1. Preheat your oven to 425° F (220° C). This temperature is crucial as it will help achieve that perfect crispiness. While the oven is heating up, line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup later. This simple step ensures your chicken fingers won’t stick.
2. Now, let’s create that crunchy coating! In a food processor, combine shredded coconut, cornflakes, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. Pulse until you have fine crumbs. The mixture should resemble coarse sand. When it’s ready, mix in the sesame seeds for added texture and flavor.
3. Dump the crumbs into a shallow bowl. This will make the coating process easier. Make sure you have enough space to work; you want to cover every piece of chicken evenly!
4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and add the hot sauce. This mixture will help the coating stick to the chicken. Toss the boneless chicken tenders in the egg mixture, ensuring they’re well coated.
5. Next, dredge the chicken through the crumb mixture, covering each piece thoroughly. This step is essential for achieving that crispy crust. Place the coated chicken fingers on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. This will help them brown beautifully.
6. Now it’s time to bake! Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when they’re golden brown and crispy all around. Keep an eye on them to avoid burning!
7. While the chicken is baking, let’s prepare the bang bang sauce. In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sweet Thai chili sauce, coconut aminos, hot sauce, rice vinegar, grated garlic, and lime zest. Mix everything together until well combined. This sauce is so versatile; you might want to make extra for dipping.
8. Once the chicken fingers are baked, take them out of the oven and let them cool slightly. Serve them with the bang bang sauce and garnish with lime wedges and chopped green onions for an extra pop of color and flavor.
9. Enjoy your Coconut Chicken Fingers hot, crispy, and full of flavor! They’re perfect for sharing or devouring all by yourself. Trust me; you’ll want to keep this recipe on repeat!
