Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders Recipe (2024)

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Now you can make Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders at home. This easy copycat recipe is a crowd pleaser and perfect for dipping into your favorite sauce.

Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders Recipe (1)

Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders Recipe:

The Chicken Tenders at Chick-Fil-A is one my favorite items at get at this popular fast food restaurant. This copycat recipe gives the same flavorful and juicy chicken that we love.

We prepare the chicken by seasoning it with easy ingredients. The chicken is then dipped in flour and egg to give a breading coating to fry in a skillet.

Making this copycat recipe saves me time and money and my kids love that I can make their favorite chicken at home.

Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders Recipe (2)

Ingredients:

  • Boneless Chicken Chicken Tenders
  • Dill Pickle Juice
  • Egg
  • Milk
  • All Purpose Flour
  • Powdered Sugar
  • Paprika
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Pepper
  • Salt
  • Peanut Oil or Canola Oil for Frying

How to Make Copycat Chick-Fil-A Chicken Strips:

  • Marinate Chicken in Pickle Juice – Combine the chicken and pickle juice in a medium size bowl. Cover and refrigerate to marinate the chicken in the pickle juice for 30 minutes to 60 minutes (or overnight).
Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders Recipe (3)
  • Drain Pickle Juice – Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and drain off the pickle juice.
  • Whisk Milk and Egg together – In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and egg. Then pour this mixture over the chicken.
Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders Recipe (4)
  • Add seasoning to zip lock bag – Then in a large ziplock bag, add the flour, sugar, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Seal the bag and shake to combine all the ingredients. For added flavor, you can add a teaspoon of onion powder or garlic powder.
  • Add Chicken to Bag – Drain the excess milk mixture off the chicken and place the chicken in the ziplock bag with the flour mixture.
  • Seal and Shake Bag – Seal the bag and then shake to thoroughly coat the chicken pieces in the flour mixture.
Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders Recipe (5)
  • Heat Oil – Then heat the peanut oil or canola oil in a large pan over medium heat or in a fryer.
  • Cook Chicken – Working in batches, add the chicken to the hot oil and cook until the chicken is golden brown and crispy (approximately 3-5 minutes).
  • Place Chicken on Plate – Once cooked, move the chicken to a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up the excess oil.
  • Serve and Enjoy – Serve immediately while warm with your favorite dipping sauces!
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How to Fry Chick-Fil-A Tenders:

Peanut oil or Canola oil is best for frying chicken tenders. You need a cast iron skillet or fryer.

Once you heat the oil to medium heat, the tenders go in and take just 3 to 5 minutes to cook.

Another way to cook these chicken tenders, is to air fryer them. It easy to do and less clean up.

Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders Recipe (7)

What to Serve with Chicken Tenders:

  • Chick-Fil-A Polynesian Sauce Recipe
  • Homemade Chick-Fil-A Sauce Recipe
  • Chick-Fil-A Fruit Cup
Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders Recipe (8)

How to know when Chicken Tenders are done:

When making these chick-n-strips it is important to use a meat thermometer. This ensures that your chicken is done. Insert the thermometer in the chicken and it should have a reading of 165 degrees when chicken is done.

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Chicken Tender Tips:

  • Pickle Juice – Don’t skip the step soaking the chicken in the pickle juice. It gives the sandwich a lot of flavor. It also helps to make the chicken very tender and moist.
  • Fry Chicken – Once the chicken has been breaded, go ahead and fry it. If you wait, the chicken will be soggy and not the right texture.
  • Serve Immediately – The chicken is best served right away while hot. It will taste the most authentic and be the most crispy.

What is the Best Chicken to Use:

We used chicken tenders for this recipe but you can also use chicken breasts and slice it into strips as well.

Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders Recipe (10)

How to Store Leftovers:

Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Print Recipe here for Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders:

Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders Recipe (11)

Review

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Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders

4.99 from 223 votes

Now you can make Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders at home. This copycat recipe is a crowd pleaser and perfect for dipping into your favorite sauce.

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings 4

Cuisine American

Course Main Course

Calories 574

Author Carrie Barnard

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Combine the chicken and pickle juice in a medium size bowl. Cover and refrigerate to marinate the chicken in the pickle juice for 30-60 minutes (or overnight).

  • Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and drain off the pickle juice.

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and egg. Then pour this mixture over the chicken.

  • Then in a large ziplock bag, add the flour, sugar, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Seal the bag and shake to combine all the ingredients.

  • Drain the excess milk mixture off the chicken and place the chicken in the ziplock bag with the flour mixture. Seal the bag and then shake to thoroughly coat the chicken pieces in the flour mixture.

  • Then heat the peanut oil or canola oil in a large pan over medium heat or in a fryer.

  • Working in batches, add the chicken to the hot oil and cook until the chicken is golden brown and crispy (approximately 3-5 minutes). Once cooked, move the chicken to a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up the excess oil.

  • Serve immediately while warm with your favorite dipping sauces!

Recipe Notes

Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

We used chicken tenders for this recipe but you can also use chicken breasts and slice it into strips as well.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 574kcal, Carbohydrates 34g, Protein 55g, Fat 23g, Saturated Fat 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat 6g, Monounsaturated Fat 9g, Trans Fat 1g, Cholesterol 193mg, Sodium 1772mg, Potassium 1018mg, Fiber 1g, Sugar 5g, Vitamin A 891IU, Vitamin C 3mg, Calcium 102mg, Iron 3mg

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More Copycat Chick-Fil-A Recipes:

  • Chick-Fil-A Spicy Nuggets
  • Copycat Chick-Fil-A Chicken Biscuit
  • Chick-Fil-A Spicy Southwest Salad Recipe
Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders Recipe (12)

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About the Author

Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders Recipe (21)

Hi, I’m Carrie. Welcome to Eating on a Dime!

