Coconut Peach Chicken are tender chicken bites with a crunchy coconut and panko crust, complemented by a sweet and tangy peach glaze. It’s served over a bed of white rice, but is also delicious on its own or over a plate of pasta! It may be my new favorite way to prepare chicken bites! Plus, you can also cook the chicken in an air fryer. You might want to try my Roasted Peach Chicken, too!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Chicken: I prefer a boneless, skinless chicken breast in this recipe. But, you could certainly use boneless, skinless thighs. Just make sure the chicken has been cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F.
Coconut: Use sweetened shredded coconut for the coating mixture. Sweetened coconut has added sugar and sometimes other sweeteners as opposed to unsweetened coconut, which has not been coated with any sugars or sweeteners. If you only have unsweetened coconut, you could use that, but it will result in a less sweet flavor.
Panko: Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb that is lighter and will stay crispier longer. Look for panko in the Asian food aisle of the grocery store. (You could use regular bread crumbs in a pinch, but the chicken will have a different texture.)
Peach Preserves: Peach preserves serve as the base of the sauce and provide a concentrated peach flavor. They add natural sweetness and contribute to the overall fruity taste of the dish. Peach jam or jelly would also work if you don’t have peach preserves. It is the same recipe I used in my Roasted Peach Chicken and Jalapeno Peach Chicken, which are two other recipes you have to try!
Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar adds a tangy and slightly acidic flavor to the peach sauce. It helps to balance the sweetness and contributes to the overall flavor profile.
Mustard: Dijon mustard adds a sharp and tangy taste to the sauce. If you don’t have any on hand, you could substitute yellow mustard. It may change the flavor profile a bit, but can still work well.
Red Pepper Flakes: I like the very subtle (not much at all, really) spiciness the red pepper flakes bring to the sauce. However, you could certainly leave them out if preferred.
Can I Make The Sauce Ahead Of Time?
Sure! If you want to save some time when preparing this dish, make the sauce in advance. Once made, store the peach sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last up to 2-3 days. When ready to use it, simply reheat the sauce gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. Then, add the coated and cooked chicken bites and serve.
How To Serve Coconut Peach Chicken
When we tested this recipe, serving the coconut peach chicken over white rice was the favorite way to serve this dish. However, there are definitely other options we tried and also liked. Here are a few other ways to enjoy this dish:
- Serve the chicken and peach sauce over a plate of plain pasta that has been cooked al dente.
- Serve chicken in sauce over brown rice.
- Coat pasta with the peach sauce and top with the cooked chicken.
- Coat both pasta and chicken bites with the peach sauce for maximum flavor!
- Skip the chicken and simply coat noodles with peach sauce for a tasty side dish or light meal.
How To Store Coconut Peach Chicken
You can store coconut peach chicken all together (chicken in the sauce) or separately if you haven’t added the chicken to the sauce. It will last up to 3-4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, warm the chicken bites with the sauce in a skillet or in the microwave.
Coconut Peach Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 servings long grain white rice, prepared
Chicken
- 1 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ cup (46 g) sweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup (54 g) panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup (31 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg, room temperature, beaten
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
Sauce
- 1 cup (320 g) peach preserves
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons coarse ground dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- parsley, chopped for garnish
Instructions
Chicken
- To a food processor add coconut. Pulse until the coconut is finely chopped. Add the panko, salt, and pepper, and pulse one or two times until just mixed.
- Set out three medium bowls. To the first bowl, add the flour.
- To the second bowl, add the beaten egg.
- To the third bowl, add the coconut mixture.
- Dredge the chicken pieces into the flour mixture, tapping off any excess flour. Then dredge them into the egg mixture, and finally into the coconut mixture, making sure to coat all sides evenly. Set on a plate while you repeat with the remaining chicken.
- To a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil.*
- Once hot, add the coconut chicken to the skillet and cook until golden brown (about 4-5 minutes per side), or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent to keep warm. Use a paper towel to wipe out the skillet.
Sauce
- Reduce the heat to medium. To the same skillet, add the peach preserves, oil, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, dijon, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and heat until simmering. Add the chicken and toss until coated.
- Serve over rice, garnished with parsley.
Video
Notes
- Coat the chicken pieces as instructed.
- Place the chicken into the basket of your air fryer in a single layer.
- Air fry for 8 minutes at 400°F, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, flipping halfway through.
Did you make this recipe?
You can tag me at @iamhomesteader.
What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
Holy cow this is good! I'm not a huge coconut fan so I was a little shocked but I LOVED this dish. Who knew coconut and peach could pair up so nicely? This is a flavor-packed dish that I think you will love!
Elizabeth
I loved this chicken! The peach glaze was absolutely incredible, and I loved the crunch from the panko and coconut. I am not even a coconut fan, but it all went together so well. Over rice was my favorite way to enjoy the chicken, but we also tested it over pasta, which was a tasty alternative.
Selena
This chicken is to die for. The sweetness of the coconut and the crunch from the panko in the breading is the best. I couldn't stop eating it. Then add the peach sauce with the rice and YUM.
Rachael
Coconut-crusted chicken bites are delicious. The magical peach glaze is fantastic. Put it on top of some fluffy rice and it is a perfect dinner! This flavor combination I was hesitant about, but it really is delicious and works so well together!
Bella
I never tried the combination of peaches and coconut in food before and now my whole world has changed! This is incredibly delicious. Both flavors complement each other so well! That peach sauce is packed with flavor!
Wonderful is all I can say. !!!!!
This was delicious! A couple of minor changes… I made air-fryer chicken strips and we dipped them into the sauce, rather than adding all the sauce to the chicken. I also used unsweetened coconut since the sauce was already so sweet. Delicious with jasmine rice and steamed broccoli – a keeper!
Amanda,
Thank you for for sharing so many lovely recipes.
I have a question though regarding why there isn’t more information given in the nutritional box.
There are calories noted, but nothing for protein, carbs, etc. That makes me hesitant to follow
through because all that is important to me.
Happy cooking….
Char Conley-Leighton