Oven-Fried Coconut Chicken

So I found this recipe while looking for an Untried Recipe for Dark Meat Chicken.  I really didn't think we were going to try it because I didn't think D would go for it.  And I'm not a big Fried Chicken Fan. But we were tired of looking for recipes so we decided to try it.

Glad we did.  It was sweet but not over-powering.  It was very juicy.  Would have again.

We had with Israeli Cauliflower with Panko.

Oven-Fried Coconut Chicken

Photo by ALB

The marinade infuses dark-meat chicken with a light coconut flavor; flaked coconut in the breading heightens the nutty taste. Find panko in your supermarket's ethnic food aisle.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 thigh and 1 drumstick)

Ingredients 
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
4 (4-ounce) chicken thighs, skinned
4 (4-ounce) chicken drumsticks, skinned
3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Preparation 
Combine first 3 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 1 1/2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine panko, flaked coconut, salt, and black pepper in a shallow dish. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Dredge chicken, 1 piece at a time, in panko mixture. Place chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully turn chicken over; bake an additional 30 minutes or until done.

Nutritional Information 
Calories: 256; Calories from fat: 30; Fat: 8.6; Saturated fat: 4.4; Monounsaturated fat: 1.6g; Polyunsaturated fat: 1.2g; Protein: 27.7; Carbohydrate: 15.6; Fiber: 0.8; Cholesterol: 103mg; Iron: 1.6m; Sodium: 464mg; Calcium: 18mg 

Cooking Light JANUARY 2005