Irresistible Copy-Cat Chick-fil-A Nuggets

Treat your family to this iconic treasure right in your own kitchen! These irresistible golden chicken nuggets are simple to make and you can have them any day of the week without the takeout costs.

Chick-fil-A is just delicious. All of it. I mean I could live there! But in all honesty, takeout is something that most of us try to stay away from because of both diet and budgetary reasons. My daughter fixed these for us for a birthday party and if I didn’t see her making them, I would swear they came from the restaurant itself! I love copy-cat recipes and this one is going to be a regular at my table from now on.

All in the Prep!

Let’s start with the chicken. We made nuggets this time around because the menu was all finger foods, but you can also do this with tenderized chicken breasts, tenders, and even bone-in chicken pieces.

Cut up your chicken and set it aside. In a large bowl, mix together the milk and pickle juice. Pickle juice? Really? YES! It’s the secret ingredient to get that unique flavor of Chick-fil-A chicken! Add the chicken to the milk mixture and let it marinate for at least an hour. If you can leave it longer, do it. All day, overnight. Get happy with it.

Please note that we tripled the recipe for this. The recipe easily alters for your needs.

When you get the chicken out of the fridge, add the egg(s) and mix well.

In another bowl, mix together the flour, powdered sugar, and seasonings. You can opt out of the added salt here. There is plenty in the dill pickle juice. By the way, my daughter said to tell you all to save the pickle juice when you eat your pickles. We have yet to find anyone who sells just the juice!

Ok, here is where the fun begins. Toss the chicken pieces (not the liquid!) into the seasoned flour and coat them well. I just strain the pieces in between my fingers and drop them in.

Heat up your oil over medium-high heat. We used a deep-fryer with these and cooked them in small batches. Each batch only took 4 minutes. Talk about fast! We drained them on paper towels and transferred them to the serving platter.

There are a lot of sauces to choose from but I prefer either a Polynesian sauce or something tangy. You can find my recipe for my Zesty Chicken Nugget Dipper below!

Copy-Cat Chick-fil-A Nuggets

Surprise your family with a platter of these irresistible copy-cat Chick-fil-A nuggets. Great for movie night or just for that crazy Sunday craving!

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 4 mins

marinade 1 hr

Total Time 1 hr 14 mins

Course Main Course, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup dill pickle juice
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 1-2 cups peanut oil or oil of your choice

Instructions

 

• Cut the chicken into 1 inch nuggets.
  
• Mix the pickle juice and milk together in a large bowl and add the chicken nuggets. Soak in the fridge for at least an hour.
• Remove the mixture and add the egg.
  
• Heat the peanut oil in a deep-fryer or skillet over medium-high heat.
• In another large bowl (or a large zip-lock baggie), mix flour powdered sugar, and seasonings until well blended. Toss in the nuggets until well coated.
  
• Working in small batches, drop floured nuggets into the hot grease (please, be careful) and fry for 4-5 minutes until light brown and crispy.
• If you are using an air fryer, preheat the fryer to 400°F. Cook for 7 minutes, turn the nuggets and cook for an additional 7-9 minutes.
  

Keyword air fryer, chick-fil-a, chicken nuggets, copy-cat recipes, fried chicken nuggets

Zesty Chicken Nugget Dipper

This sweet and tangy dipping sauce is just perfect for nuggets! Try it with onion rings. It's Oh My Gravy Good!

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Prep Time 5 mins

Total Time 5 mins

Course Condiment

Ingredients

  

• ½ cup mayonaise
• 2 Tbsp Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue sauce
• 1 Tbsp yellow mustard
• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 ½ Tbsp honey

Instructions

 

• Mix all ingredients together and serve with chicken prepared in any way! It is also amazing with fries, onion rings and potato wedges.

Keyword chicken nugget sauce, condiment, dipping sauce, tangy sauce