Chick-fil-A Nuggets Copycat Recipe

Make these famous Chick-fil-A Nuggets at home, from scratch, with just a few ingredients! Save money and time with this easy copycat recipe.

I always whip up the Chick-fil-A Sauce, also made from scratch, for dipping the nuggets! Add waffle fries or French fries and you have a full meal, fast-food style.

If you ever wondered how to make the popular Chick-fil-A Nuggets from scratch, I am here to show you it's actually very easy, and most likely, you have all of the ingredients on hand. It all starts with boneless skinless chicken breast, the real deal. A quick marinade of milk and pickle juice is the secret to juicy nuggets, so don't skip it!

Next, just dredge the pieces in a flour mixture with sugar and spices (yep, these nuggets are slightly sweet, just like the restaurant kind) and fry them in oil. You will be amazed at how delicious they are!

Now, anytime the craving strikes, you can whip up a batch of Chick-fil-A Nuggets with this copycat recipe without leaving the house!

Ingredients:

• boneless skinless chicken breasts
• whole milk or half and half
• pickle juice
• egg
• flour
• powdered sugar
• salt and pepper
• oil, for frying

How to make Chick-fil-A Nuggets from scratch?

• Start by cutting the chicken breast into bite-size pieces.
• Mix milk and pickle juice in a bowl and add chicken. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Add beaten egg to chicken and stir in.

• In a ziploc bag, combine flour, sugar, salt and pepper.
• Add chicken in batches, close the bag and shake well.
• Remove chicken and repeat until all chicken pieces are coated.

• Heat up oil in a saucepan to 350 degrees F.
• Fry chicken nuggets in batches, do not overcrowd the pot.
• Remove onto a cooling rack.
• Serve.

How to serve these nuggets?

I highly recommend my copycat recipe for the Chick-fil-A sauce! It's perfect for dipping the nuggets in. Waffle fries are also a classic addition.

Can I bake these Chick-fil-A nuggets?

You sure can! Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prep the nuggets as directed in the recipe, and layer them on a large baking sheet. Spray them with cooking oil spray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes OR until golden brown.

Can I make them in the air fryer?

If you want to skip frying in the oil, an air fryer may be a good choice. Preheat the appliance to 390 degrees F, for 4 minutes. Spray trays with cooking oil, layer nuggets on trays, and spray lightly with oil. Air fry for 8 minutes or until golden. Add more minutes if needed.

Can I skip the pickle juice?

Rumor has it that the original restaurant recipe uses pickle juice to soak the chicken. It's the secret ingredient! This helps the meat stay juicy and tender. You can skip it or use buttermilk in place of the milk and juice combo.

More copycat recipes:

• KFC Coleslaw
• Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits
• Wendy's Chili Copycat
• Broccoli Cheese Soup (Panera Copycat)

For more recipes like this one, feel free to browse our Dinner category.

If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment!

Chick-fil-A Nuggets Copycat Recipe

Author: Anna

Make these famous Chick-fil-A Nuggets at home, from scratch, with just a few ingredients! Save money and time with this easy copycat recipe. I always whip up the Chick-fil-A Sauce, also made from scratch, for dipping the nuggets!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

chilling 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 293 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 medium chicken breasts boneless skinless
• ▢ ½ cup whole milk
• ▢ ½ cup pickle juice see note
• ▢ 1 large egg beaten
• ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

 

• Cut chicken breasts into bite-size pieces, about 1" in size. I start by slicing the breast into thick strips, then each strip into 3 to 4 nuggets.
  2 medium chicken breasts
• Place chicken in a large glass bowl. Add milk and pickle juice. Stir. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  ½ cup whole milk, ½ cup pickle juice
• Add egg to chicken mixture and stir in. Set aside.
  1 large egg
• Heat up oil in a medium saucepan, until it reaches 350 degrees F.
  vegetable oil
• In a ziploc bag, combine flour, sugar, salt and pepper. Close and shake a few times.
  1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• Add chicken to flour, in batches. Shake until well coated. Remove from bag onto wire rack (see note).
• Fry chicken in batches, until crispy and golden brown. Remove onto another wire cooling rack.
• Repeat until all pieces are fried.
• Serve with dipping sauce.

Notes

• The total time is an estimate.
• Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use a calorie counter you are familiar with.
• If you place coated chicken nuggets on a plate, they will stick to it as they sit while you fry the batches. Wire rack works better here.
• Cooling fried nuggets on a wire rack keeps them crispy. If you place them on a paper towel, they may become soggy.
• If you want to skip the pickle juice, I recommend using buttermilk or milk with lemon juice for marinating.

Nutrition

Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 895mg | Potassium: 509mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 143IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg

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