Chick fil a nuggets without leaving the house! These delicious little nuggies can be yours any day of the week with our yummy copycat recipe!
This copycat chick fil a chicken nuggets recipe is one of our family’s absolute favorites! Crispy fried chicken bites, tender on the inside with that iconic savory and sweet breading. Yum! Make it a full meal with our homemade lemonade, air fryer french fries, and honey mustard dipping sauce!
Chick Fil A Nuggets
Chick Fil A Nuggets
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Why you’ll love these homemade chick fil a chicken nuggets!
📌 Authentic delicious flavor without leaving your house.
📌 Enjoy your favorite nuggies even on Sunday!
📌 Easy to make extras and freeze for easy weeknight dinners.
Chick Fil A Nuggets Ingredients
- Chicken – Boneless/skinless, cut into bite sized pieces. Pictured is breasts, but you can also use thighs.
- Milk – Whole milk.
- Pickle brine – The brine or juice from a jar of dill pickles.
- Crackers – Buttery crackers like ritz or townhouse.
- Breadcrumbs – Unseasoned.
- Flour – All purpose flour.
- Seasonings – Paprika, ground pepper, salt, powdered sugar,
- Oil – For frying. We prefer peanut oil in this recipe, but you can use whatever you like or have on hand as well,
How to make copycat chick fil a chicken nuggets (step-by-step directions)
⭐ First, add milk, pickle juice, then chicken pieces to a large bowl. Refrigerate.
⭐ Next, pulse crackers, breadcrumbs, flour, paprika, salt, pepper, and powdered sugar in a food processor.
⭐ Then, coat nuggets in breading mixture and fry in peanut oil until golden brown.
⭐ Finally, place nuggets on an absorbent cloth or paper towel to rest. Enjoy with your favorite dips and sides!
Scroll down to the printable recipe card toward the bottom of this article for ingredient measurements and detailed cooking instructions.
Preparation
Can you make copycat chick fil a nuggets ahead of time?
For sure! These are a great make-ahead lunch or dinner option. Prepare a few batches at the beginning of the week for easy meal times, or pop some in the freezer and reheat as needed.
What is the chick fil a brine?
What makes these iconic nuggets so tender and juicy is that they’re marinated in a dill pickle juice and milk brine. It helps break down the proteins so they’re super moist and delicious!
What is the chick fil a breading?
While we don’t have the super secret official ingredient list – what we do have is a near spot on copycat of that delicious savory and slightly sweet coating.
To make an authentic tasting chick fil a nugget breading you’ll need: buttery crackers, flour, unseasoned breadcrumbs, paprika, pepper, salt, and powdered sugar.
Storage and leftovers
How long do chick fil a chicken nuggets last?
These will keep in the refrigerator for 2 – 3 days. Store in an air tight container or cover tightly with saran wrap or foil.
Enjoy cold or reheat in the microwave or air fryer.
Can you freeze them?
Yes, allow them to cool then wrap tightly and store in an airtight container. They will keep for a month or two in the freezer.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or cook from frozen. We recommend reheating in an air fryer, toaster oven, or in a traditional oven on convection setting for best results.
Tips, tricks, and frequently asked questions
⭐ We like to use a food processor to get a fine crumb on the breading, but you can also crush the crackers in a bag and then toss them with the rest of the ingredients.
⭐ Make sure you use dill pickle juice and do not skip the sugar if you want a true chick-fil-a flavor!
⭐ Try cooking them in an air fryer for a healthier version!
What to eat with chick fil a nuggets (serving suggestions)
Serve these with your favorite dips like buffalo sauce, bbq sauce or ranch dressing! Make a batch of steak fries and some instant pot corn or one pot macaroni and cheese for sides!
Other fun copycat recipes to try
- Olive Garden toasted ravioli
- Chick Fil A chicken minis
- Bonefish Grill bang bang chicken
- Ikea Swedish meatballs
- Taco Bell Mexican Pizza
- See all our favorite restaurant copycat recipes!
More delicious chicken recipes
- Breaded chicken parmesan
- Air fryer chicken tenders
- Easy chicken salad wrap
- Bacon wrapped chicken bites
- Chicken fajita casserole
- See all our easy chicken recipe ideas!
Tools we love
- Enameled cast iron – Perfect for making delicious caramelized vegetables!
- Santoku knife – My favorite knife for cutting vegetables! This knife is the perfect size and shape, handles great, and is super reasonably priced. Also, I just love that it’s fun and colorful!
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How to Make Chick Fil A Nuggets
Chick Fil A Nuggets
Ingredients
- 4 breasts boneless skinless chicken cut into bite-size pieces
- 1½ cups milk whole milk
- ½ cup dill pickle juice
- 1 sleeve buttery crackers like Townhouse or Ritz (about 30 crackers)
- 1½ cups breadcrumbs unseasoned
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon paprika
- 1½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ cup powdered sugar also called confectioners sugar
- oil for frying our preference is peanut oil, but any vegetable oil will work
Instructions
- Add milk, pickle juice, then chicken pieces to a large bowl. Stir to mix well, making sure chicken is covered in brine. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and as long as 3 hours.
- When chicken is finished marinating, pulse crackers, breadcrumbs, flour, paprika, salt, pepper, and powdered sugar in a food processor.
- Coat nuggets in breading mixture (either by dredging or by adding to a gallon bag and tossing) and working in batches, fry in peanut oil over medium high heat (about 350°F) until cooked through and golden brown on all sides.
- Remove nuggets to rest on an absorbent towel or paper towel for 2 - 3 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Chick Fil A Nuggets
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Allyson Reed Zea says
I can’t wait to try this copycat recipe! This is a favorite in our house!
Kristyn says
My kids could eat this every night if I let them!! They taste even better than Chick fil a’s!! They are nice & crisp & so yummy!
Olivia says
This copycat recipe is amazing — my family couldn’t get enough of the nuggets! I’m definitely saving this recipe to make again, thank you