Copycat Chick-fil-A Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce are just as good as the real thing. Enjoy this delicious take-out-fake-out chicken dinner at home!
When you’re gluten free, most fast food restaurants are a hard no.
Except Chick-fil-A coming in clutch with waffle fries and grilled chicken nuggets!
When you’re craving crunch and a taste of traditional chicken nuggets though, you will not believe how delicious and simple copycat Chick-fil-A Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce are. Skip the drive-thru for this homemade version you can make right at home!
Start by cutting a couple large chicken breasts into bite sized pieces then season with salt and pepper and place them inside a medium-sized bowl or gallon-size Ziplock bag.
To the bag add a marinade consisting of milk (any kind), an egg, and pickle juice.
Yes, pickle juice! I once heard that the key to Chick-fil-A’s signature chicken nugget flavor that it’s injected with pickle juice. Who’s to say if that’s true but either way, the addition of pickle juice to the marinade will impart juiciness and flavor to the chicken nuggets — and that’s definitely not a bad thing!
Let the chicken marinate in the mixture for 2-4 hours in the fridge.
When it’s time to cook the chicken, combine gluten free flour (or all-purpose flour if not gluten free) to another gallon-size Ziplock bag with powdered sugar, salt, and pepper then seal and shake to combine.
Transfer the chicken pieces into the mixture with tongs then seal and shake the bag again to evenly coat the chicken pieces.
Next heat peanut oil, which is what Chick-fil-A uses to fry all their foods, in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. If you don’t have peanut oil, vegetable or canola oil will work great.
Test the oil to see if it’s hot enough by dropping a bit of the flour mixture into the pot. If it sizzles, the oil is ready. It it pops and spatters, the oil is too hot. If it does nothing at all, it’s too cold.
Working in two batches in order to avoid crowding the pan, place the coated chicken pieces into the oil using tongs. Cook until one side is golden brown, 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook until the other side is golden brown.
It depends on how big you cut your chicken, but my 1″ chicken pieces take about 3 minutes on each side.
Remove the chicken to a paper-towel lined plate then continue with the other half.
Serve ’em hot and fresh with a simple homemade honey mustard sauce that’s spoon-drink-worthy. SO GOOD!
I know you can buy Chick-fil-A sauce at the grocery store these days, but my homemade, creamy honey mustard sauce is super simple, and a bit lighter. It’s the perfect pairing.
Dip, devour, and enjoy!
Chick-fil-A Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- 1lb chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3/4 cup milk, any kind
- 1/4 cup dill pickle juice
- 1 egg
- 1-1/4 cups flour, gluten free or all-purpose (dish will not be GF if using AP flour)
- 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup peanut oil, divided, or canola or vegetable oil
For the Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1-1/2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 Tablespoons honey
Directions
For the Chicken Nuggets:
- In a medium-size mixing bowl or gallon-size Ziplock bag, add the egg, milk, and pickle juice then whisk or squish to combine. Add the chicken pieces then cover or seal and marinate in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.
- In another gallon-size Ziplock bag, add the flour, powdered sugar, salt, and pepper then shake to combine. Remove the chicken from the marinade then add to the bag with the dry ingredients and shake to coat the chicken completely.
- Add the oil to a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or dutch oven then heat over medium-high heat (6 or 7 out of 10). Test the oil by dropping in a bit of the flour mixture. If it sizzles, the oil is ready, if it pops, lower the temperature a bit, if it does nothing, the oil is too cold.
- Carefully place half the chicken pieces into the oil with tongs. Cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown on one side. Turn the chicken over then cook for 2-3 more minutes. Remove the pieces to a paper-towel lined plate then cook the other half of the chicken.
For the Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:
- Stir together the honey mustard dipping sauce ingredients then serve with the hot chicken bites. Can be made up to 5 days ahead of time.
Notes
- Estimated nutrition information includes all the cooking oil.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I love Chick-fil-a nuggets but we don’t have a Chick-fil-A in NY! Probably a good thing. :) These look delish! I wonder if the pickle thing is true… hmmm!
The pickle thing is definitely true!
So fun and delicious looking! Cheers to almost-Friday!
I’ve never been to ANY of the three places you mentioned! We have two of them near us, so I guess I need to try it the next time I get fast food. Which, like you, is hardly ever! I agree – it just makes me feel so yucky afterward.
Can we all bow our heads in a moment of silence, for Michelle, who has NEVER eaten Chick Fil A! … lol No, really… this makes me sad for you! lol j/k Seriously though, tomorrow…drop everything you are doing and RUN to get a Chick-fil-a original chicken sandwich AND nuggets for the side. Yes, I am suggesting you get a chicken sandwich with a side of chicken. : )Trust me! Don’t eat the next day (kidding) or exercise double if you must! Also, for dipping sauces while your there, grab a polynesian sauce and a side of their honey roasted bbw, not the regular. DO IT! ; )
Don’t eat fast food either,but am DEF making these for my lunch tomorrow…yum yum!
i am scared to even tell my husband you posted this recipe because he is a chick-fil-a FREAK! until they opened one in chicago, he would drive to milwaukee about once/month and get a TRAY (party platter size) of nuggets to eat over a few days. i’m not proud.
anyways, these look delicious!! and i’m with you on those 3 fast food spots — generally it’s a no go for me, but those are super delish :) and i’m also always down for a mcd’s ice cream cone!
Wow girl, I am so impressed. And I thought your chipotle bowls were something….these look better than the ones at Chic-fil-A
If I left this up and my husband found it, he would expect to have it in about ohhh I don’t know, four hours? Haha he’s obsessed with their chicken, but we don’t eat fast food anymore!
Yum! Perfect to try on the weekend!
These look awesome Kristin! One question: do you think you could marinate them for longer (like all day)? I don’t come home for lunch, so it would be hard to make them during the week if not!
I have made them before and we actually had them marinade in the milk mixture in the fridge for over a day (dinner plans changed) and they were moist and delicious!
I think you could, but I would leave out the pickle juice in the marinade, as it might start to cook/pickle the chicken if you leave it in there too long. They’ll still taste great!
Sorry, I was a manager at Chic fil a If you leave out the pickle juice..It’s not a true copycat of their chicken..
OMG! Thank you! You will make my family VERY happy!!!! I can’t wait to try this!
Jenny a stand alone Chickfila is true! I live in Florida and we’ve got tons of the stand alone ones! Let me tell you someething, that drive thru line is so long it always wraps around the entire building.
My husband & I are also anti-fastfood but there is something about Chik Fil A that draws you in. Thankfully the only one here is inside the mall. That said, rumor has it that CFA is getting a stand alone store by Kohls in WDM!?
I would never have thought to add powdered sugar to chicken?! But I trust you. ;)
You will adore it!