Chick Fil A Nuggets

Square side shot of the best Chick Fil A nugget recipe on a plate with honey mustard sauce.

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5 from 2 votes

A homemade copycat version of your family's favorite fast food chicken nugget recipe!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword chick fil a chicken nuggets, chick fil a nugget recipe, chick fil a nuggets, chick fil a nuggets recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Resting Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings people

Calories 381kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup milk
½ cup dill pickle juice
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Peanut oil or vegetable oil, for frying
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
For serving: ketchup, honey mustard, Chick-Fil-A sauce, Polynesian sauce

Instructions

In a large Ziploc bag or in a large bowl, combine the chicken, milk, and pickle juice. Toss to combine, and then refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 24 hours. Add the eggs to the chicken mixture. Stir to combine.
Place the flour, breadcrumbs, powdered sugar, salt, garlic powder, paprika, baking powder, onion powder, and black pepper in a dish.
Pour oil to a depth of at least 1 ½ inches in a Dutch oven or deep fryer. Heat the oil over high heat until it reaches 360°F. Use a deep-fry thermometer to make sure that the oil reaches and stays at a consistent temperature of 350°F - 360°F. If you don't have a thermometer, no problem! Instead, when the oil is hot (but not smoking), add a drop of water to the pan -- if it sizzles, the oil is hot enough for the chicken.
Remove the chicken from the egg mixture, shaking off any excess. Dredge in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Let the chicken pieces dry on wire racks for 5-10 minutes.
Working in batches, fry the chicken until it’s a deep golden brown, about 3 – 3 ½ minutes total (flipping halfway through if it’s not in a deep fryer). Adjust the heat to maintain an oil temperature of 350°F - 360°F. Don't overcrowd the pan with too many pieces at once (which will bring down the temperature). Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet and sprinkle with a little more salt.

Video

Notes

Never cover your warm fried chicken nuggets with foil. This traps steam and moisture, which will make the nuggets soggy. Instead, place them directly onto a baking sheet and leave them uncovered. Keep them warm in a 200°F oven (uncovered) while you finish frying the remaining batches.

It's difficult to calculate the exact nutrition facts for homemade fried chicken nuggets because the amount of oil absorbed in each piece will vary, and the amount of breading that adheres to each piece will vary. The nutrition information provided below is merely an estimate; the numbers assume that about ½ cup of oil is absorbed by the chicken in the cooking process and about half of the breading adheres to the meat.

Nutrition