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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 too am a huge fan of Chick-fil-a. I made this recipe yesterday with my family. I tried not to get my hopes up in fear this recipe would not be as good. They were awesome! My son said he would eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. :) I don’t know how you did it Julie, but thank you so much for sharing your talent with all of us!!
The secret behind the chicken is they marinate the chicken in 3 cups buttermilk and 1/2 cup dill pickle juice for 30 minutes. I promise. When I make them I use house autry breading for chicken, than deep fry them in peanut oil.
We call it Jesus chicken lol thanks we love us some nuggets
Chick-fil-A uses pressure to bread their chicken like put the chicken in a pan with your breading and use the palms of your hands to push the chicken then flip over and do the other side the same way. Also they use a milk-wash before appling the batter, it is aslo pressure cooked. The recipe is so secret that 2 or 3 diffrent companies make parts of the breading and they are each sent to a mixing plant then packaged and sent to the store.
My girls will be so happy when I make this. :-)
Thank you
THANK YOU!!! i lived in the states for 2 years and loved my specal chick fil a treat…now that im home in australia i miss it so much and crave it pretty much every day haha! now i can share the love with my family and friends here.YAY!!!
My friend Bekah came across this and sent me the link.
I live in Washington state and there are no Chick-fil-as. Yea, that’s right, I said none.
So I am really excited to make my chef boyfriend make these for me.
Cheers
Nic
just made these! they were so yummy. i used honey BBQ instead of just honey for the sauce…it worked perfectly. my nuggets werent as dark as yours maybe bc i used peanut oil? anyway im also from NOVA and feel so lucky to have chick-fil-as all around the area! :)
Just found you through pinterest…can’t wait to try the sauce. My son works at CFA and he ALWAYS craves it on Sundays! (Even though he gets sick of it through the week!) I ask for the sauce everytime I go, and my CFA is generous and gives me several, so I always have extra in my fridge…but I hate it when I run out! So I’m looking forward to trying this alternative.
A couple things concerning previous posters – someone said they added cornstarch to the nugget batter. I’m wondering if she meant cornmeal? Cornstarch is a thickener, but wouldn’t make the batter crispier. And someone else mentioned freezing them…one word of caution – they should be thawed before freezing…frying chicken that is still frozen is dangerous…it will cause boil over and could start a fire!
Thanks for experimenting with the recipe…again…can’t wait to try it!
Thanks so much! Chic fil a has MSG and apparently other preservatives in their foods so we can no longer eat there(very allergic!)
My teen daughter has missed those delicious nuggets and now I can make them for her! We will use a gluten free flour, a corn free powder sugar, and coconut oil or grapeseed to fry- We are excited!
I have a recipe for homemade mayo to try for her too(all mayo’s are full of either soy,dairy,corn,sunflower all allergic plus preservatives) I have dried mustard powder I can hydrate- looks terrific and easy to manipulate for her unique dietary needs!