# Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets (Copycat)

A copycat recipe for Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets, made at home.

- Cuisine: American
- Category: Drink
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 4 chicken breasts
- 1 cup dill pickle juice
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp white granulated sugar
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 8 cups peanut oil
- Salt, for topping

## Instructions

1. Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch chunks. Place in a medium bowl and pour the dill pickle juice over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, whole milk, and 1 tablespoon of the dill pickle marinade. This is your egg wash.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, paprika, black pepper, kosher salt, and sugar.
4. Pour the peanut oil into a large heavy-bottom pot and heat over medium to medium-high until the oil reaches 350°F. A digital thermometer is highly recommended.
5. When the chicken has finished marinating, drain it and transfer it to the egg wash. Toss to fully coat.
6. Remove the chicken from the egg wash, allowing excess liquid to drip off, then transfer to the flour mixture. Toss with your fingers until evenly coated.
7. Shake off excess flour from each piece.
8. Carefully lower the chicken into the 350°F oil in batches. Fry for 5–7 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
9. Remove the cooked nuggets and place on a wire rack or paper towels. Lightly sprinkle with kosher salt while hot.
10. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.

## Equipment

- large heavy-bottom pot
- digital thermometer
- wire rack

## Tips

- Do not coat the chicken in the flour mixture unless your oil is fully preheated. Letting the coated chicken sit too long before frying can cause the breading to clump or fall off.
- Chicken is safe at 165°F. Removing at 160°F allows carryover cooking to bring it to temperature while keeping the nuggets juicy.
- These nuggets reheat really well in the air fryer or the oven; I often make large batches ahead of time and reheat them as needed.
- The nuggets will stay fresh for 3 days in an airtight container or Ziploc bag.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZThE84qk5/
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/c6e09b46-1323-432b-837d-556dc8e67c9e
- Extracted: 2026-03-18

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt