Copycat Chick-fil-A Sandwich
You won’t believe how easy this copycat recipe is, and it tastes 100000x better than the original! You can’t beat that!
When you live 1.34 miles away from Chick-fil-A, it’s only natural to pick up a Chick-fil-A sandwich on a weekly basis. But since I have already tried re-creating their nuggets, I finally gave their sandwich a try, and I am happy to report back that we may never have to go through that drive-thru lane ever again.
The sandwich is made similar to their nuggets, except you’ll be using thin sliced chicken cutlets here. You can also use chicken breast, butterflied and pounded out, but either way, this sandwich will knock your socks off.
It’s amazingly crisp, juicy and tender, and you can load up your burger with plenty of pickles, greens and tomatoes, which are all three toppings they tend to skimp on! You can also prep the chicken beforehand, pop it in the fridge, and cook it right before serving. Easy peasy!
Copycat Chick-fil-A Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup dill pickle juice
- 1 ½ cups milk, divided
- 1 cup peanut oil
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For serving
- 4 hamburger buns, split
- 1 head green leaf lettuce, leaves separated
- 1 beefsteak tomato, sliced
- Dill pickle slices
Instructions
- Place a chicken breast on a cutting board. With your hand flat on top of it, carefully slice the chicken in half horizontally. Trim excess fat as needed.
- In a large shallow baking dish, combine chicken, pickle juice and 1/2 cup milk; marinate for at least 30 minutes. Drain well.
- Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- In another large shallow baking dish, whisk together remaining 1 cup milk and egg. Stir in chicken to coat and drain excess milk mixture.
- In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken, flour and confectioners' sugar; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Working in batches, add chicken to the skillet and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Serve chicken immediately on burger buns with green leaf lettuce, tomato and pickles.
Did you make this recipe?
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Can I use olive oil instead of peanut oil?
Very good
Fantastic! Super easy for my first time frying chicken/anything!!!
I added bacon and mozzarella cheese to our sandwiches which we enjoyed.
Thank you for this recipe & the confidence to continue trying new recipes!
Awesome recipe. My whole family loved it. The pickle juice really came through the chicken breast. Soaked for 4 hours
YUM. Very tasty. Served on small Hawaiian rolls.
Had one of these in Florida. YUM!!! Now I live in Eugene, Oregon. PLEASE put one here. It would do great as this is a college town. Home of the OREGON DUCKS!!! Thank you for reading my PLEA….Linda South
Linda, this is not the chick-filet company, it’s the damn Delicious food blog!
Looks great! I’m trying to cut grease out. Could this work in an air fryer?
Some people are mentioning the sauce but I don’t see a recipe for the sauce
Sauce is on point! Try it!
The sauce is on the Chicken nugget recipe
EXCELLENT RECIPE. GOOD JOB PRESENTING IT.
CONSIDER AN ADDITIVE TO THE RECIPE…….BUFFALO SPICE. TWO VERSIONS.
I pounded thr chicken and marinated overnight with pickle juice and buttermilk! It’s awesome!!! The chicken is tender and loved by everybody!
My family and I stopped eating fast food about 5 years ago, but we never forgot how yummy Chick-fil-A used to be! I think it taste very much like I remember, but even if I’m wrong, the chicken sandwich was absolutely delicious. We don’t do well with dairy so we used plain soy milk instead, but it was great. Thank you!
Oh my gosh! I made this tonight and we all loved it!! My 21 year old son thought it was amazing. The sauce made it too! Thanks!
I don’t see the sauce Lauren. Could you tell me what it is
The chicken was very good but did not taste like a Chick-Fill-A sandwich. I followed the recipe exactly as printed. I will definitely make the sauce again as it is excellent and adds lots of flavor to the sandwich.
I prefer and use buttermilk instead and highly recommend. Add in some hot sauce if you like.
Excellent the Chicken and sauce are on point. Loved it.
This is great, although I do season the flour with paprika and a little cayenne, but very good, served on a toasted brioche with homemade chik fil A sauce!! Yum, taste better than the drive thru!
