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.
They are sooo good and very close to the real thing. My husband and his best friend loved them. Thanks!!
Thank-you so much for sharing recipe my kids love these but can’ t take them often now I can make them at home!
Made these last night for my super finicky family. They are chick fil a fans, but like I said ….super finicky. Well, they DEVOURED them and now would like to know when I will make more. I think the pickle juice and the little amount of powder sugar really sets them apart, and makes them DELISH! I see myself making this recipe A LOT in the near future. Thanks!
This is a great recipe!! So not sure if you know this/ someone else commented, but adding some BBQ sauce to the honey mustard dipping sauce will get you a pretty comparable taste to actuall CFA sauce. It’s worth experimenting, but usually I add a drop or two of BBQ sauce into four tablespoons of the honey mustard. Give it a try!
Délicious!!!!
Third time that i make it and it will not be the last…:-)
OK, this explains a lot! I LOVED Chick-fil-a as a kid, and ever since I have always had a mysterious love of chicken and pickles. Now I know why! Thanks for sharing this. I can’t wait to try it!!
I found your recipe on Pinterest. Thanks for sharing! These nuggets were soo good!! Tastes just like Chick-fil-a! I’ll be sure to try to sauce too as soon as I can get to the grocery store :)
I made these last night. SOOOO good!!!! My whole family loved them!! I put them in my salad.
I prepare 95% of our food at home, so have no guilt with the occasional McD’s happy meal, Wendy’s single or all things CFA; however, it seems I always crave CFA on Sundays – when they are closed for church! Can’t wait to try these tonight…I can tell just by reading that they will be divine..thx!!!
Trying these tonight! They look great! Cant wait to eat! xD
As someone who hates pickles with a passion, will I like these? Do they taste pickely?
I don’t think they taste pickly at all, but if you hate pickles with a passion, you might be able to pick out the flavor, so I’d just leave it out. They’ll still be delicious!
Do you use sweet or dill pickle juice?
They look really good!
Dill!
This recipe is amazing! Made them for dinner and loved them. The Honey Mustard Dipping sauce it the best. I used fresh raw local honey, Fage Greek yogurt and grey poupon dijon mustard! These would also be great on a big salad with fresh dressing! Thank you!