Coconut Chicken Fingers

A few months ago, Lisa hosted a challenge to cook through an article about preparing chicken different ways. Patrizia completed this recipe, and while I was intrigued, it took a really long time for it to make it into the meal plan.

I really had no idea what to serve on the side with this, so I made roasted broccoli, omitting the lemon and pepper. It turned out great, unlike my last attempt at roasting broccoli, which resulted in a disgusting burned disaster. I also made roasted potatoes from allrecipes. We were all super happy with how the sides turned out!

As far as the chicken fingers, I did a little thinking, inspired by the comments on the original recipe, and decided to bake instead of fry them. I already had the oven going for the sides, and figured doing so would allow me to clean up the kitchen a little bit or play with the family. I found this Rachael Ray recipe and used it as a starting point. My oven was already at 450, so instead of baking for 12 minutes, I set the timer for 10 minutes and kept an eye on them.

I really enjoyed my chicken fingers, and so did A. E wasn't interested and M said he thought they were ok but nothing special. They were a little on the bland side, I guess, but when dipped in a tiny bit of apricot preserves, they were outstanding.

I used one of my own packages of chicken breast. I typically package in 1lb increments. Tonight's package was only one (rather large) breast, so I'm not sure how much it actually was... For the amount I had, I used 1/2c of flour, and I used coconut as needed... I'll keep their measurements for you just in case.

I don't know if my sides really went together or compimented the meal, but each component was delicious on its own.

Coconut Chicken Fingers adapted from Cooking Light January 2011

1lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup AP flour
1 cup whole buttermilk
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
3 tablespoons canola oil
Sweet chile sauce (optional)


1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish. Combine buttermilk and egg in a shallow dish, stirring well. Place coconut in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour; shake off excess. Dip chicken in egg mixture; dredge in coconut. Place on a baking sheet lined with silpat or parchment paper.
2. Bake chicken for 10 minutes, or until golden. Serve with chile sauce, if desired.