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 always thought that Chick-fil-a chicken tasted like pickle juice. I always thought that they just took the pickles out of the chicken burgers when I ordered them, and people told me they couldn’t detect it. Thanks for proving me right! ;)
Planning to try these tonight, but using soymilk. The copycat sauce w/ mayo, BBQ, mustard, honey, and lemon juice is very good.
Thinking they might be good for leftover school lunches.
We happen to live next door to the owners of our local CFA. We asked them one time if their chicken has pickle juice in it, because we had heard the same. They laughed and said no. They had never even heard that theory before!
These were great..we ate them all. Can’t wait to cook them for my grand kids!
We don’t have a Chick-Fil-a out here in Minnesota, but growing up with one in Wyoming, I can say I miss it terribly! In honor of Chick-fil-a appreciation day yesterday, we made these at home. THEY WERE A HUGE HIT! Thank you so much!!
This is awesome. First time I made it I wasn’t sure but it was such a hit. I make it once a week. I change it up with fingers and chunks… either way it’s fabulous!! thank you
So good!!!!! But definitely use peanut oil!!!!!
Copy-Cat Chick-fil-a sauce recipe, starting from the largest amount used: mayonnaise, mustard, barbeque sauce a little bit of honey, and a touch of lemon juice. Just mix it all together. I didn’t use measurements, sorry.
OMG, this was soooo good, and really easy! I didn’t even have to buy any special ingredients! Thank you for sharing!
Love Chic-Fil-A! Esp receipt day and they’re a great christian company as well!
I plan to make these tommorow for my husband, I was just wondering what you would recommend as a side??
I would probably do steamed broccoli and a side salad, and maybe some regular or sweet potato fries!
They use pickle juice in the grilled chicken and chicken strips marinade, not nuggets or regular chicken sandwiches. They use regular milk and egg wash for the nuggets and fried chicken breasts. The pickle juice wasn’t mixed with milk, it was mixed with a packaged powder marinade that you add water and pickle juice to.
I have heard of Chick-fil-a but they don’t have them around me so I have not tried them. I am interested to try your recipe to get a sense of what the fuss is about but I can’t use milk. Is it worth trying with a milk substitute or would that just ruin it. And if so which kind would you recommend?