These are the BEST copycat chick fil a nuggets you’ll ever try. Made from scratch and given a delicious homemade nugget sauce for dipping, you’ll never need to go out again!
We love chick fil a, but for a larger family, eating out can get expensive. Making it at home is not only more affordable but it can be more fun too! Grab the kids and have them help out with the prep work or surprise them with nuggets that taste like chick fil a. Either way, you’re going to love these homemade chick fil a nuggets!
Chick Fil a Dupe Nuggets
To anyone who didn’t know better, they’ll assume you made the trip out and brought back fresh nuggets from Chick fil a because this chick fil a nuggets recipe tastes so close to the real deal that they’re practically indistinguishable. Put them both on a plate and do a blind taste test to see for yourself, you may be surprised!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Nuggets and sauce. While we’re sure you’d be happy with just the nuggets we couldn’t leave it at just that. Nuggets are always better with a little dipping sauce to go along with them so, of course, we had to show off our favorite nugget dipping sauce too!
- Simple ingredients. This recipe uses simple ingredients including chicken breasts, milk, crackers, and seasonings like salt, pepper, and paprika. You probably have many of the ingredients needed on hand already, making this recipe even easier to throw together.
- Fast prep and cook time. The prep and the cooking can both be done rather quickly but this is a recipe best served with a side of patience. The chicken will need to be marinated for up to 3 hours so make sure you plan this meal ahead!
DIY Chick Fil a Nuggets Ingredients
For the nuggets, you will need:
Chicken breasts: You will need 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts that have been cut into bite-sized pieces. (About the size of a nugget).
Milk: Use 1 1/2 cups of milk for the marinade.
Pickle juice: Adding 1/2 cup of pickle juice marinate the chicken. This will help to tenderize the meats thanks to the acids. To get a true Chick Fil A taste you need to use dill pickle juice, not bread and butter pickles or hot pickles, just dill.
Crackers: You will need 1 sleeve of crackers like Ritz crackers or townhouse. This adds a buttery flakey taste. Any buttery cracker will work in the breading, I like to use a food processor to crush mine but you can also crush them up in a bag, you just want to make sure they are a fine crumb.
Breadcrumbs: Use 1 1/2 cups of breadcrumbs for the coating on the nuggets.
Flour: Add in 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour to help thicken the coating so it adheres better to the chicken.
Paprika: Adding in 1 1/2 teaspoon of paprika will make the breading well flavored.
Pepper: You will need 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground black pepper.
Salt: Use 2 teaspoons of salt to help enhance the flavors in the chicken nuggets well.
Powdered sugar: 1/2 cup of powdered sugar is needed for the coating. Though it sounds a little odd do not skip the powdered sugar it is what gives these nuggets their signature taste.
Oil: You will need peanut oil for frying the nuggets in. The actual amount needed will vary depending on the size of your pot.
For the Chick Fil A Sauce, you will need:
Mayo: Use 1/2 cup of mayonnaise for the base of the dipping sauce recipe.
Mustard: You will want to add 2 teaspoons of yellow mustard for a little tangy flavor.
BBQ sauce: Use 2 tablespoons of your favorite barbecue sauce to help flavor the sauce.
Honey: Adding in 2 tablespoons of honey will thicken and sweeten the nugget dip.
How to Make the BEST Copycat Chick Fil a Nuggets
Make marinade
Combine the milk and pickle juice in a large mixing bowl and then add in the cut chicken pieces.
Make sure that the chicken pieces are well covered by the liquid.
Move the bowl to the fridge and allow to marinate for 1-3 hours.
Make breading
Use a food processor to combine the crackers, breadcrumbs, flour, paprika, pepper, salt, and powdered sugar until finely crushed and well combined.
Heat oil
When ready, add your peanut oil to a deep frying pan, dutch oven, or a deep fryer. You want there to be just enough oil to cover the nuggets.
Let the oil heat to 350-360 degrees F.
Cook nuggets
Dredge your nuggets in the breading mixture one by one or place the breading mixture into a gallon-sized zipper topped baggie and place the nuggets inside. Shake until well coated.
When the oil is ready, drop your nuggets, a few at a time, into the hot oil and fry them for about 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Make sure to turn them over as they cook to evenly get both sides.
Do your nuggets in batches and do not overcrowd the pan or else they will not turn out properly.
Drain your fried nuggets on some paper towels and then repeat in batches until they are all cooked.
Serve with chick fil a sauce and enjoy.
How to Make Chick Fil A Sauce
Add all of the sauce ingredients to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Whisk together until smooth.
What to Serve with Chick Fil a Nuggets
For a more authentic feel, I like to serve my copycat nuggets with a side of waffle fries. You can serve yours up with just about anything though. French fries, curly fries, mashed potatoes, or even fresh cut veggies and fruit. Whatever you’d normally like to eat with your chicken nuggets is fine!
BEST COPYCAT CHICK-FIL-A NUGGETS
Ingredients
Chicken Nugget Ingredients
- 4 chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ½ cup dill pickle juice
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers townhouse
- 1 ½ cups breadcrumbs
- ½ cup flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- Peanut oil for frying
Chick Fil A Sauce Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoon barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoon honey
Instructions
Nugget Directions
- In a large bowl combine the milk and pickle juice. Add the chicken pieces and make sure they are covered. Move the bowl to the fridge to marinate from 1-3 hours.
- To make the breading for the chicken nuggets use a food processor to finely crush the crackers, breadcrumbs, flour, paprika, pepper, salt and powdered sugar.
- When you are ready to fry add peanut oil to a deep frying pan, dutch oven or a deep fryer. You want enough oil to cover the nuggets. Heat the oil to 350-360.
- You can dredge your nuggets in the breading mixture one by one. I prefer to place the breading mixture in a ziploc bag, add the nuggets and shake them up until coated.
- When the oil is hot enough, drop in the nuggets and let them fry 2-3 minutes, until golden brown, turning them over for even cooking. Do this in batches and do not overcrowd the pan.
- Drain the nuggets of paper towels and repeat with other batches until they are all cooked. Serve with Chick Fil A Sauce and enjoy!
Chick Fil A Sauce Directions
- In a medium bowl combine all the sauce ingredients and whisk until smooth.
Nutrition
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Can I use a different cut of chicken?
Yes, you can definitely use a different cut of chicken like a chicken tenderloin or even thighs (although thighs would be less authentic) Just make sure to cut them up into the right sized pieces or use them as chicken strips.
How long are leftover copycat chick fil a nuggets good for?
Leftover nuggets can be kept stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. For the best tasting results, I recommend reheating them in your air fryer. This will help them to crisp back up and warm up.
How long is chick fil a sauce good for?
You can keep your chick fil a sauce in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. This should give you plenty of time to use it up, either with your nuggets or as a nice sauce drizzled over cheeseburgers, yum!
More Delicious Chicken Recipes To Check Out Soon!
- MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN THIGHS
- BBQ CHICKEN WONTONS
- CHICKEN BACON RANCH PASTA
- SWEET & SPICY GRILLED STICKY CHICKEN
- EASY SMOKED CHICKEN LEGS
- LEMON ROSEMARY CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS
- CHICKEN AVOCADO QUESADILLAS
- CHEESY BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS
- EASY CHICKEN MANICOTTI
- BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA
- ZESTY ITALIAN CHICKEN
- BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN TENDERS
Skip the drive thru and make your own Chick Fil A Nuggets at home! A few secret ingredients make these nuggets taste just like the real thing. Of course what would these nuggets be without that special Chick Fil A sauce and I’ve included the recipe for that along with these copycat chick fil a nuggets.
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