Coconut chicken tenders
Crunchy, lightly sweet coconut-crusted chicken tenders from the air fryer, with a three-ingredient honey mustard for dipping.
- 40 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $2.71 a serving
- 540 calories
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Most of the time here is hands-off, so you can sit down while it cooks.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1¼ lb chicken tenderloins
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 12 oz frozen broccoli
From your pantry
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Each serving has about 540 calories, 42 g protein, 46 g carbs and 22 g fat, and costs about $2.71 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No chicken tenderloins? Chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs work.
- No honey? Maple syrup works.
- No frozen broccoli? Broccoli works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the chicken dry and sprinkle it with the salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Set out three shallow bowls: the flour, the eggs beaten, and the coconut, panko and oil rubbed together.
Coat each tender in flour, dip it in egg, and press it into the coconut mix on both sides. Wash your hands.
Dolly’s tip: Use one hand for dry and one for wet, and the breading stays on the chicken instead of your fingers.the air fryer to 380°F.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Air fry the tenders in one layer 10 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway, until and 165°F inside. Work in batches.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Timer: 11 min
Dolly’s tip: Coconut browns faster than breadcrumbs. If they’re dark before they’re done, drop the heat to 350°F.Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
Stir the honey, mustard and mayonnaise together for dipping.
Put the broccoli in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of water, cover, and microwave 4 to 5 minutes, until hot. and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
Drain. Draining means pouring off liquid, like tipping pasta into a colander or spooning extra fat out of the pan. Pour hot grease into a can or jar, not the sink, where it hardens and clogs the pipes.
How you’ll know: Only a few drips are left, and the food isn’t sitting in a puddle.
Timer: 4 min 30 sec
Serve the tenders with the honey mustard and broccoli.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
More dinners like this
Air fryer chicken nuggets
40 min
Air fryer chicken tenders
40 min
Sheet pan BBQ chicken and broccoli
40 min
Air fryer chicken breast
30 min
High-protein dinners ›Beginner dinners ›What to make with chicken and eggs ›What to make with chicken and broccoli ›