Copycat Chick Fil A Nuggets
These homemade crispy Chick-fil-A Nuggets bring the fast-food favorite right to your kitchen. Marinated in pickle juice for flavor and coated with a seasoned flour mix, they fry up crunchy, golden and juicy every time. They’re also freezer-friendly.
Ingredients
- 1.3 lbs boneless chicken breast cut into bite-sized cubes
Marinade
- ¼ cup pickle juice
- ½ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
Dredging
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon milk powder unsweetened
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
Frying
- Peanut oil or vegetable oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together pickle juice, milk, egg, and salt. Add the chicken pieces, cover, and refrigerate for 1–2 hours (or overnight for best flavor).
- In a shallow dish, combine flour, milk powder, salt, smoked paprika, black pepper, and garlic powder. Mix well.
- Remove chicken from the marinade, letting excess liquid drip off. Dredge each piece in the seasoned flour, pressing firmly to coat. Shake off any extra flour and place on a wire rack. For extra crunch, repeat the dredging step for a double coating. Let coated chicken rest for 10 minutes.
- Heat oil in a deep pot to medium heat (about 350°F / 175°C). Fry chicken in small batches until golden brown and fully cooked, 3–4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a wire rack to drain.
- Enjoy hot with your favorite dipping sauce.
Video
Notes
- Freezing: Arrange uncooked, coated nuggets on a tray and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag or container. Fry straight from frozen, just add 1–2 extra minutes cooking time.
- Reheating: Leftover cooked nuggets reheat best in an oven or air fryer at 350°F (175°C) until hot and crisp. Avoid microwaving, as it softens the coating.
- Oil choice: Peanut oil gives the closest flavor to Chick-fil-A, but vegetable or canola oil are good alternatives.
- Milk powder substitute: If you don’t have milk powder, simply skip it or use ½ teaspoon powdered sugar for a hint of sweetness.
Nutrition
Calories: 403kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 36gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 1301mgPotassium: 685mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 543IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 2mg
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