Copycat Chick-Fil-A Chicken Minis

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You can even make these crispy, spiced chicken minis on a Sunday.

Active Time:
35 mins
Total Time:
1 hrs 30 mins
Servings:
8

We've all been there. You wake up on Sunday morning craving one thing and one thing only: Chick-fil-A. Then you're quickly filled with dread as you realize your dreams of perfectly golden-brown chicken can't come true. Chick-fil-A's closed-on-Sunday policy often leaves us wanting exactly what we can't have.

But don't fret; we have a solution. This Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Minis recipe is sure to impress. It only takes 35 minutes of hands-on time, and we guarantee your Chick-fil-A craving will be satisfied.

Marinated in pickle juice and dredged in a buttermilk-cayenne pepper mixture, the nuggets are seasoned to perfection. We opted to pair the chicken with store-bought Parker House Rolls for convenience, but homemade honey butter takes this easy-to-master recipe to the next level.

The scrumptiously sweet concoction bakes into the bread rolls creating a beautifully honeyed flavor. The crispy, spiced chicken perfectly compliments the velvety bread rolls with every bite. Top off this Chick-fil-A copycat recipe with your favorite condiment for the final touch.

Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Minis
Southern Living

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup dill pickle juice

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 2 (12-oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 11/2-inch pieces

  • 1/3 cup whole buttermilk

  • 1 ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch

  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

  • 2 tablespoons powdered milk

  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoons black pepper

  • ½ teaspoons paprika

  • ½ teaspoon baking powder

  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda

  • 4 cups peanut oil

  • 2 (11-oz.) pkgs. frozen Parker House Rolls, such as Sister Schubert

  • ¼ cup salted butter, melted

  • 1 ½ tablespoons honey

Directions

  1. Brine chicken pieces:

    Stir together pickle juice and granulated sugar in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Add chicken breast pieces; cover and chill 30 minutes. Remove from bring, and pat dry.

  2. Mix ingredients for coating:

    Whisk together buttermilk, cayenne, and egg in a shallow dish. Whisk together flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar, powdered milk, salt, pepper, paprika, baking powder, and baking soda in a second shallow dish.

  3. Fry chicken pieces:

    Dredge brined chicken pieces in flour mixture to coat and shake off excess. Toss chicken in egg mixture to coat, and then back to flour mixture to dredge again. Press flour mixture to adhere to chicken, and place on a wire rack. Chill 15 minutes. Heat oil to 325°F in a Dutch oven over medium-high.

  4. Fry chicken:

    Carefully add chicken pieces to hot oil in 3 batches, turning often to ensure even browning. Cook until cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Let drain on a wire rack set in a baking sheet lined with foil or paper towels.

  5. Finish rolls and serve:

    Meanwhile, bake frozen Parker House Rolls according to package directions. Once you remove the foil to continue baking, stir together melted butter and honey. Brush honey butter over tops of rolls and continue baking 5-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and split rolls in half. Add cooked chicken nuggets to rolls and serve immediately.

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