Cashew Coconut Chicken Fingers

A twist on chicken fingers with a sweet dip that the kids will love too! An easy way to prepare these are to bake on a sheet pan with a side of veggies (we made green beans and plum tomatoes to pair with these). Cashews offer a healthier option to make the chicken crunchy with a boost of protein. Mangoes are high in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. There’s also early evidence that the antioxidants found in mangoes can help protect the body against some cancers such as breast and colon.

INGREDIENTS:

12 CHICKEN TENDERLOINS
2 EGGS
1 TBSP LIME JUICE
3/4 CUP FLOUR(can also use almond flour or whole wheat flour)
1 CUP TOASTED CASHEWS
1/2 CUP SWEETENED COCONUT FLAKES
1 CUP WHOLE WHEAT PANKO CRUMBS
1 TBSP BROWN SUGAR
1 1/2 TSP GARLIC POWDER
1 TSP EACH SALT, ONION POWDER, GROUND CUMIN
1/2 TSP PEPPER
1/4 – 1/2 TSP CAYENNE PEPPER (optional)

2 MANGOS, PEELED & CHOPPED
1/4 CUP HONEY
2 TBSP LIME JUICE

1-2 TBSP CIDER VINEGAR
1/2 TSP CUMIN POWDER
3 GARLIC CLOVES, PEELED
3 GREEN ONIONS, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
1/2-2 TSP RED CHILI FLAKES (START WITH 1/2)

DIRECTIONS:

STEP 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

STEP 2: Add cashews and coconut flakes to blender or food processor and process until cashews are about the size of the panko crumbs, scraping the sides of the blender as needed.

STEP 3: Add cashews/coconut, panko, chicken tender spices and brown sugar to a shallow dish and mix until evenly distributed.

STEP 4: Place the flour in another shallow dish.

STEP 5: Whisk the egg with the lime juice in another shallow dish.

STEP 6:Working with one chicken tender at a time, dredge in flour and then dip in egg, and then finally coat in the coconut/cashew/panko mixture, pressing mixture into chicken with your fingers to make sure the coating sticks.

STEP 7: Place chicken tenders on a foil-lined baking sheet (for easy clean up!) with a baking rack on top that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

STEP 8: Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until juices run clear. Broil until coconut is nicely golden, and panko crisp, but still light in color.

STEP 9: To make the Mango Honey Dip, place all the ingredients starting at the mangoes, in a blender, starting with just 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes and process until smooth.

STEP 10: Taste and add additional red pepper flakes as desired.

Serve with a side of steamed vegetables drizzled in olive oil and sprinkled with dry seasoning of choice.

Servings: 6
Nutrition per Serving: Calories 379, Total Fat 16g, Carbs 45g, Protein 21g, Fiber 3g, Sugars 34g

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