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Chick Fil-A Chicken Nuggets

Copycat Chick Fil A Chicken Nuggets – Make your favorite chicken nuggets at home with just a few simple ingredients. Super crispy and so easy to make!

I love making restaurant favorites at home.  It is so nice to be able to not have to leave the house every time you get a craving for Panera Macaroni and Cheese.  You can make it in about 15 minutes at home, so easy!  

So today we are going with a classic and definite favorite of so many people.  Chick Fil A Chicken Nuggets.  And guess what, they are pretty darn easy to make.  Plus if you are a fan of Canes Sauce they go perfectly with it.

Make your favorite Chick Fil A chicken nuggets at home!

 

Chick Fil A Nuggets

Chick Fil A kind of has a cult like following, people go crazy for them.  They have grown and have lots of locations all over the place now, but when I was growing up, it was something you only saw if we went to Florida. There was just something about them that made them different than other places, so making them at home was a must if we wanted them! 

What You Need to Make Chick Fil A Nuggets

So the ingredient list looks a little strange, but trust me they just work together.  They are slightly tangy and super tender! And the peanut oil is what gives it the taste you know and love. 

  • Pickle Juice
  • Milk
  • Egg
  • Chicken Breast
  • All-Purpose Flour
  • Powdered Sugar
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Paprika
  • Peanut Oil
The famous Chick Fil A Chicken Nuggets at home! Super crispy and delicious

How to Make Chick Fil A Chicken Nuggets

Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.

  1. The key to making these nuggets is to let the chicken sit in the milk, eggs, and pickle juice mixture.  This makes the chicken super tender and flavorful. 
  2. Mix together the flour, powdered sugar, salt, pepper and paprika in a plastic bag.
  3. Take pieces of chicken from the liquid and shake them in the flour until they are nicely coated.
  4. Heat Peanut Oil in a large heavy pot until the oil is about 375 degrees F.
  5. Once the oil is hot; fry just a few pieces of chicken at a time.  You do not want to crowd the pan or the temperature will drop, and the chicken will be soggy and not as crispy.  Cook for about 2-3 minutes per side until golden.
  6. Remove chicken from the oil and let cooked chicken drain on a paper towel for a minute before serving. 
Copycat Chick Fil A Chicken Nuggets

Do They Taste Like Pickles

No, they don’t. Here is the thing….does Chick Fil A actually use pickle juice. No, they don’t. But as a home cook you use ingredients that act the same. And soaking the chicken in the mixture of milk and pickle juice tenderizes the chicken and locks in the moisture. So you get super tender pieces of chicken that have the same texture as Chick Fil A. Because they also pressure fry their chicken, and a home cook can’t. So you need to play with the ingredients to get the same taste.

The trick is how long you let the chicken sit. I despise pickles, so for me I like them sit for an hour and then I take them out. This is the perfect amount of time to avoid the flavor but get the texture you want. The recipe states 1-2 hours, I am just super sensitive to the pickle taste, so 60 minutes is what I do.

Why Powdered Sugar

If you are a fan of Chick Fil A, you know that their chicken has a slight sweetness to it. That is what the powdered sugar gives you. Again, do they actually use that at the restaurant? No. But it works for when you are making them at home.

Can I Use An Air Fryer

Yes, there are lots of people who have had great success with the air fryer. Are they the same, not exactly. You aren’t deep frying, so you don’t get the flavor of the peanut oil with the chicken, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t good and worth doing! I would cook at 380º F for about 10 minutes, flipping them half way through. Make sure they are cooked all the way through.

You can also try my Chick Fil A Grilled Nuggets if you are a fan of those.

chick fil a nuggets up close on a white plate

Want even more Copycat Recipes

Yield: 4

Chick Fil-A Chicken Nuggets

chick fil a chicken nuggets on a plate with fries and dipping sauce

Copycat Chick Fil A Chicken Nuggets - Make your favorite chicken nuggets at home with just a few simple ingredients.  Super crispy and so easy to make!  

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup dill pickle juice
  • 1 whole large egg
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • Peanut Oil for frying

Instructions

    1. Trim and cut the chicken into bit sized pieces.  Whisk egg, pickle juice, and milk together. Place chicken in milk mixture, and cover. Let stand for 1-2 hours in the fridge.
    2. Place 2 inches of oil into a deep pan.  Heat over medium high heat until the oil is hot (375 degrees). 
    3. In a zip-lock bag mix together flour, powdered sugar, salt, pepper and paprika. Remove chicken from milk mixture, and place in the flour mixture.  Shake to coat. 
    4. Put about 8 nuggets into the pan, be careful not to overcrowd.  Cook for about 2-3 minute on each side, or until golden brown. 
    5. Remove chicken and drain on a paper towel.  You could place on a rack in a hot oven to keep them warm if you are making a lot of them. 
    6. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. 

    Notes

    See notes in blog post for using an air fryer

    Nutrition Information

    Yield

    4

    Serving Size

    1

    Amount Per Serving Calories 345Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 102mgSodium 1478mgCarbohydrates 39gFiber 1gSugar 9gProtein 26g

    Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.

    Did you make this recipe?

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    Khristian B

    Sunday 23rd of April 2023

    If you are contemplating making this..don’t! Make it tonight!! This is so good..dare I say better then Chick- Fil-A. My son works there and agrees the flavor of this is on point. Thank you for the recipe!!

    Sharon Plummer

    Monday 6th of February 2023

    Do you have to use peanut oil? I have canola

    Erin S

    Monday 6th of February 2023

    No, canola oil will work just fine

    Nital

    Friday 30th of December 2022

    Can you make these in the air fryer

    Erin S

    Tuesday 3rd of January 2023

    Yes, lots of people have said that you can and they are good that way.

    Bonnie

    Saturday 22nd of October 2022

    I have two questions> Can this recipe be used with chicken thighs and drumsticks? Second question, what is the purpose of powdered sugar? I have never heard of using this for any sort of chicken recipe!

    Erin S

    Sunday 23rd of October 2022

    you could use other cuts of chicken, all you are doing is breading and frying, so anything will work, you just have to cook it long enough. This is a copycat recipe, so the sugar is there to make it taste like Chick Fil A's. Theirs have a sweetness to them, so you need sugar to accomplish that.

    Roberta

    Wednesday 8th of December 2021

    Dill pickle or sweet pickle juice?

    Erin S

    Wednesday 8th of December 2021

    Dill pickle juice

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