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This copycat Chick-Fil-A nuggets recipe tastes just like the original—crispy, juicy, and full of flavor! Now you can enjoy your favorite nuggets 7 days a week!
I hate Sundays. Not because it’s the last day of the weekend, but because I seem to crave Chick-Fil-A only on Sundays and I can’t fulfill that craving because they’re closed.
Well, this copycat recipe for Chick-Fil-A solves nuggets that problem. It’s the closest I’ve had to the real thing, and when you pair it with copycat Chick-Fil-A sauce, you seriously won’t be able to tell the difference. The crispy coating? It’s oh-so-light and perfect. The flavor? On point, right down to the pickle juice. (Seriously, that’s the secret to nailing copycat Chick-Fil-A nuggets. Don’t skip it!)
What You’ll Need
Some of these ingredients may sound puzzling. Pickle juice? Powdered sugar?! Trust and believe, this is the way—it all comes together to make the perfect copycat Chick-Fil-A nuggets.
- Chicken breasts
- Milk
- Pickle juice – This doesn’t just add flavor, it also makes the chicken tender.
- Egg
- Flour
- Powdered sugar
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Cornstarch
- Peanut oil – Yes, you’ll be frying these nuggets. Want a recipe for baked nuggets instead? Try my Easy Three Ingredient Chicken Nuggets.
How to Make Copycat Chick-Fil-A Nuggets
Make sure you account for the time needed to marinate the chicken when planning for this recipe!
Marinate the chicken. Lightly beat the egg, then combine it with the milk and pickle juice in a large zip-top bag. Add the chicken and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.
Combine dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, powdered sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cornstarch together in a large bowl.
Prepare your workspace. Set a wire rack next to the bowl of dry ingredients. Line a plate with paper towels and place it next to the stove.
Coat the chicken nuggets. Remove the chicken from the marinade with tongs or a slotted spoon and place it in the bowl with the flour mixture, then toss to coat. Place the coated chicken pieces on the wire rack to rest while you heat the oil.
Fry the nuggets. Set a Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium heat and add the oil (the oil should go in before the pan gets warm). Once the oil is ready, begin to fry the chicken; it’s important not to crowd it, so I recommend cooking no more than half of the chicken at a time, or even less if you have a smaller cooking vessel. Fry the chicken nuggets until they’re golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Place the fried chicken nuggets on the paper-towel-lined plate and repeat until all of the chicken is cooked.
Serve. Serve your copycat Chick-Fil-A nuggets with my copycat Chick-Fil-A sauce!
Deep Frying Tips
If you’ve never tried deep frying before, you might feel a little intimidated, but don’t be! It’s easier than you think. Here are some tips to help you get started with this copycat Chick-Fil-A nugget recipe.
- Use an oil with a high smoke point. I use peanut oil for these chicken nuggets; if you’re allergic to nuts or want to swap it for something else for any other reason, I suggest safflower oil, sunflower oil, or canola oil. Do not use olive oil.
- Let the nuggets rest. The step where you put the nuggets on the wire rack to rest is important! It helps the coating stick once the chicken is placed into the oil.
- Use a deep, heavy skillet or Dutch oven. The oil will bubble up when the chicken nuggets are added and you don’t want it to overflow onto the stovetop.
- Don’t add too many nuggets at once. If you put too many nuggets in the skillet at the same time, the oil’s temperature will drop and the nuggets will absorb the oil instead of getting crispy.
- Keep water away from the skillet. This means if you wash your hands, make sure they are completely dry before you go to the stovetop to put the chicken in or take it out of the pan. Even a drip of water into the hot oil will cause spattering.
How to Store Leftovers
Refrigerate these chicken nuggets for up to 2 days in an airtight container. You can reheat them in the oven at 350ºF for 5-10 minutes, or in the air fryer at 400ºF for 5 minutes. (The air fryer is the best way to reheat these!)
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
You can freeze copycat Chick-Fil-A nuggets for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer bag. Reheat them in a 350ºF oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or in a 400ºF air fryer for 8 to 10 minutes.
