Chick Fil A Chicken Nuggets - CopyKat Recipes (2024)

While many love the traditional chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A’s juicy, delectable chicken nuggets more than hold their own on the menu, especially compared to lesser fast food nuggets. This recipe mimics the best parts of the original — plus, it’s available on Sunday!

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Chick Fil A Chicken Nuggets

Chick-fil-A doesn’t boast the most extensive menu among fast food chains or the most exotic. But the company has developed a huge and dedicated base of diehard fans simply by focusing on doing one thing right — fried chicken. The iconic chicken sandwich might be its most popular offering, but real fans know there’s no better way to enjoy the juicy, perfectly fried chicken than on its own, with Chick-fil-A nuggets.

But if you’re craving them far from a Chick-fil-A, or worse, it’s a Sunday (when all restaurant locations are closed), there’s no need to worry. It’s surprisingly easy to whip up chicken nuggets like Chick Fil A in your home kitchen without any special gear or ingredients.

Why This is the Best Recipe for Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets

This isn’t just any old recipe for how to make Chick fil A chicken nuggets. It’s hard to get closer to the real thing than this, thanks to a coating made from flour and finely crushed saltine crackers, enhanced with a touch of sugar and spice. There’s also an extra chicken-y boost from the overnight marinade in bouillon, water, and seasoned salt.

The chicken is fried in peanut oil, just like the real Chick fil A chicken nuggets recipe. This adds a subtle nuttiness to the fried chicken that complements the savory flavors. Fortunately, most refined peanut oil has been processed to remove allergens, meaning that even most people with peanut allergies can safely enjoy it. However, it’s easy to swap out everyday vegetable oil or canola oil if you have allergies and prefer to be extra cautious, or that’s all you have on hand.

Ingredients

You don’t need much in the way of Chick fil A chicken nuggets ingredients:

• Chicken breast (boneless and skinless) or chicken tenders
• Seasoned salt (McCormick or Morton Season-All)
• Chicken bouillon cubes
• All-purpose flour
• Saltine crackers (crushed into fine powder)
• Paprika
• Water
• Peanut oil (for frying)

It’s important to note that this recipe does not contain any dill pickle juice, despite speculation that it’s part of the Chick-fil-A marinade. Insider spoke to an employee who confirmed this several years ago, and there’s no reason to think they’ve changed since. Some, like Lifehacker, believe Chick-fil-A adds a bit of MSG to its brine and breading to amp up the savory flavor.

Ingredient Substitutions

Home cooks looking for the most authentic Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets recipe should leave the breading as-is, but those in the mood to experiment can add additional seasonings, from chili powder and cayenne pepper to cajun or Italian seasoning blends.

It’s also possible to answer the question, “Are chick fil a chicken nuggets gluten free?” with a yes, they can be made that way. Simply swap the regular flour for a gluten-free cup-for-cup blend and replace ordinary crackers with wheat-free ones.

As noted earlier, it’s also easy to change out the peanut oil. Any relatively neutral flavor oil with a high smoke point will work.

How to Make Chick Fil A Chicken Nuggets at Home

I am inclined to believe that they do marinate the chicken as well, my solution for this is marinating the chicken in chicken bouillon and a touch of seasoned salt will do the trick of amplifying the flavor of the chicken. It the secret ingredient in this copycat nuggets recipe.

Making chicken nuggets that taste like Chick fil A requires just a few steps but a bit of planning and patience.

1. Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.
2. Place the chicken pieces in a bowl of water, dissolved bouillon, and seasoned salt. Brine overnight.
3. Drain the chicken and discard the brine.

4. Heat oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit in a pot or deep fryer.
5. Meanwhile, combine the breading ingredients and toss the chicken chunks in the flour and cracker mixture.
6. Let the coated chicken rest on a wire rack for a few minutes to help the breading stick.
7. Fry in batches until the coating has turned golden brown and the chicken has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. For the crispiest chicken nuggets, drain them on a wire rack instead of paper towels.

Equipment Notes

While it’s certainly possible to fry these nuggets in a large pot, a dedicated deep fryer will produce the best results.

So I like to make sure my nuggets are cooked where I can readily measure the temperature of the oil. I prefer to cook the nuggets at 350°F. The internal temperature of the chicken should be 150°F before consuming it.

What Goes Well With Chicken Nuggets

Round out your meal with classic waffle fries or French Fries. A side of coleslaw, simple green salad, or roasted vegetables are also great choices. Oh, and check out my copycat Chick Fil A sauce recipe.

How to Store

Like all fried chicken, Chick-fil-A nuggets are best enjoyed hot and fresh. But the leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

How to Freeze

Cooked copycat Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for one to three months.

How to Reheat

To preserve as much of the coating’s crispness as possible, reheat Chick-fil-A nuggets on a baking sheet and bake them in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven. This will take about ten minutes.

You can also reheat them in an air fryer. Place the nuggets in a single layer in the air fryer basket and air fry them at 350°F for about three to five minutes.

If you’re in a rush, they can be microwaved for 30 seconds at a time until hot, though the steamier cooking environment will result in a less crunchy coating.

Sauces to Serve with Chicken Nuggets

The possibilities are unlimited. You can serve chicken nuggets with a variety of sauces to dip them in.

• Barbecue Sauce
• Buttermilk Ranch
• Chick Fil A Sauce
• Honey Mustard
• Hot Mustard Sauce
• Jan Sauce
• Raising Cane’s Dipping Sauce
• Red Robin Campfire Sauce
• TGI Fridays Jack Daniels Sauce
• Zesty Sauce

More Chicken Fil A Copycat Recipes

• Chick fil A Mac and Cheese
• Chick Fil A Sandwich Recipe
• Chick Fil A Frozen Lemonade
• Chick Fil A Frosted Coffee

Be sure to check out more of my easy chicken recipes and the best fast food copycat recipes.