Copycat Chick Fil A Nuggets Recipe

Craving Chick-fil-A nuggets but don’t want to wait in the drive-thru line? This copycat Chick-fil-a nuggets recipe uses the same pickle juice marinade and lightly sweet breading that make the original so addictive, and it’s ready in under an hour. My kids can’t tell the difference — and at about $2.64 a serving, it costs a fraction of the real thing.

We have perfected these Copycat chick fil a nuggets and your family will go crazy over them. If you have tried recipes in the past and felt like they were missing something, you have to try this recipe. It is the absolute best.

My kids are serious Chic-fil-a fans. They could eat fast food daily if I let them. So when I tell you they love these nuggets, it means they are a success.

If anyone would notice the difference in homemade chick fil a nuggets, it would be my family. If you have kiddos like this, trust me when I say they will love these copycat nuggets.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Tastes just like the drive-thru. The pickle juice marinade and lightly sweet breading give you that same familiar crunch and flavor Chick-fil-A is known for.
• Way cheaper than the drive-thru. This batch costs about $10.57 total, or $2.64 a serving — a fraction of ordering the same amount of nuggets out.
• Ready in under an hour. Most of that time is hands-off marinating, so it’s an easy weeknight dinner instead of a project.
• Freezer-friendly. Make a double batch and freeze half for a night when nobody feels like cooking.
• Kid-tested. My 8 kids have put this recipe through the wringer, and it’s a real winner at our house.

Homemade vs. Chick-Fil-A: The Real Savings

An 8-count of Chick-fil-A nuggets alone runs about $5 to $6 before tax, and that’s before you add a drink or a side. This entire recipe costs about $10.57 total, or $2.64 per serving, and makes enough to feed the whole family — not just one person’s nugget order.

Make a double batch on a Sunday and you’ve got homemade “fast food” nuggets in the freezer for weeks of easy lunches and dinners.

How To Fry Chicken Nuggets

Peanut oil or Canola oil is best for frying chicken nuggets. You need a large pan or fryer. Once you heat the oil to medium heat, the nuggets go in and take just 3 to 5 minutes to cook.

Ingredients:

• Boneless skinless Chicken Breasts
• Dill Pickle Juice
• egg
• Milk
• All Purpose Flour
• Confectioners’ Sugar
• Paprika
• Salt and Pepper
• Peanut Oil or Canola Oil for Frying

Budget Tip: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well here too and are usually cheaper per pound than chicken breast. Cut them into similar-sized pieces and follow the recipe exactly as written.

How to make chick fil a nuggets

First, combine the chicken and pickle juice in a medium size bowl. Place a lid or plastic wrap on the bowl.

This needs to refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 60 minutes. However, it is best overnight so the chicken has plenty of time to marinate in the pickle juice.

Then, take the chicken from the fridge and drain the pickle juice.

Get out a small bowl and whisk together the milk and egg. Pour this mixture over the chicken pieces.

• Then you will need a large ziplock bag. Add the flour, sugar, paprika, salt and pepper and seal the bag. Shake to combine all of the ingredients.

• Make sure to drain any excess milk mixture off the chicken before putting in the ziplock bag with the flour mixture. Once the chicken is in, seal the bag and shake so that the chicken is well coated in the flour mixture.

• Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat. You can also use a deep fryer. The heat of the oil should be 350 degrees.

• Start to add the chicken to the hot oil. You will need to work in batches and cook until the chicken is golden brown and crispy. It does not take long at all so keep a close eye on the chicken. It normally takes about 3 to 5 minutes to cook.

• Line a plate with a paper towel and place the cooked chicken on it. The paper towel will help to soak up the excess oil.

• These are best served warm immediately out of the pan.

Chicken Nugget Dipping Sauces

• Copycat Chic fil a sauce. With just a few simple ingredients you probably already have, this delicious sauce takes just minutes.

• Ketchup – You might want to try make Homemade ketchup because it is so easy.

• Barbecue sauce – I love this homemade bbq sauce.

• Ranch – This recipe for homemade ranch dip is yummy.

