Coconut Chicken with Apricot Sauce

Being from the Eastern Shore of Maryland (home of Perdue chicken, and Perdue stadium and Perdue School of Business, and many other building named in honor of the lucrative poultry business), chicken is a staple of my diet. Jason joked something to the factor of me trying to "turn (him) into a chicken" when we first got together because it was all I cooked. However, since Banquet frozen chicken was a staple of his diet, I overlooked his lack of love for my feathered friends.

I am also a big fan of coconut (preferably in tall drink glasses sporting little umbrellas). The only recipe that I use coconut regularly for involves Christmas cookies. Thus, when I saw this recipe for chicken + coconut, I was rather anxious to give it a try.

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Coconut Chicken and Apricot Sauce

Yield: 4 servings
1 egg
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Lightly beat the egg in a medium bowl; set aside. Mix the coconut, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Working with one chicken breast at a time, dip the chicken in the bowl with the beaten egg and then coat with the coconut mixture. Place on the baking sheet. Once all chicken breasts are coated and on the baking sheet, evenly drizzle with the melted butter. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, flipping once halfway.

To prepare the apricot sauce, mix the apricot preserves and the Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Freezer Friendly: After baking the chicken, let cool completely then freeze in a freezer bag for up to 1 month. To reheat, bake in a preheated oven at 400˚F for 20 minutes.
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Avoid the temptation to sprinkle extra coconut on top of the dish before baking. I did this and those extra coconut flakes simply burned. I do wish it had more of a coconut coating though, so I will work on a method to accomplish that next time I make this dish.

I was also iffy on the sauce. It tasted very "mustardy" to me. So, I would strongly suggest adding half the recipe amount and taste-testing before stirring in more. I think I would prefer more of a Pina Colada sauce like what restaurants typically serve with coconut shrimp... maybe using the Yoplait pina colada yogurt, which is yum.


Recipe Source: Pennies on a Platter