Coconut Chicken Tenders

Tonight's dinner was so good, I was happy there were leftovers for tomorrow's lunch. Even when I was non-paleo/non-primal, I never ate breaded chicken, because I always felt guilty since it doesn't provide much nutritional value. Keeping with the coconut theme, I decided to make Coconut Crusted Chicken Tenders. This recipe is much healthier since the tenders are not fried, but baked and have a lighter "breading." They came out so juicy and moist, they didn't even need a sauce to accompany them. Instead, I served it with a small spinach salad.


Coconut Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

• 1-1½  pounds chicken tenders, about 1-inch thick
• 1½ cups shredded, unsweetened, flaked coconut, (helpful to chop it up really finely)
• ⅓ cup sifted coconut flour
• ⅓ cup arrowroot powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ¾ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme 
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 eggs beaten (alternatively you can use egg whites)
• coconut oil for pan frying

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange chicken pieces on a plate.

Place flour  and arrowroot powder in a bowl and whisk to combine.

In a separate plate/bowl, combine chopped coconut flakes and spices. Set aside.

Dip each chicken tender in the flour mixture, then in egg wash, and finally in coconut mixture. Arrange on a plate.

Heat 3 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken until lightly golden on each side, about 1 to 2 minutes maximum, and transfer to a baking sheet. (To ensure even cooking, cook only few chicken tenders at a time.)

Bake lightly cooked chicken for about 10-15 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink inside.

Serve!