Coconut Crusted Baked Chicken Recipe

Lets face it, sometimes the prospect of cooking after a long day of work or watching the kids is terrifying.  Even thinking about chopping, sautéing, and slaving over a stove can make us cower.  I personally love making complicated and delicate dishes for my family, but I know the temptation to simply order out or take a trip to the local family restaurant.  I have a family of six though, and that makes going anywhere a sporting event.  More than that, it is hard to find anywhere with gluten-free options for my family that will run us less than $100 after tip.  We don’t have that kind of money.  What do we do then?

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Even though I love more complex recipes, I have a bunch of go-to “lazy” meals.  These are meals that require only a little prep work.  The don’t require me to constantly monitor the dish or prepare other side dishes at different times.  With these recipes I can do a minimal amount of upfront work and then walk away as the dishes cook themselves.  They also provide easy clean up, usually a pot or two at most.

This coconut crusted baked chicken recipe is just that kind of dish.  I serve it with my coconut-lime rice pilaf.  They have similar ingredients that marry well, and take the same time to cook.  That means I can put the chicken in the oven, the rice on the stove and walk away, only to return when its time to eat.  Enjoy!

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Coconut Crusted Baked Chicken Recipe

serves 6

Ingredients

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1 can of pineapple

1/2 cup rice flour

1/2 cup coconut flakes

2 eggs

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Directions

In a bowl, mix the rice flour, coconut flakes, salt and pepper.  In a separate bowl whisk the two eggs.  Pat the chicken breasts dry and dip it in the egg wash.  When they are covered in egg, place in the flour mix bowl and cover the chicken in the coconut batter.  Place on a baking sheet that has been covered with the olive oil.  Place into a 350º oven until the juices run clear and the chicken has an internal temperature of 165º about 30-35 minutes.  When the chicken is cooked, put it under the broiler for a minute or two to roast the coconut flakes.

While the chicken rests, empty the pineapple juice from the can into a small sauce pan and place over high heat.  Reduce by half.  Grill or pan fry the pineapple slices.  When the pineapple slices are brown, remove to a serving plate.

Pour the pineapple juice as jus over the chicken and enjoy.  Garnish with lime and cilantro.

Serve with coconut-lime rice pilaf.