Copycat Chick-Fil-A Nuggets
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup (118 ml) milk
- ½ cup (118 ml) pickle juice
- 1 egg
- 2 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
- 2 cups (250 g) flour
- 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 3 cups (710 ml) peanut oil
Instructions
- Mix the milk and pickle juice in a large ziplock bag. Whisk the egg slightly and add it to the marinade.½ cup (118 ml) milk, ½ cup (118 ml) pickle juice, 1 egg
- Then add the bite size chicken pieces to the marinade. Set this in the fridge for at least 2 hours. (overnight is fine)2 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl: flour, powdered sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cornstarch.2 cups (250 g) flour, 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- Set a wire rack next to the bowl of dry ingredients. Prepare a plate next to the stove, lined with paper towels, to set the fried chicken on.
- When the chicken is done marinating, remove it from the marinade (I used tongs, or you could use a slotted spoon) and put it into the bowl with the flour mixture. Toss all of the chicken pieces well. When all of the pieces are coated, place the chicken pieces onto the wire rack and allow the chicken to rest while you heat the oil.
- Heat the oil to medium (about 350 °F (177 °C)) in a deep skillet or dutch oven.3 cups (710 ml) peanut oil
- Fry about half of the chicken at a time, or even smaller batches, don’t crowd the chicken as you fry it. Fry the chicken nuggets until golden brown. (3-5 minutes until cooked through. I recommend testing a couple first)
- Place the fried chicken on a paper towel lined plate. Then fry the rest of the chicken.
- Serve the chicken nuggets with the dipping sauce on the side.
I love Chick-fil-A!! Do you think that miracle whip would work in place of regular mayo?
Hmm, I’m not too sure. Doesn’t seem like it would since there’s less fat content, but you can go ahead and try and if it doesn’t work, go for mayo or low-fat mayo :)
These were great! My daughter said they’re even better than CFA! And no MSG!! Has anyone tried freezing them? I bet i can freeze them in the flour mix and have a quick week night mock-CFA meal?
Julie-
I want to make these for a birthday party. Do you think I can make them a day early? Also, can use a deep fryer instead of a stockpot?
From experience, fried food is never as good as the day of so I don’t know if I’d do it but you certainly can try and do that and pop them in the oven to re-crisp them/warm them up before guests show up. Sure, you can use a deep fryer.
I made these today for my 4 yr old after reading a disturbing article about our favorite fast food nugget. After eating the 8 nuggets I put on his plate I was told, “Mommy, my plate needs more chicken nuggets!” I think you may have a home run here!
I can’t WAIT to try these! I’ve been living in Japan for the past few years (with 1 more to go!), and I have missed Chick-fil-a SO much. I’m going to make these tomorrow!
I made these today and the result was good, however didn’t quite look like yours. As soon as they hit the hot oil (peanut), the coating melted off. Anyone else have this issue or know a remedy? I think mine would have been even better with the extra delicious coating!
You can pop them in a fridge for 10-15 mins before frying & it’ll help the coating stay on the chicken.
Hi there! I can’t wait to try this. We have been making a version of the sauce at home for our 4 yr old. I have found that Ken’s Honey Mustard Salad Dressing with a squirt of ketchup is quick and easy and tastes pretty darn close to the real thing. Let me know what you think. :)
I cannot wait to try this! I love love love Chick-Fil-A food, but chose not to eat there very often because of, ahem, political differences. But I’m not sure what this Chick-Fil-A sauce is. All I’ve ever had there are the “normal” dipping sauces and this great Polynesian sauce. But it sounds great! I wonder if it’s a regional thing.
My husband found your blog through foodgawker and now I’m hooked.
The Chick-Fil-A sauce is like a hybrid between honey mustard and mayo. It’s basically what it is but it’s so creamy and delicious. I don’t like their regular honey mustard so I always go for the Chick-Fil-A sauce. I’m glad you found my blog – enjoy! :)
I made these tonight. They were good, but didn’t taste like chick-fil-a. BUT, I must say I didn’t use the powdered sugar (because I didn’t have any), so that is probably why they were as good. I will make them again (because I make nuggets for my kids all the time anyways) but I will use the sugar next time.
And I’ve never had this sauce at chick-fil-a, so I can’t compare it… but I am a sauce lover! It was good!
i want to make these for my daughters birthday party but dont want to all that frying the day of the party… would they be just as good if heated in the oven the next day??
I’d imagine crisping them in the oven would be ok. I’ve never done that but with takeout food, they usually say to put them in the oven the next day so I’d say go for it :)