Easy Chick-fil-A Nuggets (Copycat Recipe)

Prep:

1. Pat dry the chicken breasts with a paper towel and, with a sharp knife, cut them into 1-inch, nugget-sized pieces. Transfer them inside a zip bag, pour the dill pickle juice, and seal.

Marinate:

1. Place the zip bag in the refrigerator for 45 minutes (up to 1 hour).

Bread the nuggets:

1. In a medium bowl, large enough to fit the nuggets, whisk the egg. Add the milk and combine. Set aside.
2. In a gallon-sized zip bag, combine the flour and seasonings. Set aside.
3. Drain the pickle juice out of the zip bag and transfer the nuggets into the egg and milk mixture. Use a fork to toss them around the bowl and coat them with the egg and milk liquid.
4. With the same fork, or using kitchen tongs, transfer the nuggets from the bowl into the zip bag containing the seasoned flour. Once all the nuggets are in the bag, seal the bag closed, and shake the bag to coat them well.

Cook the nuggets:

1. Pour enough oil into a frying pan to fill the pan about ¾" high. Heat the oil over medium heat until the oil reaches 375F. You can use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. If you let the oil get too hot, the breading might brown or burn too quickly before the nuggets are finished cooking.
2. Use kitchen tongs to add the nuggets from the flour bag, shaking off any excess flour, and place them inside the hot oil in the pan while making sure there's about 1" of space between them. Cook them for 3 to 5 minutes, using the tongs to flip them over halfway through cooking if there's any side exposed.
3. Remove them from the oil onto a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil. Repeat the process with the remaining nuggets.
4. Preheat the air fryer to 400F for 5 minutes. Use kitchen tongs to remove the coated nuggets from the bag onto a few paper plates (or a regular plate) and spray all the nuggets on both sides with cooking spray.
5. Place the nuggets in the air fryer and cook them for 12 minutes, making sure to flip them over or shake the basket halfway through cooking, to ensure the nuggets get golden brown on all sides. Larger nuggets might need up to 15 minutes. They're cooked when the internal temperature of the largest piece is 165F.