Why is it always 8pm on a Sunday when they’re CLOSED, or it’s a random Tuesday when you want that perfectly juicy, crispy, pickle-brined chicken? And without having to put on real pants?
After years of obsession [and a lot of trial and error in my kitchen], I’ve finally cracked the Chick Fil A Chicken Recipe Copycat code. I’m talking that golden-brown crunch, that tender and flavorful inside, and yes – even that tangy, sweet, smoky sauce we all shamelessly hoard extra packets of. This was not easy, and there was a lot of trial and error.
If you are on the same quest, I can save you a lot of time.
Below, I rounded up my absolute ride-or-die, all-time favorites. These are my TOP 5 copycat Chick-fil-A chicken recipes that taste so close to the real thing, your family will think you made a secret chicken run.
Get ready to make your kitchen smell AMAZING. Let’s get into it!
Chick-fil-A Copycats I Keep Making
These are the Chick-fil-A copycats I make most: two sandwiches, two kinds of nuggets and a grilled one. Under each one is the full shopping list and the video to cook along with.
Spicy Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich
The spicy Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich is a crisp fried chicken breast with cayenne in the breading, on a soft brioche bun with a homemade Chick-fil-A sauce. It is the spicy version, and the video has almost 6 million views on YouTube, so it was the first one I tried. The chicken gets a half-hour pickle juice soak, a double dip in milk and egg, and a flour mix sweetened with powdered sugar, then it goes into a deep fryer or a pot of oil. The sauce is mayo, mustard, honey and a sweet BBQ sauce stirred together.
This recipe makes four sandwiches in about 45 minutes, and everyone at my table liked it. One picky kid took a bite and said it tastes like Chick-fil-A. Press the flour on hard with a flat hand, because that is what makes the thick, crunchy crust. The cayenne goes from a little to a lot, so start low if kids are eating and add more next time. Gouda or American cheese melts right on while the chicken is hot.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, halved
- 1/2 cup pickle juice
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tsp yellow mustard
- 2 tsp BBQ sauce (sweet hickory)
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika (sauce)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp paprika (breading)
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1-3 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- oil for frying
- 4 hamburger buns (brioche)
- pickles, lettuce, tomato and cheese slices (Gouda or American)
SaveOriginal Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich
The original Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich is a plain fried chicken fillet on a buttered, toasted bun with nothing but pickle chips. The cook behind this recipe matched every ingredient to the list on Chick-fil-A’s own website, and that is why I made it. The chicken soaks in salt water for an hour or two instead of pickle juice. The seasoning has MSG, a savory powder sold in the spice aisle, which is on Chick-fil-A’s list too. The breading is self-rising flour with a little powdered milk and powdered sugar, and the chicken fries in peanut oil.
A family in the comments under the video said it felt like eating at Chick-fil-A, and I get why. I tried a pickle juice soak on this chicken once and it tasted too much of pickles, so the plain salt water is closer to the real thing for me, though plenty of cooks like the pickle juice anyway. Let the fried chicken sit on a paper towel for a few minutes so it does not go soggy. Brioche buns are the closest bun.
Ingredients
- thin-sliced chicken breasts
- 2-4 cups cold water (brine)
- 2 Tbsp table salt (brine)
- 1 tsp table salt
- 1-3 tsp MSG
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp powdered sugar (seasoning)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup nonfat milk
- 1.5 cups self-rising flour
- 2 Tbsp nonfat powdered milk
- 1 tsp powdered sugar (breading)
- 1 Tbsp of the seasoning mix
- 100% refined peanut oil for frying
- brioche buns
- 1/2 Tbsp butter per bun
- thin dill pickle chips
SavePickle-brined Chick-fil-A nuggets
Pickle-brined Chick-fil-A nuggets are bite-size pieces of chicken breast soaked in pickle juice, coated in a seasoned flour with a little chicken bouillon and lemon pepper, and fried until golden. The comments under the video are full of parents who made them for their kids, and the kids liked them more than fast food nuggets. A splash of the egg and milk goes into the flour so it forms little clumps, and that gives the nuggets a rough, crunchy outside.
