Coconut Cinnamon Chicken

The combo of cinnamon and chicken is not used nearly enough, in my opinion. Sure, mostly I get out the cinnamon when I'm baking, but it's really very good in savory foods as well. Chicken needs so much help in the flavor department, so it's a great canvas for playing around with spices. I wanted to make coconut crusted chicken, but also wanted to do something different with it- that's when the cinnamon caught my eye in the cabinet. Also, I once again used panko breadcrumbs in this recipe; I just love the added texture that these breadcrumbs offer. It turned out wonderfully, and I'll be making it again!
What You'll Need:
12 chicken tenders
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 cup shredded coconut
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
What to Do:
First, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray the foil with a non-stick cooking spray. This is simply for easy cleanup and well worth it- this gets messy with all of the coconut! Next make sure to preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Set up a dredging station for the chicken. On a plate or shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and 3/4 tsp of cinnamon. (You'll need the other 1/4 tsp of cinnamon later). Next, in a shallow bowl, whisk together the two eggs. On the third plate/bowl, mix together the panko and the coconut.
One piece of chicken at a time, dredge first in the flour mixture, shaking of any excess, then dip in egg on both sides, and lastly fully coat the chicken in the panko & coconut mixture. Place the chicken on the baking sheet, and continue with the rest of the pieces. Once all of the chicken is ready to go on the baking sheet, sprinkle the remaining 1/4 tsp of cinnamon on top.
Bake the chicken in the oven for 15-20 minutes. The coconut will brown a bit more than the breadcrumbs, but it will come out crispy on the outside- but it will not dry out on the inside- this chicken came out of the oven cooked perfectly!