This delicious recipe comes from Kendall, a busy mum of three and a valued admin on our Facebook page. It’s a simple, family-friendly coconut-crusted chicken that’s great for weeknights and makes tasty leftovers for sandwiches the next day.
Ingredients
– Chicken (breast or thigh, according to preference). A 1.2 kg pack of breast works well and yields leftovers for sandwiches.
– Breadcrumbs (Japanese panko crumbs give extra crunch)
– Desiccated or shredded coconut (adjust amount to taste)
– Plain flour for dusting
– 2–3 beaten eggs
Method
1. Trim the chicken and cut into schnitzel-sized pieces. If needed, gently pound the pieces with a kitchen mallet to even their thickness.
2. Prepare an assembly line: flour / egg mix / breadcrumb-and-coconut mix. Lining the work surface with cling film makes clean-up easier—pile dry ingredients either side with the egg bowl in the middle.
3. Lightly coat each piece in flour, shake off excess, dip into the beaten eggs and allow excess to drip off, then press both sides into the breadcrumb-coconut mixture until well coated.
4. Arrange the coated pieces on a plate and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so the coating adheres better during cooking.
5. Heat a frying pan and add a little butter or oil (coconut oil complements the coconut coating nicely). Pan-fry the pieces over medium heat until golden on each side.
6. Transfer the fried pieces to a lined oven tray and finish in a preheated oven at 200°C (392°F) until the coating is crisp and the chicken is cooked through.
Serve warm with sweet chilli sauce or your favourite dipping sauce. The crisp coconut crust and juicy chicken make a family favourite that’s quick to prepare and easy to adapt.