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    Recipe Idea Shop » Recipes » Chicken

    How to Make Crispy, Juicy Copycat Chick-fil-A Nuggets at Home

    by Kathy Owen · Mar 17, 2025 · Updated: Mar 17, 2025 · "As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases"

    Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside—these copycat Chick-fil-A nuggets bring the fast-food favorite straight to your kitchen!

    Copycat Chick Fil A Nuggets with honey mustard sauce
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Copycat Chick-Fil-A Nuggets 

    If you’ve ever craved Chick-fil-A nuggets on a Sunday (or just didn’t feel like making the drive), you’re in the right place!

    These homemade copycat nuggets are crispy, juicy, and packed with that signature flavor you love. The secret? A quick marinade, a perfectly seasoned coating, and a little trick to get that golden, crunchy texture.

    Best of all, you can make them anytime. No long lines, no closed signs, just delicious nuggets whenever the craving strikes. Get ready to fry up the best homemade nuggets you’ve ever had!

    Kitchen Tools

    • Frying Pan
    • Mixing Bowls
    • Measuring Cup

    Ingredients: 

    • Batter 
    • 6 chicken tenderloins, cut into 1 inch pieces 
    • 1 cup dill pickle juice 
    • 1 egg 
    • 1 cup milk 
    • 1 cup all purpose flour 
    • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar 
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 
    • 1 teaspoon pepper 
    • 1 teaspoon salt 
    A white table displays diced raw chicken on a cutting board, surrounded by bowls of flour, spices, baking powder, oil, milk, and a cracked egg—everything you need to make delicious Copycat Chick fil A Nuggets at home.

    How to Make Copycat Chick-fil-A Nuggets

    Place the cut chicken pieces in a bowl with the pickle juice. Cover with plastic wrap, and let the brine make the chicken tender in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. 

    placing cut chicken in glass bowl
    marinating chicken in pickle juice

    Add the milk and egg to a mixing bowl, whisking until combined. After the chicken has marinated for an hour, remove it from the pickle juice and transfer it to the milk mixture bowl. 

    whisking milk and egg in mixing bowl
    placing marinated chicken into milk and egg mixture

    Add the flour, powdered sugar, paprika, pepper, and salt to a large ziploc bag. Seal and mix the dry ingredients together until evenly distributed. 

    Prepare a frying pan with oil and heat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

    Place each chicken piece coated in the milk mixture into the flour mixture. Seal the bag again and shake up the chicken, coating each piece fully with flour. 

    blending flour, powdered sugar, paprika, pepper and salt to ziploc bag
    coating chicken pieces in flour and milk mixture

    Once the oil is hot, shake off each chicken piece of excess coating and place it in the frying pan. 

    Cook for 10 minutes until the outside of the chicken has become a golden brown color. 

    Preparing frying pan with oil and heat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
    cooking chicken in hot oil

    Remove from the frying pan and let the excess oil drip off on a paper towel-covered plate. 

    chicken on plate to remove excess oil
    chicken nuggets with fries

    Serve while still warm with a side of waffle fries and your favorite dipping sauce for the ultimate homemade feast.

    Try this recipe, and let us know if it becomes a new family favorite!

    Copycat Chick Fil A Nuggets served with waffle fries

    chick fil a nuggets collage with text overlay
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    A pile of crispy Copycat Chick fil A Nuggets sits on parchment paper atop a wooden board, with a small square dish of honey mustard sauce and a few waffle fries on the side.

    Chick-Fil-A Nuggets

    Juicy, golden, and packed with that signature Chick-Fil-A flavor—these homemade nuggets delivers all the flavor you love, anytime you crave it!

    Author: Recipe Idea Shop

    Rate this Recipe Print Pin Save Saved!
    Prep : 15 minutes mins
    Cook : 10 minutes mins
    30 minutes mins
    Total Time: 55 minutes mins
    Course : Chicken
    Cuisine : American
    Servings : 20 pieces

    Equipment

    • Frying Pan
    • Ziplock Bag

    Ingredients
     

    • batter 
    • 6 chicken tenderloins cut into 1 inch pieces 
    • 1 cup dill pickle juice
    • 1 egg
    • 1 cup milk
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon pepper
    • 1 teaspoon salt

    Instructions
     

    • Place cut chicken pieces into a bowl with pickle juice. Cover with plastic wrap and let this brine in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. 
    • In a mixing bowl, add milk and egg, whisking together until combined. Let the chicken marinate for an hour. Remove from the pickle juice and transfer in the milk mixture bowl. 
    • In a large ziploc bag, add flour, powdered sugar, paprika, pepper and salt. Seal and mix these dry ingredients together until evenly distributed.
    • Prepare a frying pan with oil and heat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 
    • Place each chicken piece coated in the milk mixture into the flour mixture. Seal the bag again and shake up the chicken, coating each piece fully with flour. 
    • Once the oil is hot, shake off each chicken piece of excess coating, and place into the frying pan. 
    • Cook for 10 minutes, until the outside of the chicken turns golden brown.
    • Remove from the frying pan and let the excess oil drip off on a paper towel covered plate. 
    • Serve while still warm with fries and your desired sauce. 
    Like this recipe?We Have More Here!
    A pile of crispy Copycat Chick fil A Nuggets sits on parchment paper with a dish of honey mustard sauce, all on a round wooden board. Two waffle fries rest nearby. Text above reads Copycat Chick fil A Nuggets.
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    About Kathy Owen

    Kathy Owen acquired the blog, Recipe Idea Shop in 2024. She was raised on a farm in Arkansas where having a big garden and good food to eat was the norm. She shares recipes for homemade comfort food and new trending dishes.

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