Copycat Chick-Fil-A Nuggets! Skip the line and make them at home! Made with real chicken breasts. These nuggets taste just like the ones you can buy. But only for a fraction of the cost.

Copycat chick fil a nugget dipping into chick fil a sauce.

How to make Chick-Fil-A Nuggets at home:

  1. Cut the chicken! these Homemade Chicken Nuggets start with actual chicken breast cut into 1 inch pieces. The pieces don’t have to be perfect, that’s one of the things I love about Chick-Fil-A nuggets.
  2. Soak the chicken. After we cut up the chicken, then it’s placed in a large bowl filled with eggs and milk. I let the chicken sit in the mixture for about 15-20 minutes before moving to the next step.
  3. Bread the chicken. Add the breading mixture to a large plastic bag that can be sealed. Pull the chicken from the milk mixture scrape off any additional egg or milk, and then add to the bag with the breading.
  4. Fry the chicken. You only need to add a small amount of oil to the pan, just to add a nice thick coat to the bottom of the pan. We don’t need to immerse the chicken in the oil.
step by step how to make chick fil a chicken nuggets. Showing: soaking the chicken, making the breading mixture, coating the chicken, and frying in oil.

What oil does Chick-Fil-A use?

They use peanut oil for frying their chicken. So that’s the same oil that is called for in this recipe. Peanut oil is a mild tasting oil with a high smoke point of 450 degrees F.

Overhead view of basket filled with waffle fries, copycat chick fil a nuggets and sauce.

About pickle juice:

I tried brining the chicken in pickle juice and this method does give a distinct flavor to the chicken. And honestly, I don’t feel the chicken I get from the restaurant has that flavor.

So in my final recipe we just soak the chicken in some milk and egg for a little bit prior to breading and frying.

Make sure you snag the recipe for the Copycat Chick-Fil-A Sauce while you’re here so you have a complete experience!

Copycat chick fil a nugget dipping into chick fil a sauce.

Copycat Chick Fil A Nuggets

Servings: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Author: Serene
Course: dinner
Cuisine: American
Copycat Chick Fil A Nuggets! Skip the line and make them at home! Made with real chicken breasts. These nuggets taste just like the ones you can buy. But only for a fraction of the cost.
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Ingredients

  • 1½ pounds chicken breast
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 and 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tbsp powdered sugar
  • ½ cup peanut oil

Equipment

Instructions

  • Cut the chicken breasts to 1 inch pieces.
  • In a large mixing bowl combine the eggs and milk. Add in the chicken pieces. Place the bowl in the fridge to sit for about 15 minutes while preparing the bread crumbs.
  • In a large plastic bag that can be sealed, add the breadcrumbs, flour, paprika, salt, pepper, and powdered sugar. Stir with a fork to combine.
  • Add the chicken nuggets and shake the bag to coat the nuggets in the breading.
  • Pour the oil into a large skillet. Heat over medium high heat.
  • Add the chicken nuggets one by one, and work in batches so the pan isn't too crowded.
  • Line a plate or pan with paper towels and once the chicken nuggets have been fried for about 1-2 minutes on each side and are golden brown, remove from the oil and place on the paper towels to dry and cool.
  • Continue until all of the chicken has been fried.
  • Serve with Copycat Chick-Fil-A Sauce.

Notes

Internal temperature of chicken should be 165 when completely cooked.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 424kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 45g, Fat: 17g
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Recipe first posted on May 18. 2018. Recipe post updated on March 20, 2020. Recipe remains unchanged.

I started out trying the recipe for Homemade Chick-Fil-A Sandwiches by Serious Eats and went from there!