This is a wonderful recipe, although I do tweak it quite a bit. If cooked properly it will taste better than Chick-fil-A. I recommended using less sugar if cooking at very high temperatures or blackening/burning will occur.
Where’s the sauce recipe???
Loved it! However the first time I made it I cooked the chic in a frying pan. It didnt cook evenly and was raw on the middle This time I did it in a small covered deep fryer I got for xmas. It could only have 2 or 3 tenders or one boneless breast but it came out perfectly. When I used the frying pan it was raw in the middle amd got too dark on the outside. One thing i did do was after I coated the chicken I put it in the freezer for 30 mins before deep frying amd the breading stays nice and cooks with the chix. I learned this with other deep frying breaded foods. Works like a charm
Came out great ! I added a few different seasonings to give it my own twist but it was still so good .
No pickle juice? Make your own! 1 cup Water, 1/4c – 1/3 cup of vinegar,1/2 Tbs salt, 1 tsp dill weed , 1/2 tsp garlic pinch of sugar – boil until salt is dissolved then throw some ice in to cool it down b4 adding chicken.
Feel free to add more or less of anything. Note: cider vinegar isn’t as strong as white vinegar. Use more
LOVE this recipe!! Yum!! For those of you with chicken browning too fast and raw in middle #1 turn the heat down #2 chicken may be too thick pound in more even with a smooth mallet before marinating so it will cook more even and faster ( fyi -pounding first also let’s the marinade soak in better!)
Absolutely delicious. My entire family loved it.
wouldnt dipping the chicken in the milk/egg mixture wipe away the original dill pickle juice marinade?
Not if you marinate the chicken overnight.
Also, last I worked there, they stopped marinating in pickle juice, so this is an older recipe.
Amazing recipe! I tweaked some of the ingredients around and added extra seasoning and my super picky bf loved it!!
Better than the original! And without the discrimination!
What discrimination?
I’m sorry Chungah, forgot why I was here…they were awesome!! 5 stars!
Has anyone tried it with canola oil the peanut oil was too expensive.
Yes. I used canola oil and it was great.
How about without steve?
It isn’t discrimination for committed Christians (such as the owners of Chick-fil-A; note it was personal money, not corporate funds) to donate to a political movement supporting traditional Christian concepts of morality. Those who oppose the Christian position are equally entitled to donate their money to the opposition parties in that dispute. Taking both those sides together, that’s what we call democracy, or as I was taught in Economics 101, “Voting with your dollars.” That said, however, when the Chick-fil-A corporation rolled over in the face of the blatant blackmail of a commercial boycott, and agreed that its owners would no longer freely exercise their personal First Amendment rights, that cowardice made me, for one, stop buying from that company.
Pretty good
Loved it
Gud
This is a damn delicious recipe! I read the reviews, and seasoned the flour with black pepper, paprika and some smoked hot paprika. I did add an extra egg and reduced the milk. I then did a double dredge. I paid attention to the oil, and had no issues with the coating staying on it. I buttered and toasted the buns, and made a copycat Chik-Fil-A sauce. So good! Thanks for sharing and thank you to those that offered up their opinions and their modifications. If I had the gadget to make waffle fries, I would have, but…settled on homemade coleslaw.
You can buy waffle fries at any grocery store. I know homemade is better, but if you’re looking for the full experience …
I deep fried for 4-5 minutes on high heat. The chicken was very dark on the outside and wasn’t cooked all the way through? I also used vegetable oil. Any tips??
I’m having the same issue and have made this several times! I know how to fry chicken from my grandmas on both sides. It turns out pink every time. It must be something in the recipe. I baked mine after with tin foil over them to get them done. I dunno
Sounds like you used a whole half breast instead of slicing it horizontally. Peanut oil is also better for the recipe since it allows you to fry at a high temp without burning. That’s why it is used to fry turkeys. They are fried for a long period but do not burn.
