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Switching up the average weeknight meal with fun Coconut Chicken Fingers with Bang Bang Sauce. This coconut chicken is breaded in sweet coconut and sesame seeds, then oven-baked, and dipped in a spicy, tangy, creamy restaurant-style bang bang sauce. Serve these coconut chicken tenders along with extra limes and green onions and add a bowl of coconut or cilantro rice (or cook up some baked french fries). You’ll end up with coconut chicken strips in this recipe that everyone will love.
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You all, I almost forgot all about these chicken fingers. Originally, I didn’t want to share the recipe, so I set it aside and forgot about it for a couple of weeks. That wasn’t smart. You see, I’d decided that I didn’t like the photos – but the recipe was great. Sometimes I’ll do that, not share a delicious recipe simply because I don’t love the photos.
But then I came back to it, adjusted a few things, and now I’m beyond excited to finally share these delicious chicken fingers. I also have to note, Creighton loves these. I think I made them four times over the last few months. This means it’s time to share the recipe!
Ingredients
- Cornflakes
- Shredded unsweetened coconut
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Sesame seeds
- Large Eggs
- Hot sauce or Tamari
- Boneless skinless chicken tenderloins
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Bang Bang Sauce for dipping sauce
- Mayo
- Sweet Thai chili sauce
- Coconut aminos
- Hot sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Garlic clove
- Lime zest
I’m sure we’re all familiar with coconut shrimp, and honestly, probably coconut chicken too. It’s served at a lot of restaurants. You’ll often notice that it’s served with a bang bang sauce, which is usually a combination of mayo and chili sauce. And if it’s house-made probably a few other ingredients too.
Creighton would always tell me that I need to recreate the entire meal at home. He’s a big chicken fingers guy (he loves my baked chicken fingers). And we all know how much he loves the sauces.
I thought this could be a fun, colorful, spring recipe to share. I’m so glad I decided to come back to it!
Here are the details
If you’ve made any of my breaded chicken recipes, you’re already very familiar with this process.
To start, blend up the crumbs. For these chicken fingers, I went with a combination of cornflakes, unsweetened shredded coconut, and sesame seeds. I like to quickly crush the crumbs in the food processor with some paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. This coconut mixture makes all of the difference on these tenders!
If you don’t have a food processor, here is a tip. Simply add the cornflakes to a ziplock bag (or use the cornflake bag itself). Then step on the bag with your feet to finely crush them. Or use your hands, but honestly, crushing them with your feet (I know it sounds weird) works best.
Now toss the chicken with a couple of beaten eggs and some hot sauce. Dredge the chicken through the crumbs.
Next, bake the chicken in the oven until it crisps all over. My secret is to gently dab/brush the chicken with olive oil before it bakes. This helps the coating to really crisp up nicely in the oven.
And for the sauce, sweet Thai chili sauce, mayo, lime, and seasonings. Mix everything up and that’s it. A delicious sweet chili sauce!
In addition to the bang bang sauce, I like to mix extra sweet Thai chili sauce with ketchup and lime. Totally optional, but a nice sauce to serve too.
It is SO GOOD with the creaminess of the bang bang sauce.
The chicken is a touch crispy, and sweet, but not at all too sweet. The sauce is spicy, creamy, and tangy. Put everything together it turns into the yummiest chicken fingers meal. So much (really) good flavor.
Looking for more recipes? Here are a few to try:
Baked Crunchy Hot Honey Chicken
Sheet Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Feta Potatoes
Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Buffalo Cauliflower with Spicy Tahini Ranch
Lastly, if you make this Coconut Chicken Fingers with Bang Bang Sauce, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Coconut Chicken Fingers with Bang Bang Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups cornflakes
- 1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce or tamari (use preferred taste)
- 2 pounds boneless chicken tenders
- extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
Bang Bang Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/3 cup sweet Thai chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos (or tamari soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice viengar
- 1 small clove garlic, grated
- 2 teaspoons lime zest
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. In a food processor, combine the coconut, cornflakes, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. Pulse until you have fine crumbs. Mix in the sesame seeds. Dump the crumbs into a shallow bowl.3. Beat the eggs in a bowl and add the hot sauce. Add the chicken and toss well to coat.3. Dredge the chicken through the crumbs, covering fully. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake 15-20 minutes, until crisp all around.4. To make the sauce: combine all ingredients in a bowl. 5. Serve the chicken with limes, green onions, and bang bang sauce for dipping. Add extra chili sauce mixed with a couple tablespoons of ketchup for a little double-dip action. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Loved this recipe! My husband is a big fan of coconut so I knew he would love this and he did! I love that this is a simple quick dinner with tons of flavor. I have never had bang bang sauce before so I really love that you introduced me to something entirely new to me!
