Panko Coconut Chicken Fingers
Chicken fingers again. As often as I make these for the boys, it occurred to me that I may not have relayed my standby recipe. I certainly haven’t passed on this new one – Panko coated chicken fingers spiked with grated coconut, making them reminiscent of those coconut battered shrimp that are so so yummy. You can take or leave the coconut, really – the technique is the same.
To make crunchy chicken fingers, all you need to do is cut chicken breasts into strips, douse them in Panko and bake or pan fry them. Generally what I do is soak them in buttermilk or dip them in beaten egg, but I’ve discovered that if you use marinated chicken breasts, like Maple Leaf Prime Dijon Mustard & Herb, not only do you get an incredible flavour boost, you also don’t need to add any extra ingredients to help the crumbs adhere. And they’ll be tender and juicy – no chance of drying out.
To coat, put some Panko in a shallow bowl, add a handful of shredded unsweetened coconut, if you like, and dip each strip of chicken in the mixture to coat them well. Place on an oiled or parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350F for 20 minutes, or until pale golden and cooked through. See? Like so many other things, there’s no need to get them frozen in a box!
Speaking of Maple Leaf – if you’re in Western Canada, don’t forget they’re giving away two trips for two aboard the Rocky Mountaineer this May – with me!
March 26 2011 11:08 am | chicken & turkey
Kalynskitchen on 03 Apr 2011 at 8:21 am #
I love the idea of adding coconut to this; great variation! They look very tasty.
Mardi@eatlivetravelwrite on 04 Apr 2011 at 4:23 pm #
I absolutely love the addition of coconut and the use of panko here. Might have to make these with my Petits Chefs cooking club this year!