I’m on a mission to help you cook delicious meals without busting your budget. Together we are going to cook real food… for real families!

About Carrie Page
Chick-Fil-A Chicken Tenders Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How does Chick-fil-A make their chicken so tender? ›

One Reddit user, who claims to be a former Chick-fil-A manager, says the chicken is marinated in pickle juice and then quickly dipped in buttermilk before breading.

What are the ingredients in Chick-fil-A chicken strips? ›

Made from the most tender part of the chicken breast, our Spicy Chick-n-Strips™ are seasoned with a spicy blend of peppers, hand-breaded and cooked to perfection in 100% refined peanut oil. They are mouthwatering and generously portioned.

How are Chick-fil-A strips cooked? ›

Tray of Chick-n-Strips™️ which are seasoned to perfection, freshly breaded and pressure cooked in 100% refined peanut oil. Served with your choice of dipping sauce.

What does Chick-fil-A marinate their chicken in? ›

The primary ingredients used in Chick Fil A's chicken marination include a combination of salt, sugar, and a host of spices. These spices include garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and black pepper.

How does Chick-fil-A keep their chicken juicy? ›

Many bloggers and Chick-fil-A regulars believe that the chicken breast is brined in pickle juice before it's breaded and fried. This theory makes sense, because pickle juice contains salt. This key ingredient helps carry moisture and flavor deep into the chicken in the same way it would help flavor a cucumber.

Why use pickle juice for chicken? ›

Fast food chains are using pickle juice in their chicken brine which packs a punch of flavor and helps gives the chicken that incredible flavor and tenderness.

Are Chick-fil-A strips marinated? ›

"Made from the most tender part of the chicken breast, Chick-n-Strips™ are marinated in special seasonings, hand-breaded and pressure cooked to perfection in 100% refined peanut oil. They are mouth watering and generously portioned.

What is Chick-fil-A chicken breading made of? ›

After we brined the chicken in milk, egg, and pickle juice, we set about making the flour mixture used to dredge the chicken. We knew from Chick-fil-A's ingredients list that the mixture contained flour, salt, sugar, MSG, nonfat milk powder, baking powder, and paprika.

What oil does Chick-fil-A use? ›

Ever since our founder Truett Cathy created the Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich, we've been cooking our hand-breaded chicken exclusively in fully refined, heat-processed peanut oil.

Does Chick-fil-A fry or bake their chicken? ›

Our original recipe for almost 60 years. A boneless breast of chicken seasoned to perfection, freshly breaded, pressure cooked in 100% refined peanut oil and served on a toasted, buttery bun with dill pickle chips.

Why does Chick-fil-A taste different in 2024? ›

According to their website, from Spring 2024, “Chick-fil-A will shift from No Antibiotics Ever (NAE) to No Antibiotics Important To Human Medicine (NAIHM).” This means that until now, they used meat from chickens that had never been treated with antibiotics, now, they do use antibiotics, just not those that are ...

Does Chick-fil-A use buttermilk? ›

A breakfast portion of our famous boneless breast of chicken, seasoned to perfection, hand-breaded, pressure cooked in 100% refined peanut oil and served on a buttermilk biscuit baked fresh at each Restaurant.

How does Chick-fil-A cook their chicken so tender? ›

But don't just take it from me — this is the (not-so-secret) secret that's fueled the love affair so many people have with Chick-fil-A. It's the pickle brine! Well before being fried to perfection, the chicken breasts are brined with pickle juice for super-juicy, tender meat.

How does Chick-fil-A make their chicken taste so good? ›

Ultimately, the Chick-fil-A menu team chose a seasoning with simple ingredients: a blend of sea salt, lemon, garlic and savoury herbs. Once the grilled chicken is cooked, it's placed on a toasted multigrain bun with green leaf lettuce and tomato for the Grilled Chicken Sandwich.

What gives Chick-fil-A its flavor? ›

We source a variety of produce – from tomatoes, lettuce, and kale to blueberries, chopped apples and more. These fruits and vegetables are freshly delivered to our restaurants up to six days a week for the best quality and flavor and are used to craft many of our menu items in our restaurant kitchens.

What does Chick-fil-A use to cook their chicken in? ›

Ever since our founder Truett Cathy created the Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich, we've been cooking our hand-breaded chicken exclusively in fully refined, heat-processed peanut oil.

How to make chicken very soft and tender? ›

The best tenderizer though, is a salted yogurt marinade. The salt has the same effect as in a regular brine, but the lactic acid in the yogurt further tenderizes the meat. A 15-minute marinade with one cup of yogurt and one teaspoon of salt makes for the most tender chicken breasts imaginable.

Is Chick-fil-A chicken real or processed? ›

Chick-fil-A sources 100% real, whole, boneless breast of chicken that has never been ground or separated, and that contains no fillers or added steroids or hormones*.

What does Chick-fil-A do to their chickens? ›

Does Chick-fil-A use hormones or antibiotics in your chicken? All our chicken is real breast meat with no fillers or added hormones or steroids – in fact, no artificial or added hormones are allowed in the production of any poultry in the United States.

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