Baked Coconut Chicken Strips

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat a conventional oven to 200°C/400°F with a rack in the middle. Line a 46 × 33 cm rimmed baking tray with baking parchment and brush it with 5 ml of the oil. Prepare the chicken and coating while the oven heats.

2. 2

   Set out three shallow dishes. Mix the flour, salt, garlic powder and black pepper in the first, beat the eggs in the second, and combine the panko breadcrumbs and coconut in the third.

3. 3

   Cut the chicken into roughly 20–24 strips, each about 2 cm thick.

4. 4

   Coat each strip lightly in seasoned flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg and let excess drip back into its dish. Press into the coconut mixture to coat all sides. Add the coconut mixture to the breading dish in small portions to limit waste.

5. 5

   Arrange the strips on the prepared tray in one layer with at least 1 cm between them. Gently dab the remaining 10 ml oil over the coating with a pastry brush.

6. 6

   Bake for 22–25 minutes, carefully turning the strips after 12 minutes, until golden and the thickest strips register at least 74°C/165°F in the center on a food thermometer. If the coconut becomes deeply browned before the chicken is cooked, loosely cover the tray with foil and continue baking to temperature.

7. 7

   Rest the strips on the tray for 5 minutes, then divide evenly among four plates.