Coconut Popcorn Chicken

If the mere mention of the word “coconut” puts a twinkle in your eye, then today’s your lucky day cause you are guaranteed to get crispy golden coconut in every single bite of this super delicious Coconut Popcorn Chicken!

It is literally a party for your mouth—so much flavor and texture!

Once again, I am bowled over by how simple, run-of-the-mill chicken breasts can be so exciting!!

And fun! I mean, what’s more fun than little individual chicken bites coated in the most divine crunchy coconut breadcrumb mixture?!! So easy to just pop into your mouth!

And more good news—not only are these easy enough to make without any advance planning on an ordinary weeknight, but because they’re baked, not fried, they’re also pretty healthy for you. They only look decadent!

They’re amazing on their own or with this copycat shake shack sauce that we are currently addicted to! Can’t stop dipping!!

Make these tonight and give yourself a pat on the back for putting that twinkle in somebody’s eye!

---

Coconut Popcorn Chicken

Makes 6 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 large egg yolk

• ¼ cup mayonnaise

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

• Black pepper

• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized cubes (about 2 inch cubes)

• 1 ½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut

• ¾ cup Panko breadcrumbs

• Olive oil for drizzling on top of chicken (or non-stick olive oil spray)

The Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a shallow, large bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, mayo, mustard, salt and a pinch or two of pepper. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss to coat with the mixture.

3. In another shallow bowl, mix the coconut and panko together, along with a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Remove each piece of chicken from the mix and dredge in the coconut mixture, pressing down to help the crumbs stick well. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle a little olive oil across the top of the chicken pieces to help make everything get golden brown, or spray the tops with olive oil spray.

4. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip and cook for another 15 minutes or so, until chicken is entirely cooked through and coconut coating is crispy and golden.

5. Serve immediately with ketchup, mustard or your favorite dipping sauce.

Enjoy!

Note: Recipe adapted from this https://unwrittenrecipes.com/blog/2020/use-up-the-panko-chicken, with a bunch of tweaks.