Meal Prep: Tropical Coconut Chicken Salad
This is no ordinary salad! Take things up a level with crispy coconut chicken.
Meal Preppers: Prepare the chicken ahead of time, and dice up the salad but leave the dressing separate until you're ready to eat. Try to not microwave the chicken when ready: throw it into a frying pan for 3-5 minutes to reheat.
Per One Serving: 470 calories; 32 grams protein
Ingredients:
Coconut Chicken:
- 1 lb. chicken tenders
- ¾ cup raw almonds
- ⅓ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- ¼ cup white whole wheat flour
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
Tropical Salad:
- 2 heads of green leaf lettuce, diced
- 1 mango
- 1 cup diced pineapple
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 4 mini red peppers, sliced
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
- 1/2 a lime
- Optional: You can swap out any of the fruit or add what you like, such as pomegranate seeds, chopped up orange pieces, kiwi slices, etc.
Honey Dijon Dressing:
- 4 tablespoons of honey
- 4 tablespoons of dijon mustard
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. To make the Coconut Crusted Chicken: Add raw almonds and coconut flakes to a food processor, blend into small rice like pieces. Place in a small bowl. In another bowl add the white whole wheat flour, set aside. In last bowl add 1 whole egg, 1 egg white, and lime zest. Whisk until eggs are scrambled.
3. First cover the chicken tenders with the flour, then dunk in the egg mixture, lastly add to the almond coconut mixture. Be sure to press the almond mixture into the tenders using your fingers. Place chicken tenders on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, or until juices run clear.
4. To make the Honey Dijon Dressing: add honey and dijon mustard to a small bowl. Using a whisk stir until smooth. Set aside.
5. Assemble the salad: Evenly distribute the following ingredients among four bowl (or add to one large salad bowl) green leaf lettuce, mango, pineapple, avocado, mini red peppers, green onions, coconut crusted chicken tenders, and fresh cilantro. Top with honey dijon dressing.
6. For an extra kick, sprinkle your whole plate with some fresh lime and enjoy!