Coconut Popcorn Chicken with Sweet Thai Chili Lime Sauce

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, sour cream, or olive oil mayo
• 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch cubes
• 1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

kosher salt and black pepper

extra virgin olive oil, for brushing

SWEET THAI CHILI LIME SAUCE

• 1/4 cup sweet Thai chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1-2 cloves garlic, grated
• zest and juice from 1 lime, plus more for serving

creamy honey mustard, for serving (optional)

1. To start, mix up the creamy mustard and toss it with the trimmed chicken tenders. The creamy mustard is our “glue”, it helps adhere the shredded coconut onto the chicken.
2. Next, combine unsweetened coconut with Panko breadcrumbs. The shredded coconut is the KEY flavor here. As the chicken bakes in the oven, the coconut “fries” and becomes sweet, nutty, and extra crisp.
3. Tip? Pulse the coconut in the food processor to really break the shreds down into a fine crumb. If you don’t have a food processor, try to find this brand of shredded coconut, which comes very finely shredded. This step is not a must, but I did find the chicken to cook up nicer with a finely shredded coconut versus the small shreds of coconut that are much more common in the store-bought brands.
4. Next, bake the chicken in the oven until it crisps all over. My secret is to gently dab/brush the chicken with olive oil before it bakes. This helps the coating to really crisp up nicely in the oven. You can’t skip this step, it’s crucial.
5. on to the thai and mustard sauces.
6. No popcorn chicken is complete without a dipping sauce…or two. As I said, I paired this coconut popcorn chicken with a sweet Thai chili sauce using this sauce as my base. I then added a couple tablespoons of ketchup, garlic, and plenty of fresh lime zest and juice. It takes seconds to put together and is truly what I call, an addicting sauce. Think sweet, tangy, and just a touch spicy.
7. And then, because I felt like we also needed a creamy sauce, I did a simple honey mustard. It’s sweet and creamy, which balances out the heat from the chili sauce. You can skip this sauce if you don’t care for it, but I’d highly recommend using both sauces together. You then get a little sticky sweet and spicy sauce mixed in with a little creamy honey mustard.
8. It is SO GOOD!
9. Bake the chicken, then serve it up along with the Thai and mustard sauces. Add steamed rice and broccoli to complete the meal. Dinner equals done.
10. To sum things up, the chicken is crispy, coconutty, and very addicting. The sauce is spicy, yet sweet and tangy. Put everything together and you’ll have tangy, salty, sweet, coconutty, and spicy popcorn chicken. The most delicious flavors.
11. Added bonus? Many of these ingredients can easily be found in your pantry and your freezer. With such a large family, I always try to keep chicken tenders in the freezer at all times. They thaw much quicker than chicken breasts, and they make for a great last-minute popcorn chicken. The rest of the ingredients are all taken from the pantry shelves…unsweetened coconut, Panko breadcrumbs, seasonings, and spices.
12. Just add fresh limes and cilantro.
13. 1. In a bowl, whisk together the mustard and yogurt. Add the chicken and toss well to coat.
14. 2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
15. 3. Add the coconut, Panko, paprika, and a pinch each of salt and pepper to a medium-sized bowl. Stir to combine.
16. 4. Remove each piece of chicken from the mustard mix, and dredge through the crumbs, pressing gently to adhere. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the chicken has been used. Make sure not to crowd your pan, if necessary use two baking sheets. Lightly brush/drizzle the chicken with olive oil. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
17. 5. Meanwhile, make the chili sauce. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
18. 6. Serve the chicken topped with flaky salt, fresh cilantro, limes, and the Sweet Thai Chili Lime Sauce for dipping. Add creamy honey mustard for a little double-dip. Enjoy!

Creamy Honey Mustard: Combine 1/4 dijon mustard, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup sour cream or plain Greek Yogurt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and a pinch of cayenne pepper in a bowl until smooth. Season with salt.

Sweet Thai Chili Sauce: this is my favorite brand of sweet Thai chili sauce.