Now you can get he crispy, delicious chicken nuggets you love from Chick-Fil-A without leaving the house. These copycat nuggets taste just like the real thing and are done in under 30 minutes!
This recipe is simple and one the kids will love!! Don’t be surprised when you see there is powdered sugar in the batter because I feel like it’s the secret ingredient. Here is what you’ll need to do to make these delicious nuggets. For more delicious finger foods the kids will love try Corn Dogs, Popcorn Chicken, and Mozzarella Bites.
Everyone’s Favorite Nuggets!
Who here loves Chik-fil-A? My entire family is obsessed, and I’d be lying if I said we didn’t go at least a few times each month. 😉 The hubby and I love their customer service and feel like they are the best fast-food chain around. The employees are always so nice, and the kiddos love playing in their clean playground areas. But most importantly, their food is top notch!!
My kids’ favorite menu item is their Chicken Nuggets, so when I saw a copycat recipe from My name is Snickerdoodle, I knew I had to give it a try. I only made a few changes, but I agree that they taste just like those from the restaurant!
They require just a handful of common ingredients that you most likely already have on hand, and they only take about 30 minutes from start to finish! That’s even less time than it would take to load up the family and drive to the nearest Chick-fil-A, so it’s definitely a win-win situation. Now, I just need to learn how to make their Chik-fil-A sauce because that stuff is so addicting. 😉
Ingredient Tips
To pickle, or not to pickle, that is the question! We like it both ways! However, there are some who swear by this step. Should you wish to try it for yourself simply cut your chicken into 1 inch cubes, place in a bag, add dill pickle juice, let it marinate for at least 20 minutes, then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
Oil: Another recipe choice is to decide what oil to fry these in. We used vegetable oil. You could use peanut oil like the restaurant does. You can also use coconut oil, though it may not be quite as browned and crispy. Each of them will add a different flavor so use the one you like best.
How to Make Copycat Chick Fil A Nuggets
CUT. Cut up chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.
WHISK. Add milk and egg to a bowl and whisk together, then set aside.
COMBINE. Pour flour, powdered sugar, salt, and pepper in a gallon-sized ziploc bag.
COAT. Put chicken pieces in the egg mixture. Once they are well coated, transfer the chicken pieces to the ziploc bag and shake to evenly cover with seasonings.
COOK. Place chicken in pan with oil and cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes on each side until golden brown.
DRAIN. Drain the pieces on a paper towel
SERVE. Serve warm with ketchup, homemade ranch, fry sauce or honey mustard. ENJOY!
Air fryer: If you don’t want to fry them in oil you can definitely use an airfryer. The taste and texture may vary because of the lack of oil. If you want to crisp them up more, you can stick them under the broiler in the oven .
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F and lightly spray the fryer basket. Place nuggets in a single layer, be sure they are not touching. Fry for 6-9 minutes, turning halfway.
Tips, Dips, & Making Ahead
How many nuggets should I plan for a crowd? This one is a little tricky to answer. If there are going to be other appetizers I would plan 4-5 nuggets per person. If it is going to be the main dish plan 6-8 per child and 10-12 per adult.
Dipping Sauces:
- BBQ Sauce
- Fry Sauce
- Ketchup
- Ranch
- Honey Mustard
Ahead of time: You can make them the day before, allow them to cool and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat them in the oven at 300°F for 5-6 minutes or until hot. You can also make them ahead of time, allow them to cool and freeze them. You can either store them in individual portion containers of 8-10 nuggets or throw them all into a large bag. Just be sure the container(s) are air tight and freezer safe. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave, toaster oven, air fryer, or oven. (store leftovers in the same manner)
This recipe pairs perfectly with:
- Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Cheesy Zucchini Tots
- Best Homemade Lemonade
- Easy Fruit Salad
- Granola Yogurt Parfait
For more quick and easy chicken recipes, check out:
- Chicken Caesar Wraps
- Baked Chicken Fingers
- Crispy Baked Ranch Chicken
- Oven Baked Drumsticks
- Parmesan Chicken Bake
Copycat Chick Fil A Nuggets Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 eggs
- 1 cup flour
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- vegetable oil
Instructions
- Begin by cutting up your chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. M
- Place oil in a medium pan and turn to medium heat.
- From there add your milk and egg to a bowl and whisk together until combined. Set aside.
- Pour your flour, powdered sugar, salt and pepper into a gallon bag.
- Add several chicken pieces to your milk/egg mixture until well coated and then throw the pieces into your gallon bag and shake until each piece is evenly coated.
- Place chicken pieces in oil and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Drain pieces onto paper towel and serve warm.
Oh, fun tip for you all making these: get a bag of frozen waffle fries and bake those as you cook the chicken. You’ll feel even more like you’re at Chick Fil A! haha 🙂
Yes, for sure!! Thanks!
You have no idea how happy these make my kids! They want to go to chick Fil A all the time. These taste just like theirs!
We love these nuggets. They taste even better than the Chick-fil-A ones! We will be making them more often.
thank you for sharing this! My kids absolutely love chick fil a nuggets & they will think I am the best, if I can make them at home!
THere’s a close sauce…try great value “chicken” saUce…pretty yummy & easy to find. Plus it comes in a squeeze bottlE!
Yes, it’s good!
it would be helpful to have an idea of how much oil to use.
I use enough to coat the bottom like 1/2in high. Hope that helps 🙂 Enjoy!
Any kind of nugget is a favorite in our home.
mine tunrned out more smooth than chic fil A niggest, but they tasted great!
Yummy nuggets. We definitely don’t pickle juice it!
Our family favorite! Everyday can be a Chick-fil-A day now 😉
I love Chick-fil-A but it’s so pricey for a fanily of 5. This copycat recipe was easy to footie and tasted great!
My kids (and husband) can barely tell the difference! We love these for a simple weeknight dinner!
We love these nuggets! We don’t live too close to a chick fil a so these are awesome to make when we need our fix!
*WHERE* has this recipe been? My kids looove this copycat recipe (and secretly? So do I!)
The whole family loved them! Definately a favorite!
Love this copycat recipe! Chick-fil-A is close by but it’s so much easier when you don’t have to leave the house! And so much more economical!
Happy you like it!! Thank you for sharing that!
Easily one of the best CFA knockoffs around. We made one tiny change- brined the chicken in a little pickle juice. If you’re wanting nuggets and home- this is definitely the recipe.
We love this recipe at our house. Chick fil a is one of our favorites; but , the closest is an hour away from our house . I’m so happy to have found this recipe so that we can easily make it when we get the craving for chick fil a. It’s a bit messy to make, but so worth it!
Can this be done in the air fryer?
I haven’t tried, but I am sure they could 😉
I’ve probably made these a dozen times since finding the recipe a year ago. The people sometimes forget to save me any so I’ve learned to eat as I’m cooking. BIG hit in our house!
Awe, that makes me so happy to hear that you like the nuggets that much! I’m glad you’ve figured out a way to have some before they’re all gone! 😉