Some huge Chik-fil-A fans I happen to know told me this recipe is not only just like it, but it is even better! They are delicious!
There is an UNUSUAL MARINADE of milk mixed with pickle juice, believe it or not! Now don’t think “yuck” like I did! Ha-ha! It will give it that distinct flavor! You put the marinade in a Zip Lock bag with the nuggets, put it in the refrigerator for a while, then fry them. I think the longer you marinate the chicken pieces, the better. Several hours is good, 6-8 hours is better! No more than overnight though. You don’t want the pickle juice to overpower the chicken!
Besides the special marinade, the powdered sugar, paprika, and baking powder are key ingredients, too, in my opinion. And if you use PEANUT OIL to fry them in, that definitely helps to make the nuggets more crunchy than other oils.
I cut the nuggets to about a small to medium size and that will give you a hand full of nuggets per serving. If you cut them large, you have to fry them longer. With the nuggets cut small or medium, you get more of that delicious, crispy coating!
I am personally not a fan of fried foods, but if you know any Chik-fil-A fans, this is a great copycat recipe you can easily make at home; and it’s cheaper too than ordering out. These are so good! SO TASTY! This recipe is based on the one from iwashyoudry.com with just a few changes I made that I like.
See some pictures how I made it in the slideshow below.
Enjoy!
Chicken Nuggets Like Chick-fil-A
Equipment
- 1 Deep fryer
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken boneless, skinless, cut into medium-sized chunks
THE MARINADE:
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup dill pickle juice
THE COATING MIXTURE:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup breadcrumbs plain
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, heaping
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
THE OIL FOR FRYING:
- Peanut oil at least 1 inch deep
Instructions
- In a Ziplock bag, mix the milk and pickle juice, then add in the chicken nugget pieces.
- Squeeze the bag to be sure the nuggets are covered with the marinade.
- Refrigerate them in the marinade for at least a half hour, about 3-6 hours is even better! No more than overnight though. You don’t want the pickle juice to be too prominent!
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, breadcrumbs, powdered sugar, garlic powder, salt, paprika, baking powder, and black pepper. Cover the bowl and set it aside at room temperature.
- When ready to fry, put the oil at least one inch deep into a deep fryer and heat the oil to 350°F.
- Drain the chicken nuggets from the marinade. Discard the marinade.
- Dredge the chicken nuggets in the coating mixture.
- Fry them in the oil for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Place them on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Serve immediately.