Shake Up Plain Breaded Chicken With A Tropical Breadcrumb Alternative

Breaded chicken in all its forms is almost an essential to have in your recipe repertoire. The coating not only adds extra crunch and flavor to the meat, but also helps the chicken retain moisture. Standard breadcrumbs will always be a classic, but you can mix up your menu by getting creative with the coating. For a tropical twist on a chicken dinner, reach for shredded coconut or coconut flakes. 

Shredded coconut can stand in for breadcrumbs in your favorite breaded chicken recipes, like cutlets, strips, or nuggets. The flakes will give you a light texture, promote better browning, and provide a unique flavor that will inspire new pairings in the kitchen. Its nutty and slightly sweet taste is a natural fit with other tropical-tasting accompaniments like this zesty pineapple salsa or a fresh mango salad. Even if you don't want to go heavy on the fruit, you can simply swap your regular ketchup for a sweet chili dipping sauce and a squeeze of lime for a full flavor upgrade.

As well as being a good way to switch up flavor, coating chicken with coconut can be a handy trick to have up your sleeve when accommodating certain dietary requirements. In addition to acting as a good gluten-free breading option, coconut is also paleo and keto friendly.

Before you can get to the coconut crust, you need to decide if you're going to marinate the chicken. It's here you can start to layer the coconut flavor by opting for a marinade of coconut milk with some lime juice for acidity. To prevent the coating from falling off, you'll need to apply the same dredging technique that you would with regular breading — coat the chicken in flour, then egg, then coconut flakes. If you want to keep things gluten free, use cornstarch or coconut flour rather than wheat flour. Now is also your chance to boost the seasoning. Beyond salt and pepper, adding chili or curry powder to the flour will enhance the tropical vibes. 

For the coconut coating itself, you have the option of shredded coconut or coconut flakes. The finely shredded coconut will give you a crisper, more delicate texture that's closer to breadcrumbs and will stick more easily to the chicken, while the flakes will give you more crunch and can stand up to longer cooking times. 

Coconut-crusted chicken can be made in the deep fryer, air fryer, or shallow fried in a pan. It can even be baked in the oven. The one thing to note is that the natural sugars in the coconut lead it to burn more quickly than breadcrumbs. So even if you've mastered the temperature rule for baking breaded chicken, keep a close eye on it for that golden brown coating.