Fist Pumping Coconut Crusted Chicken Tenders.

I want to share with you a little piece of heaven a friend recently turned me onto. This coconut crusted chicken tender recipe is out of this world. That’s a big statement coming from me, someone who doesn’t like coconut. When one of my friends pinned this recipe on Pinterest I knew I’d have to give it a try. The only bad thing about this dish was that my husband was sick the day I made it so he wasn’t able taste the finished product. Sucks to be him because it was so good that I actually did a fist pump in the air.
So here is what you’ll need:
· 1 lb chicken chicken breasts, sliced into long, 1″ thick strips
· 1/2 cup all purpose flour
· 2 eggs
· 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
· 1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
· 2 tablespoons canola oil
Preheat your oven to 400. While you’re waiting on the oven to heat up gather your other supplies. The fewer dishes I have to wash the happier I am so I use Ziploc bags for all the dry ingredients, a bowl for the eggs and a whisk. Pour yourself a glass of prosecco or wine of your choice to drink in between tasks and some great tunes to cook to. My choice for this recipe is Ella Fitzgerald: The Best of the Song Books.
Ok, after a sip or two of wine I place the flour in one Ziploc bag and set it aside. Then I combine the breadcrumbs, coconut, salt and black pepper in another Ziploc bag and shake well. Lightly whisk the eggs in the bowl and place next to your bag of flour. Take your chicken strips and place them in the bag of flour and shake well to evenly coat each strip. Take each strip out of the bag and shake off excess flour. Then dredge the strip into egg mixture. Next gently toss each chicken strip into the bread crumb/coconut mixture, pressing to coat on each side. Place strips on a plate until all strips have been coated.
As Ella sings ‘I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm’ I take another sip of prosecco and prepare to make magic happen. Ok, now heat a large skillet over medium-high heat on your stovetop. Add one-tablespoon oil, swirling to coat. Add half of the chicken strips in a single layer, leaving space between each one. Cook for about 3 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 3 minutes (I must admit I slightly burned a few. Ooops!). Remove the chicken to a foil lined baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Add the remaining one-tablespoon oil to the pan and repeat until all the chicken strips have cooked and placed on the baking sheet. Place baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes, so that the chicken tenders can cook through.
I served these with a new mac n cheese dish, fresh green beans and mini pineapple upside down cake for desert. As I plated the food I had to sneak a taste for myself and all I can say is that I wanted to jump up and testify. There was some serious fist pumping action going on in my house this evening. I felt really bad that my husband was suffering from a bad cold and couldn’t enjoy my culinary success but there’s always next time.
I hope you guys enjoy this recipe as much as I did. With the help of Ella I enjoyed making this almost as much as I enjoyed eating it. That’s a lie; there was a full on party on my tongue. Let me know how yours turns out.
Until next time….

XOXOX

The Persnickety Chef

Welcome!

Welcome to the Persnickety Chef. My name is Kayla Rich-Martin and I’m a wife, small business owner and crafter who also loves to cook. I grew up in Georgia and was taught from a very early age that the heart of the home was in the kitchen. I spent many hours as a kid watching my mother and grandmother cook and would always be amazed with the delicious meals that would come from our kitchen.
As time went on I became less interested in cooking and more interested in designing and making things. Every attempt my mother made to get me back in the kitchen was met with the typical teenage answer of ‘Not Interested’. As a young adult I spent years traveling and seeing the world and later became a workaholic. Now in my 30’s, living in Los Angeles, newly married and trying to balance my career and family time, I find myself drawn back into the kitchen. Mostly I was tired of eating out, I also knew that if I made it myself it would be a hundred times better.
So here we are. An extremely picky eater married to an even pickier eater decides to start cooking again and the hits and misses along the way. This blog is where I will share some of my favorite recipes, cooking tips and general shananigins in the kitchen. Not only am I going to suggest dishes for you to cook, I’m going to show you how to make it Kayla-Style, full of sass and sprinkled with awesomeness.
So sit back, pour yourself a glass of Prosecco and lets get to know each other. I’m sure to entertain and who knows….we may even learn a thing or two.

XOXOX

The Persnickety Chef