Chick Fil-A Chicken Nuggets

4.48 from 126 votes
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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!  

Make your favorite Chick Fil A chicken nuggets at home!

 

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.

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 – they might now actually use pickle juice, but it gives the nuggets the same tenderness and slight tang.
  • Milk
  • Egg
  • Chicken Breast
  • All-Purpose Flour
  • Powdered Sugar – yep, I know it sounds strange, but it gives it the sweetness that Chick Fil A is known for.
  • 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. Tenderize Chicken. Add the chicken to a bowl and cover with milk, eggs, and pickle juice mixture.  This makes the chicken super tender and flavorful, so definitely don’t skip this step.
  2. Coat Chicken. Take the chicken out of the milk mixture, and add to a bag filled with the flour, powdered sugar, salt, pepper and paprika. Shake to coat the chicken, and then remove to from the bag, gently shaking off any excess coating.
  3. Prep Oil. Heat Peanut Oil in a large heavy pot until the oil is about 375º F. You want to use a heavy duty pot and fill about 2 inches so the chicken can float in the oil.
  4. Cook Chicken. 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.
  5. Continue Cooking. Remove chicken from the oil and let cooked chicken drain on a paper towel or wire rack for a minute before serving. If making multiple batches, you can place in the oven at 200º F to keep it warm while you continue cooking the rest of the chicken.
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.

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.

Want even more Copycat Recipes

chick fil a chicken nuggets on a plate with fries and dipping sauce
4.48 from 126 votes

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!  
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total: 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • 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.
  • Place 2 inches of oil into a deep pan.  Heat over medium high heat until the oil is hot (375 degrees). 
  • 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. 
  • 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. 
  • 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. 
  • Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. 

Notes

See notes in blog post for using an air fryer

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 345kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 1478mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Erin Sellin
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Course: Dinner Recipes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 345
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About Erin Sellin

Welcome to Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and Iโ€™m a casual home cook who loves to feed people. On this blog, youโ€™ll find hundreds of quick and easy recipes made mostly from scratch. My days are spent in the kitchen, creating new recipes to share with family and friends.

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23 Comments

  1. 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!

    1. 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.

  2. If you are contemplating making this..donโ€™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!!