Crispy Coconut Chicken with Piña Colada Dipping Sauce (Edit recipe)

This recipe is paleo, Whole30, gluten free, and dairy free. It can be made low carb and keto by omitting the dipping sauce, reducing the amount of pineapple, or even using a sugar-free pineapple syrup. Please note that sugar-free pineapple syrup can contain Splenda, which is not a sweetener that I recommend.

10 minutes

15 minutes

Difficulty:

Intermediate

Show nutritional information

This is our estimate based on online research.
Calories:	741
Fat:	54 g
Carbohydrates:	15 g
Protein:	42 g
Cholesterol:	117 g
Sodium:	1046 mg
Fiber:	4 g
Sugars:	7 g
Calculated for total recipe.

by Kit Hondrum

View original recipe

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

Crispy Coconut Chicken

1.25 lb Chicken Breast, cut into strips (or chicken tenders)
Avocado Oil, for frying*
2 Eggs
1 cup shredded Coconut, unsweetened
.25 cup Coconut Flour, + 2 Tbsp, divided
1 tsp Sea Salt
.25 tsp Ground Fresh Black Peppercorns
.25 tsp Garlic Powder

Piña Colada Dipping Sauce

13.5 oz Coconut Milk, refrigerated overnight** (1 can)
1 cup Pineapple, chopped (150g)
1 pinch Sea Salt

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Process

Note, these instructions are written assuming the standard serving size, since you have modified the number of servings, these steps may need to be modified for best results

Remove chicken from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to beginning the recipe to allow it to come closer to room temperature.
Make the dipping sauce. Turn coconut milk can upside down and open the top. Pour off coconut water and discard or save for another recipe. What is left is the coconut cream that you will use for this recipe. Scoop out the coconut cream and blend it together with the pineapple and sea salt in a food processor, blender, or using a bowl and stick blender.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. You want about 1/2 inch of oil in the pan. I like to use my 15-inch cast iron skillet for this recipe.
Bread the chicken while oil is heating up. Begin by whisking the 2 eggs in a bowl. Pour 1/4 cup of the coconut flour into another bowl. And in a third bowl, combine the shredded coconut, 2 Tbsp coconut flour, sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder and mix well. Dredge chicken strips, one by one, in coconut flour, then egg, then the shredded coconut mixture and set aside.
Fry the chicken. When the oil reaches 370ºF (188ºC), begin frying the chicken strips by placing them gently into the oil, one by one. Make sure not to crowd the pan and work in batches. Monitor oil temperature and keep it around 325ºF (163ºC) during cooking (should still be on medium heat). Fry each piece for about 5-6 minutes per side or until golden brown on all sides (internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC)).
Remove to a wire rack. Remove chicken pieces to a wire rack and keep warm in oven if desired. The wire rack helps the oil drain and helps the chicken stay nice and crispy! Don't be tempted to drain them on paper towels or they may become soggy from the excess oil and moisture.
Serve crispy coconut chicken with piña colada dipping sauce and enjoy!

Notes

You can also use half coconut oil and half avocado oil for frying to get even more coconut flavor! That's what I do when I make this recipe. The smoke point of coconut oil is too low for frying, so it is not suitable to use 100% coconut oil in this recipe. // Remember to refrigerate the coconut milk overnight so that the coconut cream separates. Please note that some brands of full fat coconut milk do not separate well. I recommend the organic coconut milk from the Thai Kitchen and Native Forest brands to ensure good separation (and great taste!). For the unsweetened shredded coconut, make sure to use a brand with very small shreds (like the Bob's Red Mill shredded coconut) so that it sticks really well to the chicken. If the pieces are too large then they may fall off during the cooking process.