Coconut tastes unlike any other fruit. It’s creamy, decadent, and a bit on the nutty side which makes it more of an acquired taste than sweeter fruits. If you have little ones who are unfamiliar with coconut and a fresh piece of this fruit, or some coconut water, sounds a bit too extreme for their palettes, we’ve made a recipe that uses coconut in a kid favorite – chicken nuggets! These Coconut Chicken Nuggets have a mild coconut flavor and are much healthier than breaded or fried options. By using coconut milk and unsweetened coconut flakes in this recipe, you can introduce the flavor of coconut in a healthy way without overwhelming a little one’s taste buds. Best of all, this recipe is just as easy to make as regular chicken nuggets.
- 1 lb. chicken breast
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup coconut milk (from the dairy section)
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Preheat oven to 420 degrees.
- Cut each chicken breast into nugget size pieces. Transfer to a large Ziploc bag.
- Add the flour and shake to distribute evenly on the nuggets.
- Remove the nuggets from the bag, then shake out the extra flour. Refill the same bag with the coconut milk, add the nuggets back in and shake to coat.
- Transfer the coated nuggets to a new bag with the breadcrumbs, unsweetened coconut flakes and salt and pepper. Shake again to evenly distribute.
- Line a baking pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Arrange the nuggets on the baking pan.
- Cook for 30 minutes, turing them over halfway through so they are golden brown on both sides.
- Serve hot.
- If you don't have large Ziploc bags you can use three shallow bowls for the flour, milk and breadcrumbs/panko.
