This vibrant Coconut Chicken Tenders recipe delivers bold flavor with a crispy panko-coconut coating and tender chicken tenderloins flavored with a bright coconut-lime marinade. Ready in just 45 minutes, this sheet pan dinner roasts a medley of colorful vegetables and chicken together for quick cleanup and a delicious balance of flavors, and can also be made in an air fryer. With only 118 mg of sodium per serving, it’s one of the best low sodium chicken recipes for heart-healthy cooking. Serve with our Sweet Chili Sauce or another of our dipping sauce suggestions.
These coconut chicken tenders are a healthy choice because they are baked or air-fried, not deep-fried, using a crispy panko and coconut coating. Each serving is high in protein (24g) which is great for GLP-1 diets, and extremely low in sodium (118mg), making it ideal for a heart-healthy diet. This recipe also includes a full sheet pan of roasted vegetables like sweet potato, broccoli, and bell peppers for added fiber and nutrients.
• 24g of protein per serving
• Only 118 mg of sodium per serving
• Approved for Heart Healthy, Diabetic, and GLP-1 diets
• Made with heart-healthy extra virgin olive oil
• Includes nutrient-dense vegetables like sweet potato, broccoli, and yellow squash
Yes! The air fryer is an excellent way to make them extra crispy. Prepare the chicken as directed, then cook in a single layer at 390°F-400°F (199°C-200°C) for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway.)
The key is the 3-step dredging process: first flour, then egg, then the panko/coconut mixture. Make sure to press the final coating on firmly. Patting the chicken dry before marinating also helps.
A low-sodium sweet Thai chili sauce is a classic pairing. They also go well with mango salsa or a creamy lime-yogurt dip.
This recipe is a one-pan meal, so they are served with roasted sweet potatoes, broccoli, and bell peppers. They are also great on a salad or with quinoa.
The recipe uses whole wheat flour. You can also use all-purpose, a 1:1 gluten-free blend, almond flour, or coconut flour for the dredge.
Yes, this version is very healthy. They are high in protein (24g) and very low in sodium (118mg). They are baked or air-fried instead of deep-fried, making them low-fat and approved for heart-healthy and diabetic diets.
For best results, reheat them in an air fryer or a 375°F (190°C) oven for 5-7 minutes until they are warm and crispy again.
Need more chicken recipe inspiration? From a healthy alternative to store-bought chicken nuggets to complete dinners, we’ve got options the whole family will love.
Air fryers are great for making crispy and delicious food without excess fats. Check out all our healthy recipes that are quick, easy, and optimized for the air fryer.
These tenders are delicious on their own or with a dipping sauce like our Sweet Chili sauce. For other healthy, low-sodium options, try:
Bang Bang Sauce: This sweet and spicy dip is creamy, healthy, and so easy to make!
Mango Habanero Salsa: a zesty dip made with mangoes, a deliciously fiery pepper medley, garlic, and citrus.
Creamy Greek Yogurt Dip: This dressing or dip mixes nonfat plain Greek yogurt with a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice and herbs.
Recipe yields 8 servings
Pour the coconut milk, minced garlic, soy sauce, and lime juice into a large resealable zip-top plastic bag; seal bag and shake to combine marinade. Add chicken tenderloins into bag, gently squeeze to coat chicken with marinade, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
When ready to cook, place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine shredded coconut, panko bread crumbs and black pepper in a shallow bowl. In a second bowl, add the flour. In a third bowl, add the beaten egg. Arrange bowls in order of flour, egg, then coconut mixture. Shake excess marinade from chicken tenderloins, and dip into flour to coat completely; shake off excess flour. Dip into egg, allowing excess to drip off, and then finely dredge through coconut mixture. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, drizzle sweet potatoes with ½ tablespoon olive oil and lightly season with black pepper; toss to coat evenly. Add sweet potatoes to prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until just beginning to soften.
While sweet potatoes cook, whisk together remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic, lime zest, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using) in a small mixing bowl. Add broccoli, bell pepper, and squash to bowl used to prepare sweet potatoes. Pour olive oil mixture over vegetables and toss to coat evenly.
Remove sweet potatoes from oven, move to one side of baking sheet, and add vegetable mixture to same side with the sweet potatoes; mix to combine. Place chicken on open side of baking sheet in a single layer and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Bake chicken and vegetables until chicken is golden brown and vegetables are tender, about 25 to 30 minutes (Note: for best crispiness of chicken, remove from oven about halfway through, flip, and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray again; return to oven to finish baking).
Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm garnished with chopped parsley and side of sweet thai chili sauce.
This recipe uses whole wheat flour for the dredge. You can also use all-purpose flour, a gluten-free 1:1 baking blend, or (for a lower-carb, grain-free option) coconut flour or almond flour.
Make sure to use unsweetened light coconut milk from a can for the marinade, not the refrigerated beverage type.
Feel free to swap the vegetables for others that roast well in the same timeframe, such as zucchini, red onion, or asparagus.
Use gluten-free panko bread crumbs if needed.