Treat yourself to a chicken recipe with a tropical flair! These crispy and delicious Coconut Chicken Tenders are a great way to shake things up. Tender, juicy chicken breast strips, breaded in shredded coconut, and then crisped to perfection in coconut oil.
By using half Panko and half coconut, this Weight Watchers chicken recipe stays flavorful, yet still low in Points. I also love the added flavor that the coconut oil brings to this dish. You could use olive oil, if you’d prefer. At just 6 Points per serving, this easy recipe works as an appetizer or main course, and is sure to be hit.
Try serving with sweet chili sauce or pineapple salsa. Delish!
Crispy Coconut Chicken Tenders
Strips of lean chicken breast get a tropical flavor in this delightful and flavorful Weight Watchers chicken recipe. A crispy, coconut breading that is light and delicious, gives the chicken a wonderfully sweet and savory taste.
Ingredients
- 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 8 strips
- 1/2 cup liquid egg whites
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- After cutting chicken intro strips, pound a bit using a meat mallet to get a thinner fillet. Season chicken well with salt and pepper.
- Place egg whites in a small, shallow bowl. And in another shallow bowl, combine shredded coconut and Panko.
- One by one, dip each chicken strip into the egg whites, shake to remove excess and then dip into the coconut/Panko mixture, tossing to coat well. Repeat until all chicken strips are breaded.
- Heat coconut oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
- Place chicken into pan, and cook until golden brown and crispy on the outside, and no longer pink inside, about 4-5 minutes on each side. Serve with sweet chili sauce for dipping (optional).
Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
Cooking time: 10 minute(s)
Diet tags: Low calorie, Reduced fat, Reduced carbohydrate, High protein
Number of servings (yield): 4
Culinary tradition: USA (General)
Calories: 245
Fat: 10g
Protein: 30g
Entire recipe makes 4 servings
Serving size is 2 chicken tenders
Each serving = 5 Smart Points/6 Points
PER SERVING:142calories; 6g fat; 5g saturated fat; 11g carbohydrate; 1g sugar; 9g protein; 1g fiber
5 Comments
i looked every where for unsweetened coconut, but only found sweetened. 2 Tbsp. is 2 pts. I’ll just weigh chicken & add other ingredient pts. together. Using chicken strips. Thanks.
Lainie, if it helps, I got mine at Trader Joe’s and I’ve seen it at Whole Foods as well. :)
Found your site while wandering around Weight Watchers stuff on Pinterest… and love it.
This recipe calls for 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 8 strips and then you discuss calories for each chicken tender…I buy organic tenders all the time….shall I just assume that I can use them?
Thank you, Lizzie
I always love your recipes but the unsweetened coconut makes me a little nervous on this one – part of what’s great about coconut chicken (or shrimp) is the sweetness. Obviously it’s to cut calories, but do you find these to actually be yummy? I see no sweet in the recipe. For me, I’d be willing to try it, but I might think about doing half and half (sweetened and unsweetened) or something if I could stand the calories it would be. It sure LOOKS good, though.
I absolutely did love it, and felt like it still tasted semi sweet, since coconut itself does have a mild sweetness. Of course, if you are used to sweeter version, this may feel too mild for you. It’s hard to say. I thought it was very tasty! Here’s the exact coconut I usedL http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Do-Organic-Shredded-Unsweetened/dp/B000F4D5GC. I also used a sweet chili sauce to dip it in, and for me that delivered the sweet taste I wanted. Hope that helps some!