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Gluten-free crunchy coconut chicken nuggets are scrumptious bites from tropical heaven. Baked, not fried, mimics the texture and flavor of being a perfectly fried bite of yumminess.
Coconut Chicken Bites
I have something to admit. I miss fried food. Especially coconut shrimp (Hello, Outback!) Oh, and let’s not forget about fried chicken bites, nuggets, and strips. There is something exotic and tropical about coconut shrimp and nothing reminds me of homestyle cooking like fried chicken.
I have not been brave enough to try my hand at making coconut shrimp, but I have copied the flavors with her close cousin, the gluten-free crunchy coconut chicken bites. Here’s the big secret, these scrumptious bites from tropical heaven are not fried. No, no they are not. But they are baked.
The Honey Nut Chex cereal coating mimics the texture and flavor of being a perfectly fried bite of yumminess. This recipe is not difficult, especially if you have a food processor. Don’t worry, my friend, if you don’t have one. You too can still make these tropical crowd pleasers.
Serve these gluten-free crunchy coconut chicken bites at your next party or make dinner a tropical delight. Oh, and don’t forget to dip these beauties in the orange sauce.
Gluten-Free Crunchy Coconut Chicken Bites
Ingredients
- 2 cups Honey Nut Chex cereal, It is a gluten-free cereal
- 1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1x1-inch pieces, nugget size
- 1 /2 cup of mayonnaise
- Orange marmalade, dipping sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
- Crush Honey Nut Chex cereal in a food processor. If you do not have a food processor, you can easily crush the cereal by placing in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.
- Add the crushed cereal and coconut to a large plastic storage bag. (Think Shake and Bake)
- Cut your chicken into nugget sized pieces. I find it easiest to cut the breasts in half and then cut the halves in half again. Then cut the quarter chicken breast pieces into nugget sized pieces.
- Put chicken into a bowl of mayonnaise and stir to coat the chicken evenly with mayonnaise.
- Place the mayonnaise-covered chicken pieces in the plastic storage bag of cereal and coconut mixture. Turn the plastic storage bag over and over until the chicken pieces are coated evenly.
- Place chicken on a large greased baking sheet.
- Bake for 18-20 to minutes; until the coating is light golden brown. All ovens are different, so please watch the chicken towards the end so the coconut does not burn.
- Serve with melted orange marmalade.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this recipe this week and it was quick and delicious! It was a hit with my 5 year old and 3 year old! I just crushed the cereal in a ziploc bag with the bottom of a cup, and used part sweetened and part unsweetened coconut because that is what I had on hand. The orange sauce was simple yet delicious. Thank you!
I just made these again this afternoon, they were even better than the first time. Was out of orange marmalade so I dipped them in pumpkin jam.
This was delicious! I cooked it in my air fryer and it came out tender, crispy, and flavorful. The orange marmalade made a wonderful dipping sauce. Thanks for a great recipe.
I have made this twice and enjoyed it thoroughly. Tonight I made it and crushed the cereal with the vitamix and it made it too dry. Usually I just crush in bag with hands that seems better.
I made this tonight and it was awesome !
The heated orange marmalade made it taste like orange chicken , delish !
Thank you so much {at for the wonderful recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the chicken. Thank you for sharing that you used orange marmalade and it tasted like orange chicken, as I know it will help others. Thanks again!