Coconut Chicken Strips

I saw a variation of these chicken strips by Budget Bytes on Pinterest and knew I just had to try them. I have now made this gluten free super low fat version several times and every time we just inhale them. These are so easy to make as long as you have a little bit of time for the prep.

Here is what you need for enough to feed 6 people dinner.

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 egg whites
3/4 cup light coconut milk (you can use regular if you want)
3/4 cup brown rice flour
2 1/2 - 3 cups Rice Chex or Gluten Free Crisp Rice Cereal
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1/2 tsp. salt

First you need to cut the chicken into strips. I like to cut the chicken while it is partially thaw; it is easier than when it is completely thaw. Cut the chicken length wise into 1 inch wide strips. Then I like to cut the really long ones in half so the strips measure about 3 or 4 inches long and about 1 inch wide.

Put the chicken into a gallon sized zip top baggie and pour in just enough coconut milk to coat the chicken. Let the chicken finish thawing while you prep the dredging stations. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

In the bowl of a food processor or a blender (if using a blender, you have to work in portions) combine the Rice Chex or other gluten free rice cereal and the coconut. Pulverize it all together until it is completely broken up and combined. Pour the mixture into a shallow pan or dish.

Put the brown rice flour in another shallow pan. I have also used Pamela's Baking Mix for this and it works well too. Any all-purpose flour will work here really.

Combine the egg whites and the remaining coconut milk into another shallow dish.

Prep your pan for baking the coated strips. I like to use my roasting pan that has a rack but you can use a basic baking sheet too. If you are using a pan with a rack, line the bottom of the pan with some foil then place the rack on tip. Lightly spray the rack with some oil to keep the chicken from sticking. If you are using a baking sheet, take some foil and crumple it up into a ball. Flatten out the ball of foil onto the baking sheet. You should have a lot of little hills and valleys on the foil. This creates air flow under the strips to help keep the chicken from getting soggy. Very, very lightly spray the foil, do not over spray the foil. Too much oil will make soggy strips.

Open the bag of chicken and pour out any excess coconut milk into the egg/milk mixture. You can also add more coconut milk to the egg if there isn't a lot of milk left in the bag. Mix it up so the milk and egg are combined.

Now, you want to take piece of chicken and lightly coat it in flour, gently shake off the extra flour.

Dip the chicken into the egg/milk mixture.

Lastly place the chicken into the coconut/cereal mixture. I like to lay the chicken into the mixture and press down to make sure the coating stays on.

Place the coated chicken on the pan.

Cook for about 15-25 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Since ovens have their issues, I suggest checking them around 10 minutes and rotating the pan. Finish cooking until done.

Just a quick note, sometimes I need a little more coating or milk depending on the size of the chicken breast I use. I just make a bit more to finish off the chicken. So my measurements for the coating is an approximate amount.

What is the best dipping sauce?

For these, my favorite is this yummy Roasted Raspberry Chipotle sauce. I love this sauce. We discovered it at World Market and it did not disappoint. I make these chicken strips just so I can eat this sauce. The girls like ranch and honey mustard and my son is a ketchup guy. I am sure my 311 Apricot Mustard Sauce would be delish too.