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Home Β» Main Course Β» Baked Gluten-Free Crispy Coconut Chicken

February 6, 2015 (last updated August 19, 2022)

Baked Gluten-Free Crispy Coconut Chicken

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This baked version of breaded chicken combines bread crumbs and shredded coconut for a delicious gluten-free dinner. Make chicken fingers or cutlets and serve it with my sweet and tangy dipping sauce.

overhead view of gluten free crispy chicken on wood board with glass bowl of peach dipping sauce, stacks of sliced cucumber on sides and red napkin below

I love this crispy coconut chicken because it can be kid-friendly or adult appealing. For kids, cut the chicken into strips for chicken fingers (or use chicken tenders) and mix up the apricot sauce on the sweet, mild side. Make it more adult appealing by leaving the chicken in larger pieces and make the sauce a bit more spicy and savory.

If you are a lover of coconut in your savory foods this Thai coconut chicken recipe is one of my favs. Here is my full list of yummy gluten-free chicken recipes including my 4 ingredient chicken marinade and gluten-free chicken piccata.

Ingredients

Gluten-Free Panko Bread Crumbs – I haven’t found any ready-made gluten-free panko bread crumbs that I like, so I use gluten-free crispy rice cereal as a substitute. They have just the right texture when ground up and stay crispy when baked. Nature’s Path Crispy Rice Cereal or Gluten-Free Rice Chex are good choices because they are not too sweet. Use the blender or food processor or put them in a plastic bag and crunch them up using a rolling pin.

Coconut aminos is included in the sauce. I like it as a milder, less salty substitute for soy sauce. It has become more available at markets recently but if you can’t find it, soy sauce will work too.

How to Cut Chicken Breast

Most chicken breasts these days are unusually thick and large. For this gluten-free crispy coconut chicken, thin pieces work best. Most chefs would tell you to pound the chicken to make it thin. But again this is a messy and time-consuming process and I’m just not that patient! So here’s how I do it:

Start with a sharp knife and a stable cutting board. Put a damp paper towel underneath the keep it from slipping.

If the chicken breast is very large, I like to cut it in half this way before cutting thin.

raw chicken breast on wood cutting board being cut in half

Place one hand on top of the chicken (fingers flat) and hold the knife parallel to the cutting board. Try to keep it as level as possible. With a long smooth stroke, cut a 1/4′ piece. For most chicken breasts this would be 3rds.

raw chicken breast on wood cutting board being cut in to thin pieces for gluten-free crispy coconut chicken
raw chicken breast on wood cutting board being cut
thin piece of raw chicken breast being held up over a wood cutting board

Then cut the remaining piece in half using the same technique.

raw chicken breast on wood cutting board being cut

How to Bread Chicken

The breading process can be a bit messy so I’ve provided step-by-step instructions to guide you through you and help you stay organized. The best way to keep the process from getting too messy is to designate the dry hand that only touches the flour and bread crumbs. The other hand will use a fork to dip the chicken in the egg and transfer it to the bread crumbs.

pieces of oven-baked gluten free breaded crispy chicken ob wood board with slices of cucumber on sides, red napkin on bottom and bowl of peach sauce on left

Baked Gluten-Free Crispy Coconut Chicken

Author: Janet Harlow
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
This baked version of breaded chicken combines bread crumbs and shredded coconut for a delicious gluten-free dish. Make chicken fingers or cutlets and serve it with a sweet and tangy dipping sauce.
No ratings yet
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Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 40 mins

Recommended Products

  • The Original Coconut Aminos
  • Kinnikinnick Panko Style Bread Crumbs
  • Nature's Path Crispy Rice Cereal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 c coconut flour
  • 1/4 c brown rice flour
  • 3 cups Gluten-Free Crispy Rice Cereal, Rice Chex OR 1 c gluten-free panko bread crumbs
  • 1/3 c unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 tsp salt
  • oil spray

Apricot/Peach Dipping Sauce

  • 3 Tbsp apricot or peach jam or orange marmalade
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp mustard powder
  • 2 Tbsps vinegar
  • 2 tsp coconut aminos or tamari
  • pinch of dried chili flakes

Instructions
 

Make the dipping sauce

  • Combine all the sauce ingredients. Depending on the jam you use you may want to add more vinegar. Taste it and season it up to your taste.
    If you like it more or less spicy, adjust the amount of chili flakes. To make it more savory and less sweet, add a bit more coconut aminos or tamari. Don’t be afraid to play with the flavors. Add ingredients in small amounts and continually taste as you go.

Make the Chicken

  • Pre-heat the oven to 350Β°.
  • If you are making chicken fingers, cut the chicken into strips trying to keep the sizes as even as possible. Otherwise, butterfly each breast and then cut in half.
  • If using brown rice cereal or chex, place in a food processor and process until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. These make a great substitute for panko bread crumbs.
  • Clear some counter space. You will need 2 large plates, a wide bowl (not too big) and a sheet pan or cookie sheet fitted with an oven safe wire rack sprayed with canola oil spray.
  • Beat the egg in the wide bowl with 2 tsp water. Leave the fork with the bowl.
  • Put the coconut flour and brown rice flour on one of the plates, add 1/2 tsp of the salt and mix thoroughly. If you don’t have coconut flour, all brown rice is fine.
  • Place the rice cereal crumbs, shredded coconut and 1/2 tsp salt on the other plate and mix well with your fingers.
  • Use only your left hand (the ”wet” hand”) to handle the chicken and use only your right (the β€œdry” hand) to touch the flour and crumbs.
  • Place the chicken on the flour plate and coat completely. Use your dry hand to sprinkle and press the flour into any crevices.
  • Use your wet hand to transfer the chicken to the egg bowl. Coat with egg, flip with the fork. Then pick it up with the fork or your wet hand, let the excess egg drip off into the bowl.
  • Lay it onto the rice crumbs plate. Use your wet hand to flip. Then use your dry hand to press the chicken down. This will help the crumbs to adhere. Flip and press again. If there are any uncoated spots use your dry hand to sprinkle and press the crumbs onto the chicken.
  • Use your dry hand to transfer the coated breast to the wire rack. Repeat until all the chicken is coated.
  • Bake for 10 minutes then flip. Bake another 15 minutes or so. Times will vary depending on the thickness and size of your chicken pieces.

Nutrition

Serving: 4oz
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Posted In: Main Course · Tagged: chicken, coconut

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