Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers

I am kind of going through a coconut obsession right now.  The bags of coconut creme kisses I have downed could prove that.  These chicken fingers from Our Best Bites are awesome.  They are crispy and they have a little kick from the curry and the cayenne.  My five year old ate four of them.  He kept begging for more!  Port ate them over a salad with a honey dijon dressing.  They were delicious!!

12 chicken tenders
2 eggs
1/2 C flour
1 C sweetened coconut flakes
1 C panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp table salt
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (you can leave this out if you want to skip the spice for the kiddos)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Give coconut a rough chop so it’s about the same size as the panko pieces.  Combine it with Panko and spices in a shallow dish. Mix well to distribute all of the spices.  Place the flour in another shallow dish, and the egg in another. Give the egg a quick beating.  Working with one chicken tender at a time, dredge in flour.  Dip in egg.  Finally coat in the coconut Panko mixture. Press in with your fingers to make sure the entire thing is well coated. 

Place chicken tenders on a foil-lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Bake in your 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until juices run clear. Tenders can be overcooked easily, so watch them closely.  The coconut will be nice and golden and the panko crisp, but light in color still.