Sunday, May 31, 2015

Coconut Crusted Chicken with Grilled Pineapple Salsa


For years I was not a coconut fan.  The thought of eating an Almond Joy candy bar made me feel the complete opposite of joy.  Coconut flavored things were okay, but the shredded coconut itself was a no go.  I think my taste buds have grown up a little and I recently realized that I'm kind of liking the shredded coconut thing.  When I came across this recipe it was screaming summer and I decided to give it a try.  I wasn't sure how well I'd like the chicken covered in shredded coconut but guess what, I LOVED it!  It's a little crispy and a little sweet and so delicious!  The Grilled Pineapple Salsa is fabulous and the perfect compliment to the chicken.  I don't think I'll ever be an Almond Joy fan but this chicken, I'm definitely a fan!

Dip the chicken in Flour, eggs and coconut flakes.  Place in a greased skillet over medium/high heat.  sed skillet over medium/high heat.  Cook chicken on each side until  golden brown . Be careful not to let the coconut burn.  Chicken will not be fully cooked yet.  


Place golden brown chicken in a greased casserole dish.  Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.


While chicken is baking, prepare the Pineapple Salsa.  Grill pineapple rings, pepper and green onions until they have some beautiful grill marks.  Remove from heat and sprinkle with sea salt.  



Let it cool for a few minutes.  Chop veggies into large chunks (except lemon) and toss together in a bowl.  Add lime juice, cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.  I think next time I will use a red bell pepper to add a little more color variety.


Serve Coconut Crusted Chicken with a generous scoop of pineapple salsa on top and a sprinkle of sliced almonds.  (I forgot to add the almonds until after I took pictures.  They are a great addition though!)



For the chicken
6 chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly scrambled
1 cup coconut flakes
sliced almonds, to garnish

Preheat oven to 375.  Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Dip chicken in flour, eggs and coconut flakes.  Place in a greased skillet over medium/high heat.  Cook chicken on each side until  golden brown . Be careful not to let the coconut burn.  Chicken will not be fully cooked yet.  Place golden brown chicken in a greased casserole dish.  Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.  While chicken is baking, prepare the Pineapple Salsa below.

For the salsa
1 pineapple, cut into rings
1 green bell pepper (or jalapeno if you want to add a little spice)
4 green onions
juice from 1 lime
1 cup cilantro, chopped
sea salt and black pepper

Put pineapple rings, bell pepper and green onions on the grill.  Cook until grill marks are visible.  Remove from heat and sprinkle with sea salt.  Let it cool for a few minutes.  Chop veggies into large chunks (except lemon) and toss together in a bowl.  Add lime juice, cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve a generous scoop of salsa on top of Coconut Crusted Chicken with a sprinkle of sliced almonds

Source:  Barefoot Girl In The Kitchen

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