Thank you for another fantastic recipe!
Hey Lori,
Wonderful!!😃 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad it was a winner! xx
So good!! All boys- the little ones and the big one went for seconds. Thank you for another great recipe!
Hey Tracy,
Fantastic!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad it was delish! Have a great weekend:) xx
Made this tonight! It was an A+!! The bang bang sauce was better than any restaurant! The chicken was delicious & crispy perfection. This is going on a weekly rotation! … Thanks!
Hey Sara,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your feedback, I am thrilled that it turned out well for you! ☀️🍉
Saw this in the “What’s Cooking This Week?” article and made it tonight. Delicious! And it was simple to make. Used a little siracha in the sauce, and it was just the right amount of flavor without being too hot. Will make this again!
Hey Lois,
Fantastic!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was delish! xT
what website is there a “whats cooking this week” article!? that sounds great
Hi Kaitlin,
If you subscribe to our emails, we send out the “what’s cooking this week” newsletters:) xx
Made this for dinner tonight and it is husband and toddler approved! The chicken came out so crispy and I served it over a bed of spinach salad with some fresh sweet corn. So delicious!
Hey Sarah,
Wonderful!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for trying it out! xx
Made this tonight and it was delicious! The sauce was the perfect addition! Thanks for another delicious recipe!
Thanks so much Kelly! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you:) Have a great weekend! xx
Overall it came out well. Not sure if I did something wrong but ran out of the breading so doubled it. Meanwhile I had tons of sauce leftover. 🤷🏻♀️
Hi Gina,
Thanks so much for making this recipe!! Did you adjust anything with the measurements? Let me know how I can help! xx
Do you think I could replace the Mayo with Greek yogurt in the BangBang Sauce?
Hi Colleen,
Totally, that will work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
I made the oversight of using 2 cups of corn flake CRUMBS instead of corn FLAKES so the proportions of the breading were heavy on the crumbs instead of more equal to the coconut. However, this was such a hit with my kids and husband that they requested it again before they finished eating! And the best part is the recipe appeared on my birthday, so a double win for me! Tieghan, you have changed the food landscape at my house and I can’t thank you enough. xox
Hey Adele,
Happy Wednesday!! 🍉🍓 Thanks a bunch for testing out this recipe, I’m so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
This was so yummy, especially the sauce! I had some coconut shrimp recently where the coating was the same texture and I liked that it wasn’t the usual thick breading. So when I made this recipe and the texture was the same I was so happy. I’m going to try it on shrimp next. The whole family loved it. No leftovers to be found. Thanks for another great recipe!
Hey Lisa,
Happy Wednesday!! 🥥 🌴 Thanks a bunch for testing out this recipe, I’m so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
This recipe was awesome! Not very time consuming. We actually did some in air fryer and some oven – both great! Thanks!
Hey Angie,
Awesome!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you! Love that it worked in the air fryer as well, thanks for sharing:) xx
Delicious. Love the sesame seeds.
Hey Sally,
Happy Wednesday!! 🍉🍓 Thanks a bunch for testing out this recipe, I’m so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
The whole family really liked it! Easy to make too which is always a plus! Thanks for the great recipe.
Hey Jamie,
Wonderful!!🌴🍍 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, love to hear that it turned out well! xx
once again…another home run. I think the best player award goes to the bang bang sauce. I was a little skeptical as first with the mayo…but man was I wrong. It’s delicious and the hint of lime zest sends it flying out of the park.
Hi Jeannie,
Wonderful!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
quick ?….do you think I can make up the chicken tenders and put them in the fridge to cook later???
Thanks
Jeannie
Hi Jeannie,
Sure, that should be just fine for you to do! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Great recipe and a ton of flavor!!! Thanks so much for sharing
Hey Alicia,
Wonderful!!🌴🍍 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, love to hear that it turned out well! xx
Made this last night ,quick, easy and tasty . Hubby indicated the best Bang Bang sauce he has ever tasted…and he has tasted ALOT!!! Another keeper!!!
Lol love to hear this Jennifer! Thanks so much for making the recipe and sharing your feedback:) xT