Another way to cook chicken.

And it’s a coco-nutty, crispy way.

While Andrew has been out of town, I’ve eaten cottage cheese and pita chips for dinner two nights in a row.  Awesome, but not really too filling.  I need more.  I need crispy chicken tenders.  So I bring you these.

They’re crispy and coconut-coated and…there’s turmeric!  After seeing a cooking demo last Fall where the chef pressed everyone to start eating more turmeric (because of it’s anti-inflammatory activity), I’ve been trying to turmeric my life more. 

But, as you can see below, I’ve barely made a dent in the little spice jar.

With good intentions to up my turmeric intake…I got a little over eager.  I used 2 tablespoons turmeric in the recipe, which made the chicken tenders rather turmeric-y.  If you’re new to the spice, feel free to decrease the amount to 1 tablespoon…or just add a ton of ketchup.

That may have been what we did, but sometimes you just want ketchup, you know?  Like when you have a plateful of sweet potato fries…ketchup me.

What are your feelings on coconut? Are they good feelings?  Over spring break we ate these banzai bowls,which reignited my coconut love.  When I was younger I never cared for coconut much, but now my relationship with coconut has changed quite a bit.

Getting older is weird. 

Taste buds change.  I now like mushrooms, as long as they’re shiitake or porcini and not portobello.  And I like asparagus.  Both things I never ever would’ve eaten when I was little…or when I was say, 20.  This mushroom and asparagus acceptance is a rather new occurrence.

And other things change.  Like I have aches and pains and can no longer sleep on a random couch without waking up in the morning with my back aching.  When did my body get so old? On spring break I was sleeping on the couch in our room (because the bed was a double and Andrew and I have already been married too long to squeeze into that for the night) and I’d wake up in the morning with my neck and back and everything hurting.  UGHH.  Is it all downhill from here? Say it isn’t so.

So there is always a need for crispy chicken in your life, especially if it’s Sunday and Chick-fila is closed…or if it’s just a weeknight and you need a dinner.  We served our tenders alongside some roasted broccoli that had been tossed in olive oil + salt + pepper + Parmesan.

Chicken tenders.  Roasted broccoli.  DINNER!

PrintThis

Crispy Turmeric Coconut Chicken Tenders

Yield: serves 2-3

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 40

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken tenders (or 2 large chicken breasts cut into strips)

2 eggs

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

2/3 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened

1-1.5 tablespoons turmeric

scant 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Place a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet.
3. Place eggs in a shallow dish and whisk.  Set aside.
4. In a separate shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs, coconut, turmeric and salt. 
5. Dip a chicken tender into the egg wash.  Then dip it into the breadcrumb mixture, being sure to press the mixture into the chicken tender before gently laying it onto the cooling rack.  Repeat with remaining chicken tenders.
6. Spray each breaded chicken tender with cooking spray (olive oil, coconut, other oil) to help them crisp up!  Bake for 10 minutes, then flip to the other side and bake for 10 more minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165ºF. 
7. Serve with honey mustard or ketchup.