Baked Coconut Cashew Chicken Bites With Pineapple Dip

I really could not stop eating these crunchy little morsels. Every bite of chicken is crusted in roasted, salty cashews, sweet coconut and crunchy panko spiced with garlic and ginger with hints of chili powder, cayenne and brown sugar – ah, SO cravilicious! These BAKED Coconut Cashew Chicken Bites would make a delightfully delicious appetizer this Christmas or New Years but I guarantee you are also going to want to make them for dinner too so you can eat them and only them for an entire meal. And I haven’t even gotten started on the Pineapple dip yet! But first, let’s talk this Baked Coconut Cashew Chicken. You can make the chicken in advance up to the point of coating the chicken but not baking. Refrigerate the coated chicken then bake when you are ready to serve for a stress free appetizer! The chicken stays crunchy due to the cashews and the toasted beading which I’m about to get to… Now this coconut cashew breading. Does it get any more wonderfully tropical in December? To achieve this paradisaical crunchy crust, you pulse your cashews in your food processor until they are the size of panko crumbs (or crush with a rolling pin).

You also pulse your coconut (or chop by hand) so it is smaller and sticks to the chicken better. You then add your coconut and panko to a pan with some butter and coconut oil (or olive oil) so it can get nice and toasty. This extra step ensures nice and crispy chicken. Add flour, our crushed roasted cashews and a rainbow of spices and that is our heavenly cashew, coconut breading.

Next, its our ONE STOP batter. Instead of dividing our eggs and flour, I’ve created a breading with both eggs and flour with a splash of soy, lime juice and brown sugar so all you have to do is add all your chicken to the batter at once and stir until its evenly coated. Then, working with a handful of chicken at a time, you coat it in the coconut/cashew breading and then bake for about 10 minutes. And then its dipping time! Our silky Pineapple Dip is a blend of crushed pineapple in juice, sugar, lime juice and sriracha that you simmer with some cornstarch until slightly thickened, creamy and absolutely heavenly. It is the perfect bright, light, fresh compliment to the nutty chicken. Welcome to tropical paradise in December with flavorful. crunchy, sweet and savory Baked Coconut Cashew Chicken Bites. Its a delicious place to be.