Chick-fil-A Grilled Nuggets Recipe

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Published: 10/26/2022 | Updated: 04/04/2024

Nuggets are quick snacks that are easy to make and allow much customization. The copycat chicken recipe we cover today is for the tasty Chick-fil-A Grilled Nuggets, which is easy to make and packs a punch with unique flavors. The best part is that it won’t take more than 40 minutes to make them.

The Secret of This Recipe

Pickle juice is the game-changing ingredient of this chicken bites recipe. People often take the juice straight out of the pickle jar, but you can simply opt for sweet pickle juice as you like.

Before choosing the pickles, remember that some pickles have more sodium than others. For this recipe, you’ll need pickle juice with less sodium. Check the pickle’s label to confirm that it does not have more than 150 mg of sodium. If you want your nuggets to be salty, ensure that you don’t choose pickles with more than 240 grams of sodium.

The second secret is powdered sugar, which helps create a nice crust and balance the seasonings. However, you must not use brown or granulated sugar.

Chick-fil-A Grilled Nuggets Recipe

• Prep Time: 30-40 minutes
• Serving: Five people
• Cook Time: 10 minutes

Here is the list of ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:

• Half a kilogram of skinless and boneless chicken, cut into small pieces
• Half a cup of pickle juice (dill pickle juice is the best)
• A quarter cup of milk (use whole or low-fat as you like)
• Two tablespoons of powdered sugar
• Two tablespoons of dry chicken rub
• One tablespoon of black pepper
• A quarter teaspoon of garlic powder
• A quarter teaspoon of paprika
• Olive or sunflower oil
• A quarter teaspoon of seasoned salt

Initially, these nuggets should not be spicy, but if you want to add some kick to them, you can add paprika and other spices. 

On the other hand, you can keep the nuggets as is but make the dipping sauce a bit spicy, so anyone who likes spicy and hot food won’t feel left out. 

Instructions

1. Cut and Clean the Chicken

Have your chicken ready and cut them into bite-sized pieces of chicken. That way, adults and kids will enjoy these nuggets. Also, ensure that there is no fat on the chicken, and remove and discard the fat, leaving the chicken clean.

You can also use store-bought, ready-made bite-sized chicken. However, we recommend that you use the freshest meat. It is better to get fresh chicken so you can enjoy the tenderness. 

2. Marinate the Chicken

Add pickle juice and milk to a bowl; if you use almond milk, make sure it is not sweet or has flavors. Place the chicken pieces into the bowl and cover them with a plastic bag. You can use a big ziplock bag instead of a bowl to marinate the chicken. 

Leave them for 30 minutes to marinate if you are in a hurry. On the other hand, if you decide to make these nuggets the following day, let the chicken marinate overnight.

Assuming you want to opt for 30 min marination, remove the chicken and place them on paper towels once the time is up. You can leave the marinate or remove the excess, depending on how you like the chicken. This is necessary; if too much marinate is left on the chicken, it will have a strong flavor. Line them up and gently dry them with a paper towel if you want to remove the excess milk and pickle juice. 

If you decide to make them spicy, ensure that your guests or kids can tolerate spice before letting them eat these nuggets. 

3. Prepare the Oil

Set your stove to medium-high and place a pan on it. Add olive or sunflower oil as desired, and let it warm. We recommend using sunflower oil because of its high smoking point. Frying chicken requires lots of heat, and sunflower oil is an ideal option. Moreover, sunflower oil is best if you want to taste juicy chicken.

4. Make the Seasoning

Grab a bowl and add salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, powdered sugar, and seasoning salt. If you get pickle juice with high sodium, do not add a lot of salt to this mixture, but if the sodium is low, you can add salt as you like. On the other hand, only add paprika if you have people who can tolerate the spice.

After adding all the ingredients, add the chicken to the bowl and mix it with your hands or a big spoon, so the chicken will be coated evenly. Make sure to season well, as it will enhance the chicken’s taste.

5. Cook the Chicken

Check your oil and see if it is boiling, and add the chicken pieces one by one. Do it gently, do not throw the chicken pieces to avoid splashing. Cook them for about eight to ten minutes. Keep on tossing them to cook them evenly. It might take more time to cook them evenly based on your stove, but the average time is ten minutes.

6. Remove and Serve

As the chicken pieces turn golden, it is time to remove them. Gently take them out so you won’t break them, and place them in another pan covered with paper towels to remove the excess oil. Let them rest for 60-90 seconds, and serve them with honey mustard sauce or your favorite sauce if you have it at home.

Additional Notes

You can follow this recipe to grill the nuggets. Instead of using the oil, simply put them on a grill and change sides once one side is brown—oil the nuggets to keep them juicy and tender. This recipe will serve approximately five to six people as the chicken size can make 24 bite-sized nuggets. You can use more chicken and change the amount of the ingredients accordingly.

Final Words

Making chicken nuggets is not difficult for your delicious meal. Follow our Chick-fil-A grilled nuggets recipe to get the job done within 40 minutes. Ensure the chicken and pickle juice are fresh for the best taste.

 

Ensure there is no fat on the chicken; clean and discard fat.

More Chick-fil-A Copycat Recipes

Chick-Fil-A Creamy Salsa Dressing Recipe
Chick-Fil-A Ice Cream Recipe
Chick-fil-A Kale Crunch Salad Recipe
Chick Fil a Chicken Sandwich Recipe
Chick Fil A Coleslaw Recipe