Air Fryer Coconut Chicken Nuggets

This Air Fryer Coconut Chicken Nuggets is made with chicken cutlets, coconut oil, honey, breadcrumbs, coconut flakes and fried to perfection.

If your kids (or adults) are craving chicken nuggets but you want a healthier alternative, then this dish will rock your world. Everyone loves coconut, so imagine the flavors combined with the chicken. You can make this in the oven or the air fryer. The air fryer is an amazing tool where you can fry without all that excess oils. It is absolutely delicious and makes this dish so family friendly. They will be fighting over who gets the last one. You can serve these with my Air Fried Sweet Potatoes or try my Honey Walnut Chicken.

Air frying is a great alternative if you do not have a grill. It is so easy to make this chicken: you simply coat this chicken in olive oil, coconut flakes, and air fry them. They are so crispy on the outside and so juicy on the inside. This is one of the easiest recipes, especially if you are feeding a family. Not only is it tasty, it is also super healthy. This is an easy weeknight meal and fuss-free. I love to serve them with some broccoli on the side. This dish will become a part of your regular meals, all it takes it one time, and you’ll be hooked.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top Tip
• Air Fryer Coconut Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients

• Chicken breasts
• Coconut oil
• Honey
• Panko crumbs
• Coconut flakes
• Olive oil

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

In a food processor, put in the bread crumbs and the coconut flakes, then pour into a bowl.

Cut the chicken into small nuggets and put them in a bowl.

In a separate bowl with the chicken, pour the honey and the melted coconut oil in and mix. The honey and coconut oil will act as the glue to the dish.

Spray nonstick spray onto a baking sheet. Individually, grab each chicken (already lathered in honey and coconut oil) and place in the bowl of panko crumbs/coconuts and then place on a baking dish. Do the same for the rest. Drizzle olive oil over the chicken. Do not skip this step.

Oven: Preheat oven to 400°F. Put the chicken in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown. You can take a chicken nugget out and cut to make sure it is cooked/white on the inside. 

Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 380°F and air fry the chunks for 8-12 minutes, or until cooked. Shake the basket halfway through cooking.

Garnish with thyme.

Hint: I love using my Ninja Air Fryer for this recipe, as it makes the skin so crispy and the inside so juicy.

Substitutions

Chicken: I prefer using chicken breasts to make these bites, and cut them into 1-inch thick pieces. You could also use boneless chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat.

Panko Crumbs: The panko crumbs add an amazing texture to the shrimp. I get my panko crumbs from Trader Joe's.

Olive Oil: You can use vegetable or canola oil instead of olive oil, whatever you prefer.

Coconut Flakes: I got the coconut flakes from Trader Joes, although most supermarkets sell them. The Trader Joe’s flakes come large, so I used a food processor to make the flakes smaller and easier to stick.

Honey: I used raw honey from Golden Blossom, although you can use any brand you want. If you prefer not to use honey, feel free to use maple syrup.

Coconut Oil: I loved using coconut oil to get the crumbs to stick onto the chicken as a glue, and so give it more of a coconutty flavor. I have seen this recipe use Dijon mustard as well if you would like to add a dash to give it a kick.

Variations

Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.

• Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish.
• Deluxe - Serve with horseradish, pickled onions, or chipotle ketchup.
• Kid friendly - add crushed potato chips on top!

Air Fried Chicken Fries.

Equipment

Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.

I love using my Caraway pots, pans and baking sheets for best quality. Get yourself a discount by clicking here!

Storage

This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. These Air Fryer Coconut Chicken Nuggets can be frozen for up to three months.

Top Tip

Make sure the chicken is throughly lathered with honey and coconut oil and you let the excess drip off before coating in the crumbs.

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