Coconut Chicken Tenders

Name: Coconut Chicken Tenders
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 4 oz unsweetened light coconut milk; 2 garlic cloves, finely minced; 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice; 1/2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce; 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken tenderloin; Non-stick cooking spray; 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut; 1 cup plain panko bread crumbs; 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 cup whole wheat flour; Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish; 1 medium sweet potato, washed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 1 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided; 2 garlic cloves, finely minced; 1 Tbsp lime zest; 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp chili powder; 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1/4 tsp smoked paprika; 1/4 tsp garlic powder; 1/4 tsp onion powder; 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional; 1 small head broccoli, cut into florets; 1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped; 1 small yellow squash, washed, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

By Adam Fisher

Published 6/5/2025

Dietitian Reviewed: Erin McNamara, RDN, LDN, CLT

Approved for These Diets:

Heart Healthy | Low Sodium | High Protein | Diabetic | GLP-1

Photo Credit: Baldwin Publishing Staff Photographer

This vibrant Coconut Chicken Tenders recipe delivers bold flavor with a crispy panko-coconut coating and tender marinated chicken tenderloins. 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. With only 118 mg of sodium per serving, it’s one of the best low sodium chicken recipes for heart-healthy cooking. And if you are looking for an easy high protein meal prep option, each serving of this meal packs 24g of protein into each serving, making it fit perfectly into a GLP-1 diet plan. So get your taste buds ready for a bright coconut-lime marinade, juicy chicken, and vibrant baked veggies that bring freshness and zest into each no fuss bite.

This coconut chicken recipe is just one of many of our amazing heart-healthy and low-sodium chicken recipes. Check them all out to see how delicious planning a lineup of high protein meals can be!

Total Time

45 minutes

Servings

8

Calories

241

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How to Make Coconut Chicken Tenders

Coconut Chicken

Step 1

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.
Step 2

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.
Step 3

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.

Vegetables

Step 1

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.
Step 2

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.
Step 3

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).
Step 4

Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm garnished with chopped parsley and side of sweet thai chili sauce.

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size:

3 oz chicken, 1/2 cup vegetables

241

Calories

8

g

Fat

62

mg

Cholesterol

118

mg

Sodium

20

g

Carbs

3

g

Sat. Fat

3

g

Fiber

24

g

Protein

3

g

Sugars

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Coconut Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

Coconut Chicken

Vegetables

How to Make Coconut Chicken Tenders

Coconut Chicken

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Vegetables

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Nutrition Facts

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