Plan on an hour of soaking, then about 20 minutes of frying in small batches for a pound of chicken. Give the chicken the full hour in the pickle juice, because that keeps it tender. I have made them without the dry milk powder and they were just as good, so do not worry if you have none. For kids who do not like heat, leave out the cayenne and use a little more paprika. The same coating works on whole chicken pieces for sandwiches or small rolls. Have a dipping sauce ready.
Ingredients
- 3/4 to 1 lb boneless chicken breast
- 1/3 cup pickle juice
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp dry milk powder
- 1 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp lemon pepper
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup milk
- cooking oil for frying
SaveAir fryer Chick-fil-A nuggets
Air fryer Chick-fil-A nuggets are salty-sweet nuggets made in the air fryer instead of a pot of oil. This is the batch I make when I do not want hot oil on the stove. The chicken gets a short pickle juice soak and a dip in milk and egg, then a flour coating with powdered sugar, paprika, onion and garlic powder. A spray of oil on top and they go in the air fryer.
This recipe is an easy weeknight batch for one to two pounds of chicken. Do not leave the chicken in the pickle juice overnight. A short soak is enough. Press the flour on well, because when I was shy with it the coating came out thin. One tip I picked up from other cooks is to mix some cornstarch into the flour and spray with oil for a crisper outside. Cut the chicken into strips instead and you get tenders. In the comments under the video, one couple said they ate a 12-piece between them.
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 lb boneless chicken breast
- 1 cup pickle juice
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 egg
- 2 cups flour
- 2 1/2 Tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 tsp paprika
- 1 to 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 to 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 to 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 to 2 tsp salt
- cooking spray
SaveGrilled Chick-fil-A chicken
Grilled Chick-fil-A chicken is a flattened chicken breast in a sweet and tangy marinade of apple cider vinegar, orange juice, a spoon of grape juice and molasses, cooked fast on a hot grill pan, griddle or grill. There is no breading and no frying, so it fits a lighter night. The chicken sits in the marinade for 4 hours, and it goes on a toasted multigrain bun with lettuce and tomato.
The marinade makes two sandwiches, so double it if you are feeding more. One cook in the comments under the video says they have made it many times and it tastes just like the Chick-fil-A grilled sandwich, and mine came out close enough that I keep making it. A cast iron pan works fine when you do not want to fire up the grill. Some cooks add cheese and bacon on top.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breast, butterflied
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 Tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 Tbsp grape juice
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 1 Tbsp molasses
- 1 Tbsp salt
- olive oil for the pan
- butter for the buns
- 2 multigrain buns (or wheat)
- 2 pieces green leaf lettuce
- 4 slices tomato
SaveQuick Answers About Copycats
These are the questions I kept asking myself while I made these recipes.
Does Chick-fil-A Use Pickle Juice?
Pickle juice is not on Chick-fil-A’s own ingredient list for its chicken. The list does include sugar, salt, MSG, nonfat dry milk, paprika and peanut oil. At home, pickle juice comes down to taste. Some of my batches with it tasted too much like pickles, and other cooks love it. If you use it, keep the soak short, or use plain salt water.
Why Does The Real One Taste Different?
Chick-fil-A cooks its chicken in a pressure cooker in refined peanut oil, and a home pot or air fryer does not work the same way. To get closer, fry in peanut oil, keep the oil hot and do not crowd the pot. Drain the chicken on a rack so the bottom stays crisp. On a sandwich, the pickle chips add a lot of the taste you know.
What Oil Can I Use Instead Of Peanut Oil?
Canola or vegetable oil both work if you do not have peanut oil or need to swap it. If someone at the table has a peanut allergy, use one of those. Skip olive oil for frying this chicken. Peanut oil is still my first choice when nobody needs to avoid it, since it is what Chick-fil-A uses.
Do I Have To Make The Sauce From Scratch?
No. On a busy night I stir together equal parts mayo, BBQ sauce and honey mustard, and it does the job for dipping. A bottled chicken dipping sauce from the grocery store works too.
How Do I Store And Reheat Leftovers?
Get cooked chicken into the fridge within 2 hours and eat it within 3 to 4 days. Reheat it in the oven or air fryer until it is hot all the way through, which for chicken means 165 F. You can also freeze raw breaded pieces and fry them straight from frozen when you want a quick batch.
When I want that classic crunch I reach for the spicy sandwich, and when I want something lighter without the frying mess I make the grilled one. Pick the one that fits your night, buy what is on its list, and press play.
