenders
• Coconut-Ginger Chicken Satay
• Crispy Buttermilk Popcorn Chicken
• Crispy Honey-Dijon Baked Chicken Tenders
• Cheddar Ranch Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Sauce
• Crispy Fried Chicken Tenders
• Spicy Southern Fried Chicken
The whole family and I loved these nuggs with a heaping bowl of my 10-Minute Saucy Ramen Noodles and a refreshing Cucumber Salad. It took *everything* to not devour these juicy, golden popcorn chicken bites hot out of the pot and wait ’til dinner at the table. They are addictively delicious! Cook up a batch, and you will see why.
A hot and crispy batch of Crispy Coconut Popcorn Chicken is what your table is missing. These will be a huge hit for game day get-togethers, weeknights, cozy nights in, and feasting with friends. Serve with a variety of dipping sauces, including our creamy Homemade Honey Mustard Sauce and Creamy Cilantro Jalapeño Sauce to really amp up the flavor!
If you try these popcorn chicken bites, I hope you love them like we do! Please leave a comment and a star rating, if you give it a go.
Crispy Coconut Popcorn Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lb. chicken tenders, pat dry
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tbsp. milk
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup coconut flakes, chopped finely
- 3 to 4 cups vegetable oil, for frying
For serving:
- Sweet chili sauce, found in Asian/Ethnic grocery aisle
- Honey mustard sauce, recipe below
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and milk. Set aside.
- In a third bowl, mix panko and coconut flakes (chopped finely).
- Dredge chicken tenders in flour mixture, then egg mixture, then panko mixture. Set aside on a plate until ready to fry.
- Fill a large pot with about 2 inches of oil (between 3-4 cups, depending on size of your pot). Set to medium heat. Flick in in a little bit of flour after a few minutes. If it sizzles and rises to the surface, it is ready.
- Add chicken (4-5 pieces at a time) and fry until golden brown, 4-5 minutes total, flipping once halfway through. Cook remaining chicken in batches. Transfer to an ovenproof, paper towel-lined sheet. Set aside.
- Place sheet in a 200-degree F oven to keep warm.
- Prepare sauces, if desired. See Notes below for our creamy Honey Mustard Sauce recipe.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Honey Mustard Sauce Recipe:
In a medium bowl, whisk all ingredients until smooth:
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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Family cannot get enough of these popcorn chicken bites! Everyone begs for this recipe!