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My homemade Chick-fil-A Nuggets are easy to make at home and a fraction of the cost! After marinating, these moist and delicious air fryer chicken nuggets are ready in less than 15 minutes.
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Best Chicken Nuggets in the Air Fryer
My family and I love homemade Chick-fil-A recipes. I make their chicken noodle soup and chicken tortilla soup all of the time from scratch, and thought it was about time I make homemade Chick-fil-A nuggets!
I made my Chick-fil-A nuggets in the air fryer, along with my own Chick-fil-A sauce and waffle fries. Not only are they so easy to make, but the flavor is incredible. You can’t get any better than these homemade chicken nuggets!
They’re budget-friendly, so simple, and because you’re making them from scratch, you can customize them to how you like – including making them gluten-free. Try making these air fryer nuggets at home just once and I promise you’ll be hooked!
Another one of my favorite air fryer recipes is this recipe for air fryer turkey breast. Why wait till Thanksgiving when you can make this quick and easy recipe any time of year for Sunday Supper or any day of the week.
The secret to Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets
The secret to making the perfect homemade Chick-fil-A nuggets is all in marinating the chicken and mixing the flour with powdered sugar and seasonings.
I marinate my nuggets in milk and pickle juice for at least 30 minutes and sometimes up to overnight so they soak up the flavor and moisture. When you air fry them after marinating, they become so crispy on the outside and so juicy on the inside, with the most incredible flavor in the meat.
You don’t need any breading to make these air fryer chicken nuggets – just flour and seasonings.
Made this recipe and they turned out delicious! Only marinated the chicken for 30 minutes, not overnight. The sauce was yummy too. Almost better than the real thing!!
R. Melise on Pinterest
For more tips on cooking the best chicken recipes, check out my Chicken Temperature Chart complete with a cooking guide!
How to Make Chick-fil-A Nuggets
- Cut chicken breasts into bite-size pieces and add to a bowl with milk and pickle juice. Mix well, then cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes up to overnight to ensure the chicken is well-marinated.
- Once chicken is done marinating, whisk 2 eggs and add to the bowl with the chicken. Mix well.
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F. In a zip-lock bag, combine flour, powdered sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Using a slotted spoon, spoon half of your chicken into the zip-lock bag. Shake well until chicken is fully coated. Using a separate, dry slotted spoon, remove the coated chicken and place to the side. Repeat with the second half of the chicken until all chicken is fully coated.
- Spray air fryer tray with olive oil and place chicken inside. Lightly pray the chicken with oil after placing.
- Air fry for 5-6 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and crispy on the outside. Serve and enjoy!
How to Make Chick-fil-A Sauce
- Add mayonnaise, yellow mustard, barbecue sauce, honey, garlic powder to a medium-size bowl.
- Mix thoroughly until creamy and smooth.
- Serve and enjoy the best chicken dipping sauce you will ever make!
Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets FAQs
Yes! Swap out regular all-purpose flour for your preferred gluten-free flour, and these nuggets will be gluten-free.
My favorite is hands-down homemade Chick-fil-A Sauce. It’s the best pairing for air fryer Chick-fil-A nuggets! You can also dip them in Peri Peri Sauce, Sriracha Fry Sauce, or Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing.
Chick-Fil-A Nuggets Oven Instructions
Don’t have an air fryer? No problem! You can make Chick-fil-A nuggets in the oven, too. Here’s how:
- Follow all of the steps to prepare the nuggets.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then spray with cooking spray.
- Place the nuggets on the baking sheet, then spray them with cooking spray.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crispy, flipping once.
Easy Air Fryer Recipes
Try more of my favorite air fryer recipes:
- Air Fryer Ham
- Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes
- Air Fryer Meatballs
- Air Fryer Mushrooms
- Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
- Air Fryer Asparagus Fries
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📋 Recipe
Air Fryer Chick-fil-A Nuggets
Equipment
- Olive oil spray
- Air fryer
- Bowl
- Large plastic zip-lock bag
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts chopped into bite size pieces
- ½ cup dill pickle juice
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 cups flour
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
Chick-fil-A Sauce Ingredients
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Cut chicken breasts into bite-size pieces and add to a bowl with milk and pickle juice. Mix well, then cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes up to overnight to ensure the chicken is well-marinated.2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 cup milk, ½ cup dill pickle juice
- Once chicken is done marinating, whisk 2 eggs and add to the bowl with the chicken. Mix well.2 eggs
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F. In a zip-lock bag, combine flour, powdered sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Shake the bag to mix well.1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 2 teaspoons paprika, 2 cups flour, ¼ cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- Using a slotted spoon, spoon half of your chicken into the zip-lock bag. Shake well until chicken is fully coated. Using a separate, dry slotted spoon, remove the coated chicken and place to the side. Repeat with the second half of the chicken until all chicken is fully coated.
- Spray air fryer tray with olive oil and place chicken inside. Spray the chicken with oil after placing.
- Air fry for 5-6 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and crispy on the outside. Serve and enjoy!
Chick-fil-A Sauce
- Add all the ingredients to a bowl. Mix well until well blended. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Follow all of the steps to prepare the nuggets.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then spray with cooking spray.
- Place the nuggets on the baking sheet, then spray them with cooking spray.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crispy, flipping once.
Let us know what you think or ask a question about the recipe!