Make this Oven Fried Coconut Chicken for dinner tonight – everybody is going to love it! It’s easy to put together and turns our so crispy, even though it’s baked and not fried.
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One of my favorite things to make for dinner? Oven fried chicken.
Because not only can I make it in my sleep, but it’s also something everyone around the table will eat without complaining. On the contrary – the kids will be so busy eating, I may actually get to eat my dinner in peace for once, ha!
How to Make Oven Fried Coconut Chicken:
Read on for the detailed step-by-step instructions, or scroll down for tips and the printable recipe card.
Watch the Crispy Coconut Chicken Video Tutorial:
Read on for the detailed step-by-step instructions, or scroll down for tips and the printable recipe card.
Here I’m using coconut in the breading for the ultimate crispy baked coconut chicken – a little different, but so good.
How to bread chicken:
Breading chicken the right way makes it ultra crispy, but also helps to keep the batter from falling off.
First, you’ll shake the chicken pieces in a bag with cornstarch, spices and a little baking powder. The baking powder is there to help the batter puff up a little and keep it away from the chicken’s moisture.
Then, you’ll dredge the pieces in a mix of beaten egg and coconut milk (or butter milk if that’s what you have on hand). You can toss all the chicken pieces in the egg at once, no need to dip them separately!
Finally, you’ll coat the chicken pieces with a mix of shredded coconut (the unsweetened kind ?), breadcrumbs and more seasoning. This is the only step where you have to do all chicken pieces individually, but it’s worth putting in the effort.
It also helps to push the coconut breading well on the chicken pieces, to help it form a nice crust.
How to bake breaded chicken so it gets crispy:
First of all, you have to preheat your pan. Please do yourself a favor and use a dark pan, not a metal colored one (or even a white one).
Dark ones reflect heat better, which is crucial for crispy chicken here.
Also, absolutely no silicone baking mats or parchment paper on the pan. These will make your chicken soggy instead of crispy.
If you absolutely want to line the pan to make clean up easier, use aluminum foil (I never do, but it’s up to you).
And finally, please do use enough butter. This is oven-fried, yes, but you still need fat for the breading to turn out super crispy.
How long to bake breaded chicken:
It takes about 15-20 minutes for the chicken to be done.
I like to do 10 minutes on one side, flip the chicken, and then do another 5-10 minutes on the other side.
I also put the chicken under the broiler for 2-3 minutes in the end for extra crispiness. Just watch it closely so it doesn’t burn!
What do you serve with crispy coconut chicken?
We love this with a coleslaw and pineapple salsa, honey mustard dipping sauce and maybe sweet potato fries on the side!
More Oven Fried Chicken Recipes You’ll Love:
Garlic Parmesan Oven Fried Chicken
Printable recipe
Oven Fried Coconut Chicken
Recipe details
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 2 pounds chicken tenders or boneless chicken breast cut into pieces
For the dry coating:
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika can use cayenne pepper OR chili powder instead
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the egg coating:
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup coconut milk OR buttermilk
For the coconut crust:
- 1 ½ cups shredded coconut unsweetened!
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground paprika can use cayenne pepper OR chili powder instead
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the pan:
- ⅓ cup butter
Instructions
- Prep breading: Combine ingredients for the dry coating in a large zip-loc bag. Combine ingredients for the egg coating in a large bowl. Combine ingredients for the coconut crust in a shallow baking dish.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 410°Place a baking pan in the oven while it preheats, so the pan can get hot.
- Bread chicken: Place chicken pieces in the bag with the dry coating. Close the bag and shake it well until all chicken pieces are coated. Remove chicken from bag, shaking off any excess coating, and place in the bowl with the egg mix. Toss well until all chicken pieces are coated. Finally, coat chicken pieces one by one with coconut crust, pressing it onto the chicken so it stays on.
- Bake: Remove the pan from the oven and the butter on it. Place chicken on the pan – you may have to bake the chicken in two batches depending on the size of your pan and how thick your chicken pieces are. Do not overcrowd the pan or it will get soggy. Bake for 10 minutes, then carefully flip and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. If you want, put it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes to crisp up further.
- Rest: Allow the chicken to rest for 2-3 minutes after baking, to help the breading firm up. Then serve immediately.
Nutrition
More recipe information
Try these chicken recipes next:
Check out our Oven Fried Chicken Breast Recipes collection for more ideas!
Cathy says
made these last night had leftovers so kept them in batter in fridge and baked for lunch today all I can say is yummy! thanks for this recipe
Nora says
I’m so glad, Cathy!
Shirley odborne says
how can I make this egg free?
Nora says
Shirley, I have previously breaded vegetables egg-free for a vegan person. I used a mix of almond milk (can use regular milk if dairy is OK), plain flour and a little bit of baking powder to kind of make a thick batter. It worked quite well. Hope this helps!
Julie says
These are amazing!! I usually serve with basic sesame noodles. Whole family raved – even the crabby 10yr old. This recipe is now requested as the go-to chicken tender recipe. The method is brilliant and I’ve used it countless times for other flavors of chicken. Overwhelmingly pleased I found this!! Thank you!
Betty boo says
Simple to make and tasty but mine didn’t go quite as golden as the picture despite following recipe to the letter. Would add finely grated lime zest next time to cut through the richness.
Clare says
Wow my new go to fried chicken. I made it tonight for dinner. I used a cast iron skillet and it worked beautifully. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
Nora Rusev says
I’m so glad, Clare!
Donna Wielded says
This recipe turned out so good. Very moist and delicious!! This is going to be one of my go-to recipes.
I would say be sure and follow all the instructions. They’re all very important and for a reason.
Thanks for sharing
Donna
Nora says
I’m so glad to hear this, Donna! Thank YOU for trusting my recipes, and thanks for coming back to leave a review, I appreciate your time.