Now you can make Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders at home. This easy copycat recipe is a crowd pleaser and perfect for dipping into your favorite sauce.

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Close up image of chicken tenders on a white plate with dipping sauce

Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders Recipe:

The Chicken Tenders at Chick-Fil-A is one my favorite items at get at this popular fast food restaurant. This copycat recipe gives the same flavorful and juicy chicken that we love.

We prepare the chicken by seasoning it with easy ingredients. The chicken is then dipped in flour and egg to give a breading coating to fry in a skillet.

Making this copycat recipe saves me time and money and my kids love that I can make their favorite chicken at home.

Ingredients needed - chicken tenders, dill pickle juice, egg, milk, flour, powdered sugar, paprika, cayenne pepper, pepper and salt, peanut oil

Ingredients:

  • Boneless Chicken Chicken Tenders
  • Dill Pickle Juice
  • Egg
  • Milk
  • All Purpose Flour
  • Powdered Sugar
  • Paprika
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Pepper
  • Salt
  • Peanut Oil or Canola Oil for Frying

How to Make Copycat Chick-Fil-A Chicken Strips:

  • Marinate Chicken in Pickle Juice – Combine the chicken and pickle juice in a medium size bowl. Cover and refrigerate to marinate the chicken in the pickle juice for 30 minutes to 60 minutes (or overnight).
chicken tenders being soaked in pickle juice
  • Drain Pickle Juice – Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and drain off the pickle juice.
  • Whisk Milk and Egg together – In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and egg. Then pour this mixture over the chicken.
chicken tenders being soaked in a milk mixture with seasoning on the side
  • Add seasoning to zip lock bag – Then in a large ziplock bag, add the flour, sugar, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Seal the bag and shake to combine all the ingredients. For added flavor, you can add a teaspoon of onion powder or garlic powder.
  • Add Chicken to Bag – Drain the excess milk mixture off the chicken and place the chicken in the ziplock bag with the flour mixture.
  • Seal and Shake Bag – Seal the bag and then shake to thoroughly coat the chicken pieces in the flour mixture.
ziplock bag with flour and seasoning being mixed with chicken tenders
  • Heat Oil – Then heat the peanut oil or canola oil in a large pan over medium heat or in a fryer.
  • Cook Chicken – Working in batches, add the chicken to the hot oil and cook until the chicken is golden brown and crispy (approximately 3-5 minutes).
  • Place Chicken on Plate – Once cooked, move the chicken to a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up the excess oil.
  • Serve and Enjoy – Serve immediately while warm with your favorite dipping sauces!
Close up image of chicken tenders on a white plate with dipping sauce

How to Fry Chick-Fil-A Tenders:

Peanut oil or Canola oil is best for frying chicken tenders. You need a cast iron skillet or fryer.

Once you heat the oil to medium heat, the tenders go in and take just 3 to 5 minutes to cook.

Another way to cook these chicken tenders, is to air fryer them. It easy to do and less clean up.

Close up image of chicken tenders on a white plate with dipping sauce

What to Serve with Chicken Tenders:

Close up image of chicken tenders on a white plate with dipping sauce

How to know when Chicken Tenders are done:

When making these chick-n-strips it is important to use a meat thermometer. This ensures that your chicken is done. Insert the thermometer in the chicken and it should have a reading of 165 degrees when chicken is done.

Close up image of chicken tenders on a white plate with dipping sauce

Chicken Tender Tips:

  • Pickle Juice – Don’t skip the step soaking the chicken in the pickle juice. It gives the sandwich a lot of flavor. It also helps to make the chicken very tender and moist.
  • Fry Chicken – Once the chicken has been breaded, go ahead and fry it. If you wait, the chicken will be soggy and not the right texture.
  • Serve Immediately – The chicken is best served right away while hot. It will taste the most authentic and be the most crispy.

What is the Best Chicken to Use:

We used chicken tenders for this recipe but you can also use chicken breasts and slice it into strips as well.

Close up image of chicken tenders on a white plate with dipping sauce

How to Store Leftovers:

Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Print Recipe here for Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders:

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Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders

5 from 118 votes
Now you can make Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders at home. This copycat recipe is a crowd pleaser and perfect for dipping into your favorite sauce.
Prep Time 45 mins
Cook Time 5 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Servings 4
Cuisine American
Course Main Course
Calories 574
Author Eating on a Dime

Ingredients

  • 2 lb Boneless Chicken Chicken Tenders
  • 1 cup Dill Pickle Juice
  • 1 large Egg
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 1 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1 Tbsp Confectioner’s Sugar
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 tsp Pepper
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 cup Peanut Oil or Canola Oil for Frying

Instructions

  • Combine the chicken and pickle juice in a medium size bowl. Cover and refrigerate to marinate the chicken in the pickle juice for 30-60 minutes (or overnight).
  • Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and drain off the pickle juice.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and egg. Then pour this mixture over the chicken.
  • Then in a large ziplock bag, add the flour, sugar, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Seal the bag and shake to combine all the ingredients.
  • Drain the excess milk mixture off the chicken and place the chicken in the ziplock bag with the flour mixture. Seal the bag and then shake to thoroughly coat the chicken pieces in the flour mixture.
  • Then heat the peanut oil or canola oil in a large pan over medium heat or in a fryer.
  • Working in batches, add the chicken to the hot oil and cook until the chicken is golden brown and crispy (approximately 3-5 minutes). Once cooked, move the chicken to a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up the excess oil.
  • Serve immediately while warm with your favorite dipping sauces!

Recipe Notes

Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
We used chicken tenders for this recipe but you can also use chicken breasts and slice it into strips as well.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 574kcal, Carbohydrates 34g, Protein 55g, Fat 23g, Saturated Fat 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat 6g, Monounsaturated Fat 9g, Trans Fat 1g, Cholesterol 193mg, Sodium 1772mg, Potassium 1018mg, Fiber 1g, Sugar 5g, Vitamin A 891IU, Vitamin C 3mg, Calcium 102mg, Iron 3mg

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More Copycat Chick-Fil-A Recipes:

Now you can make Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders at home. This copycat recipe is a crowd pleaser and perfect for dipping into your favorite sauce. Easy and delicious copycat recipe. #eatingonadime #chickfilarecipes #chickentenders
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Hi, I’m Carrie. Welcome to Eating on a Dime!

I’m on a mission to help you cook delicious meals without busting your budget. Together we are going to cook real food… for real families.

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  1. 5 stars
    Found this recipe on Pinterest and tried it ONCE! It’s AMAZING! And I found it almost a month ago and my husband loves it so much I’ve made it AT LEAST 6x since then! Thank you so much!!