Ingredients
1/4 c. barbecue sauce
3 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. yellow mustard
2 tsp. honey
3 large chicken breasts, chopped into irregular bite-size pieces
1 1/2 c. pickle juice
4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
Kosher Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
large eggs
1/2 c. whole milk
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. powdered sugar
2 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. garlic powder
Preparation
Step 1In a small bowl, whisk together barbecue sauce, mayo, dijon, yellow mustard and honey. Set aside.
Step 1To a large plastic bag, add chicken pieces, pickle brine, garlic cloves, a big pinch of salt, and 8 to 10 grinds of black pepper. Massage marinade over the chicken so that it is totally distributed. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 6.Step 2When chicken is nearly finished marinating, add enough oil to fill a large, heavy-bottom pot about halfway. Place pot over medium high heat and let oil come up to 350º.Step 3While the oil is preheating, create the wet and dry dredge. In a medium bowl whisk together 2 eggs and milk then season with salt and pepper. In another medium bowl whisk together flour, powdered sugar, paprika, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons black pepper. Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the egg mixture over the flour then, using your hands or a fork, distribute it through the flour to create little clumps and crumbs. This will create little crunchy bits on the chicken. Set both bowls aside until ready for frying.Step 4Remove chicken from the plastic bag and discard marinade. Pat chicken totally dry and season thoroughly with salt and pepper. Working in 2 to 3 batches, coat chicken pieces in egg mixture. Toss chicken in spiced flour mixture until fully covered. Shake Nuggets lightly to dislodge any loose flower or breading, then drop them in oil.Step 5Using tongs or a spider, separate the nuggets once they’ve been added to the oil. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until the nuggets are golden brown and cooked through. Move finished nuggets to a paper towel lined plate to drain then season with salt. (Do not start dredging and breading the next batch until the prior batch has totally finished.)Step 6Serve immediately with Copycat Chick-Fil-A Sauce and other dipping sauces.
Now, let’s talk recipe. I’ve heard rumors that the fast food chain marinates their chicken in pickle brine, but after further digging I don’t think that’s actually the case. For due diligence, I tested both un-brined and pickled-brined chicken and, though it isn’t the actual Chick-fil-A method, the pickle brine made the nuggets far juicer and more flavorful. It’s an extra step you can leave out, but I think it’s what makes this recipe even better than the real thing. I also discovered that their chicken has added sugar, and once I noticed that I couldn’t get that sweetness out of my mind. So I added some powdered sugar to the breading. I know that this may sound weird but I think it’s an integral part of mimicking that slightly sweet flavor. Dip them in our copycat Chick-fil-A sauce, ranch, ketchup or even directly in some honey and you’ll never need to go Chick-fil-A again. Tried this copycat? Let us know how it came out in the comments below!
