Why is it that nearly everything healthy for you is just not as good as the original? Anyone else who is not naturally skinny and can eat whatever they want and find it just so hard to gain weight? Yes? Ok, well for me, the one who eats salads every day for lunch without olive oil and started going to the gym before work to shed off some of those sneaky extra pounds that love to hang on my hips, finds it difficult to really agree to the people who say, “Zucchini noodles, taste just like pasta” Excuse me, no it does not. It tastes like steamed zucchini, exactly what it is, please do not try to convince me that steamed vegetables taste like delightful, springy, tasty, pasta. I understand what is trying to be said and done, but I am no fool.
Now, I am extremely honest when it comes to food, and trust me when I say that these air fryer chicken tenders really did taste like the baked kind. Deep fried? No, but baked yes. What is especially nice about the air fryer is that you do not need to use any oil.
We have had an air fryer in our household for some months, and this was gifted to my husband by his parents. I never dared to touch it because my track record with technology and anything new is catastrophic. The thought of not only breaking but learning how to use something what I considered high- tech when cooking just did not spark my interest.
After pleading by my husband to just give it a try, I decided to do just this. I made these bad boys last night for dinner and decided to try and go a bit lower carb and substitute panko breadcrumbs with coconut flakes and they were so tasty and crispy, I could not believe it.
I made a quick Asian slaw to go with the sweet chicken tenders and the tanginess of the lime with the sweet mandarins went together perfectly. Since my husband needs some sort of carb for dinner, I decided to go a bit off the normal basic side of rice and cooked half a cup in coconut milk. It was so creamy and gave the rice subtle sweetness that complimented those crispy chicken tenders perfectly.
So, summarizing this post, Do healthy foods taste the same as their unhealthy version? Not always. Is an air fryer worth it and really makes those crispy tasty chicken tenders? Yes.
Air Fried Coconut Chicken over Coconut Rice and Asian Slaw
Air Fried Coconut Chicken
500g chicken breast, cut in tender sized slices
2 eggs,
1 cup flour
500g shredded coconut
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp curry
Salt and pepper
You will need three plates. On one plate add flour, onion powder, garlic powder, curry powder salt and pepper and mix. On the second plate add beaten eggs. Third plate add shredded coconut.
Take chicken breast slice and cover in flour mixture, followed by egg mixture and finally in the shredded coconut. Press firmly until fully covered. Continue same process with remaining slices.
I used an air fryer but you can also bake these chicken tenders. For the aifryer Preheat to 170 C and bake for 12 minutes.
Coconut Rice
250 ml coconut milk
1/2 cup basmati rice
1 tsp salt
In a small pot add your ingredients and cook on low heat. Make sure to stir every 5-10 minutes to avoid any burning. Rice should be fully cooked once the liquid is completely consumed by the rice.
Asian Slaw
1 cup white cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup carrot, shredded
4 green onions, diced
3 tbsp canned mandarins + 3 tbsp of the juice
1/2 avocado, diced
1 small bunch Cilantro, chopped
2 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp paprika powder
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 lime, juice
In a medium bowl add all of your ingredients and mix. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes prior to serving, this way the cabbage softens.
