Crispy Coconut Chicken From Nums The Word Reviewed

• Estimated Cooking Time According to Recipe: 30 Minutes
• Actual Cooking Time (Including Prep): 28 Minutes

Of the most recent chicken recipes I've made (about 10), this one takes the cake…the coconut cake! It just so  happened I bought some coconut on a whim so it was great to put it to use and make these crispy coconut chicken bites. You could potentially use this same style of cooking to make larger chicken strips, or cook entire chicken breasts! I fried my bites, but you could also bake them for a healthier option.

There aren't really any specialty ingredients need to make these (with the exception of the coconut), so it's a great last-minute recipe to store in your brain.

Even though we do mix some cayenne pepper in the coating mixture, these are not spicy at all in my opinion. I guess it's just so they are not too plain! I also add some salt and pepper to the chicken to season it.

Here's all you really need to make this recipe! Some corn starch, egg, and shredded coconut.

I was lazy and wanted to save time, so rather than coat each individual piece, I did them in batches. I just dumped the corn starch onto the chicken pieces and rolled them around in the mixture till even coated.

Then I did the same with the egg and coconut. I was doing them one by one to get a nice even coating of coconut but with the tiny bite sized pieces, it was just going to take too long. So I coated them all with egg ad once, then transferred one by one into the coconut so I didn't end up with mess of eggy-coconut juice.

The original recipe says to use sweetened coconut, but I only had unsweetened on hand. I think both would work. For the unsweetened version, it might not matter that you're missing the sweetness because I used sauces for dipping. But the stand-alone bites would have probably been a bit better with some sweet and savory flavors.

If you fry them, this recipe will take longer. I only cup up a few thighs and had to do it in two batches. Baking on a baking sheet could probably fit more. These bites will go fast! With bite-sized things you tend to eat more, so if you are making these for kids don't be surprised if all your careful frying disappears in a few minutes!

Normally I get impatient and burn things over high heat, but I was quite proud of myself in being able to cook these to a crispy golden brown. I served with BBQ sauce, ketchup, and honey mustard. Delicious! Don't forget to check out our other quick dinner recipes.