• Honey Mustard
  
• Chick-Fil-A Polynesian Sauce Recipe

Serving ideas:

• Easy Homemade French Fries. These fries are perfectly golden and so crispy. In just minutes, you can enjoy easy homemade fries that make a great side dish.
• Baked Mac and Cheese is a favorite. It is so creamy and cheesy. Plus, the delicious bread crumb topping makes this Southern mac and cheese simply amazing.
• Copycat Chick fil a Lemonade.  It is so refreshing and incredibly simple to make. Enjoy your favorite lemonade at home for a fraction of the price in just minutes.

My kid’s ideal meal would be these nuggets and fries and a cup of copycat Chick fil a lemonade. I love being able to make this at home. They are super happy and I save a ton of money.

Why Powdered Sugar?

The powdered sugar gives the nuggets the perfect blend of sweetness that you love about Chick fil a chicken.

It balances perfectly with the spices for a delicious flavor.

Does Chick-Fil-A Really Use Pickle Juice?

There’s ongoing debate about whether Chick-fil-A’s actual recipe includes pickle juice in the marinade. We can’t say for certain what happens behind the counter, but a quick pickle juice brine is what gets copycat versions like this one so close to the real thing — it tenderizes the chicken and adds that familiar tang. If pickle juice isn’t your thing, see the tip below for a milder version.

Peanut Oil Substitutes

While peanut oil is my favorite, canola is a good substitute to use when frying chicken. Vegetable oil also makes a good substitution.

You want to look for an oil that has a neutral taste and a high smoke point.

For example, you would not want to use olive oil because it has a low smoke point and does not tolerate high heat.

Keep in mind it will change the flavor of the chicken nuggets if you do not use peanut oil.

How to store leftovers:

You can refrigerate any leftovers in an air tight container for up to 5 to 7 days. I try to actually make extra to have leftovers.

It is perfect for lunches for the kids or a quick dinner. My kids absolutely love when we have leftovers.

How To Freeze and Reheat Chicken Nuggets

• Freeze the nuggets inside a freezer container or bag that is airtight. Make sure the chicken has cooled completely before freezing.

• If you are freezing a large quantity, you might want to flash freeze them first to prevent sticking. This is very simple. Just place on a baking sheet or plate and freeze for an hour. Remove from the freezer and place into freezer containers.

• To reheat, place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Make sure they are in a single layer when reheating on the baking sheet.

• You can also reheat in the air fryer at 375 degrees. It normally take about 10 to 12 minutes. I would toss them half way through when reheating.

Tips for chick fil a nuggets recipe:

• If you do not like pickle juice, you can reduce the pickle juice marinade to ½ cup and use ½ cup water with this juice.
• Cut the chicken into similar-sized pieces. This helps every nugget cook through and turn golden brown at the same time, so you don’t end up with some pieces overdone while others are still raw in the middle.

• You can substitute buttermilk for regular milk in the recipe.

• The powdered sugar can be omitted if you do not like the sweetness of chick fil a nuggets.

• Make sure your oil is hot before you put the chicken in.

• Don’t overcrowd the nuggets when frying. They will not cook evenly if you put too many in the pan at once. It is very important to give them space.

• Make sure the chicken has an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
• For extra crispy nuggets, use a wire rack. Paper towels work fine in a pinch, but draining the fried nuggets on a wire rack set over a baking sheet lets air circulate underneath, so they stay crispier instead of steaming on the bottom.

Air fryer option:

• Coat your air fryer basket in oil. Place the chicken in the air fryer basket making sure there isn’t any excess flour.

• You will need to work in batches so the nuggets do not overlap. Make sure to not overcrowd the air fryer basket.

• Cook at 360 degrees for 12 minutes flipping half way through.

No more waiting in the drive-thru line when a craving hits — this recipe makes enough for the whole family for less than the cost of one restaurant order. Make a batch this week and let us know in the comments how your family likes it!

Frequently Asked Questions

More copycat chick fil a recipes:

• Chick-fil-a Grilled Chicken Club
• Copycat Chick fil a Sauce
• Chick-Fil-A Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce Recipe
• Chick-Fil-A Chick-N-Minis
• Chick-Fil-A Spicy Nuggets Recipe
• Easy Copy Cat Chick fil a Lemonade Recipe
• Copycat Chick-fil-a Fruit Cup Recipe
• Chick-Fil-A Spicy Chicken Sandwich Recipe
• Copycat Chick fil a Grilled Chicken Nuggets
• Copycat Chick-Fil-A Mac and Cheese Recipe