Coconut Chicken Tenders

Studio Movie Grill Coconut Chicken Tenders

Have any of you heard of the new movie theater 

Studio Movie Grill

? It's a super modern, amazingly CLEAN movie theater that serves food and (alcoholic) beverages. My husband and I have been so many times because we found this amazing deal on groupon for 1 movie and free drink for $6!!

This post is not a paid advertisement... I was not compensated for this post... just so you know.

I just wanted to share the awesomeness of this place. It's a pretty great date night for the parents who have to fit a dinner and show in a couple hours!

One of my favorite items on the menu (and there are many) are their Coconut Chicken Tenders!!! OMG these things are so crunchy and so delicous! Let's not forget the option of sweet potato fries to go along!

So I tried to recreate this recipe on my own and I have to say... I almost nailed it!

We made these yummy bad boys last week and they hit the spot! I had to make them on two separate occasions to get the egg wash right. Here you go and I hope you all enjoy!

I  like to explain by stations... These are the three stations (in order) that you will have your chicken tenders go through. I bought a bag of frozen chicken tenders and actually cut them in half. This helped get them cook all the way through with out burning the crust. I would recommend completely thawing out the chicken tenders first!

Flour station...

Drop your tenders in a plate of flour. This takes off excess moisture on the chicken tenders and allows the egg wash and crust to stick better.

Egg wash Station.....

1 egg and 1/2 cup milk whisked together.

Dip your floured tenders in the egg wash and fully coat.

Crumb Station....

Dip your coated tenders in the crumb bowl and coat evenly.

50/50 of coconut flakes and panko bread crumbs. I like to chop the coconut flakes into smaller flakes but the choice is yours. I generally use 1 cup of each.

Seasonings.....

1/2 tablespoon Garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Mix all ingredients in the Crumb Station together.

Cook...

There are a couple methods for cooking your chicken tenders. You can bake them in the oven or pan fry them.... I pan fry then for the golden crispy crust. I usually do three tenders in a large fry pan with a nice coat of vegetable oil on the bottom. I turn the heat about half way. It takes about 1 minute per side. Test the first couple you do to make sure they are cooked all the way through. You may need to adjust the heat or oil level.

This recipe comes pretty close to the one I had at 

studio movie grill

!!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I made this tonight and it turned out very tasty. I was please that it wasn't overwhelmed with sodium like most soups. It's actually pretty healthy. An original recipe of mine! This batch is pretty large and is great for a family and leftovers!

Ingredients

3 Chicken breasts

3 Garlic cloves minced

1 cup of onion chopped

2 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes, drained

1 can of green chilies, drained

10 corn tortillas

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon cumin

1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

48 oz chicken broth ( I used College Inn Light and Fat free, 50%less sodium)

1 tablespoon olive oil

vegetable oil

Cheddar cheese

Cilantro

Optional toppings: sour cream, lime wedges, avocado

What you do...

1)Boil chicken breasts until cooked, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2)In a large pan saute onions, garlic with a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook until onions are tender.

3)Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chili, oregano, and cumin. Stir

4) In a large sauce pan bring the chicken broth to boil. Add the tomato mixture to the sauce pan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Shred the cooled chicken

5)Slice tortillas in strips. In a pan of hot vegetable oil, fry the tortilla strips, about 30 seconds until they get golden. Place on a plate covered with a paper towel.

6)After the soup has simmered for 20 minutes add the shredded chicken and heat through.

Serve with the tortilla strips and sprinkle shredded cheddar on top and garnish with cilantro. You can also add other toppings such as sour cream, avocado, and a squeeze of a lime wedge.

Enjoy!