Chick Fil A Grilled Nuggets – this copycat recipe is so easy to make and tastes so similar, you’re going to love it! Use your favorite dipping sauce and they’re ready for dinner tonight!
You know I love a good copycat recipe. And I know you guys love them too, so I’ve been working on a good one! I had a few requests for this one, and it took some time, but I think I finally got it!
A homemade take on Chick Fil A Nuggets that are so tender, juicy and seasoned just right.
Why you will love this recipe
- No matter what day of the week it is, you can enjoy these grilled nuggets at home while watching a game, a simple family dinner, or anytime.
- Super easy with ingredients you probably already have on hand.
- They cook in no time, I have instructions for stove top or air fryer, you can use either to cook them however you like!
what you will need
- Chicken breast
- dill pickle juice
- milk
- powdered sugar
- Salt
- Black pepper
- garlic powder
- paprika
Let’s get that out of the way right now. I know Chick-Fil-A calls their chicken dairy-free, so they don’t use cow’s milk. But it, combined with the pickle juice (which I know they probably don’t use either) gives it the perfect texture with ingredients you have on hand. So if you have a milk allergy, just use the nut milk you normally use.
Why pickle juice
I’ll be the first to stand up and say I hate pickles. I can spot them a mile away and remove them from anything. But the pickle juice and milk together is a brine for the chicken, making it super tender and juicy. I ran test marinating times and 45 minutes gave it the perfect texture, but not long enough for the chicken to pick up a cucumber flavor.
Longer than 60 minutes and you might start tasting cucumber, probably not much for the average person but for me it was enough, I recommend 45 minutes.
How to Make Chick Fil A Grilled Nuggets
- Cut your chicken into bite-sized pieces and trim and grease. Place the chicken in a bowl and pour over the milk and cucumber juice. Stir and press down on the chicken so it’s mostly covered. Leave for 45 minutes.
- Remove the chicken and place on a tray lined with kitchen paper. Also, blot the top with a paper towel to dry the chicken pieces.
- Mix the chicken with the remaining ingredients until well coated.
- Now it’s time to cook! You can heat a little oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook, partially turning, until the chicken is fully cooked, 10-12 minutes. Or you can place it in the air fryer in a single layer and cook at 400º for 8-10 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Once the chicken is fully cooked (an internal temperature of 165ºF), remove from heat and serve with your favorite dip.
recipe tips
- Yes, use powdered sugar. I get it, people see it in a chicken recipe and freak out. I get asked about it all the time. But just trust me, it works, it gives it the same flavor as the restaurant. Of course, if you don’t want to use it, you don’t have to, but it does change the taste.
- Cut your chicken into roughly equal pieces so they cook at the same speed. You don’t want to have some big ones and some small ones, or you’ll have some over-cooked and dry pieces before they’re all done.
- I used dill pickle juice because I have that on hand. Some brands are saltier than others. If you know your dish will be salty, you can reduce the salt specified in the recipe. But the first few times I made these, I had to keep increasing the salt because 45 minutes wasn’t enough time for the chicken to absorb much of the saltiness from the juice.
- Serve with any dipping sauce. Chick Fil A sauce is now available at most grocery stores, or you can use our favorite canes sauce and really mix them up.
storage
These grilled nuggets are a great thing to make extra and have on hand for the week. You can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Then reheat in the microwave or air fryer until heated through. You can add it to salads and wraps or simply enjoy it on its own.
Love Chick-fil-A? Don’t miss my other copycat recipes of them!
Yield: 4
Chick Fil A Grilled Nuggets
Chick Fil A Grilled Nuggets – this copycat recipe is so easy to make and tastes so similar, you’re going to love it! Use your favorite dipping sauce and they’re ready for dinner tonight!
preparation time 5 minutes
cooking time 10 mins
Extra time 45 minutes
total time 1 hour
ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/3 cup dill pickle juice
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
instructions
- . Place the chicken in a bowl and pour over the milk and cucumber juice. Stir and press down on the chicken so it’s mostly covered. Leave for 45 minutes.
- Remove the chicken and place on a tray lined with kitchen paper. Also, blot the top with a paper towel to dry the chicken pieces.
- Toss the chicken with the powdered sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika until well coated.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook, turning partially, until the chicken is fully cooked, 10-12 minutes. (Notes on air fryer below)
- Once the chicken is fully cooked (an internal temperature of 165ºF), remove from heat and serve with your favorite dip.
Remarks
Do you want to cook in your hot air fryer? Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer and cook at 400º for 8-10 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.
Nutritional Information
yield
4
serving size
1
amount per serving calories 206total fat 4gSaturated Fatty Acids 1gtrans fat 0gunsaturated fat 2gcholesterol 98mgsodium 598mgcarbohydrates 4gdietary fiber 0gsugar 3gprotein 36g
Nutritional Disclaimer: All information on this website is for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should be used as a general guide only.
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Welcome to Dinners, Dishes & Desserts, where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and I’m a casual cook who loves to feed people. This blog has hundreds of quick and easy recipes, mostly made from scratch. I spend my days in the kitchen creating new recipes to share with family and friends.