If you have a waffle iron, you can make those on it and MORE!
Best recipe ever! Staple in our house and making it tonight
My family gave this recipe rave reviews! I made with waffle fries for a true CFA connection 🙂
Looks great! I’m going to try it!!! Right on chris, he is right. But I’m going to eat my chicken on a biscuit.
The chicken was great! I recommend using a little more peanut oil if you have a larger pan because you want the oil to surround the chicken!
Tastes better than the original, without the homophobia!
Your politics have no place here.
No one cares, Chris.
Shut up Chris.
Homophobia isn’t “politics”.
I’m high and gay right now and I’m also telling you to shut up Chris.
He’s not wrong though- politics have no place under a chicken recipe.
It’s not even political. People and who they love aren’t politics.
Jenny is absolutely correct. Tyler’s comment is only political if you think having basic human rights is debatable. Ergo, rejecting homophobia is NOT political.
You have no place here, Chris.
Oh yes, one more important note:
People want to make a copycat recipe because they have reasons for not wanting to buy the original Chik-fil-A sandwich. Not wanting to support a company who promotes bigotry and hate is Tyler’s reason. And we should RESPECT their reasons.
Then “politics” should have no place at Chick-fil-a.
No, they don’t Chris! I agree.
Two words for you, Chris, and they aren’t happy birthday.
Chris, you’re an idiot. No one has homophobia-it’s made up just like the fairy land you live in.
I’m gay, been gay and staying that way, and both myself and my husband love Chick-Fil-A. We’ve never been treated badly there, nor has any of the gay staff we’ve spoken to. Same for Hobby Lobby. If you get treated badly there, maybe it’s due to bad attitude or preconceived expectations rather than being gay. Be a little more tolerant and pass the waffle fries, please!
I believe that he is referencing a article that was placed several years ago from the CEO of Chick-fil-A. He did say that he didn’t like homosexual or blacks. From what I understand, he resigned.
you ain’t gotta do all that so unnecessary
But he’s not wrong tho
Homophobia would require a fear of gay people. I don’t think they are any more afraid of gay people than you would be of Christians. May disagree on lifestyle choices though, but that’s life. Still a great chicken sandwich.
There is no gay lifestyle any more than here’s a straight lifestyle. Our lifestyle is every bit as heterogeneous as yours is.
Webster’s dictionary defines the word as, “irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or gay people “
Gotta love the fragile betas born in the 2000’s and their safe spaces… Hate the company but still crave the food enough to google a copy cat! CFA sales have tripled since 2009, they don’t need your business anyway.. #EATMORECHIKIN
Marriage Equality won, Dan Cathy lost, and Chick-fil-a reversed course. So it’s all good.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/us-news-blog/2012/sep/19/chick-fil-a-gay-rights-funding
Well said. I would have been less charitable.
Shut up Chris LOL
OMG. These were delicious. Next time I wll add a bit more seasoning but these were great. A chicken breast can reasonably provide four sandwiches (at least the ones I bought could). I buttered and toasted the rolls in the broiler. My son and husband both added a piece of cheese. Who would have thought pickle juice??? These will be made again! Thank you for a great recipe.
It was good and tasted good but next time I will double the breading it wasn’t enough for me!
I had the same issue and thought I would try that as well. But the recipe is amazing!
This was sooooo good. Definitely a keeper!
Really good! I will marinate a little longer next time!
Very accurate flavor!! I would definitely either add more pickle juice or marinate it longer to get a stronger flavor (mine was pretty weak). I would also advise cooking the chicken longer, but I made chicken nuggets instead of a whole breast so the cooking time may vary. Thanks for the recipe!!
I made this for dinner last night. My fiancé and my son (29) absolutely raved about them. They each ate two. Like many others, I added a little paprika just for color. I also double dredged the chicken breasts before frying. I personally thought my piece was a little too thick to serve on a regular size bun. The next time I make this, I will marinate overnight for more added flavor because it does seem to be lacking something (spices).
I rated it 5 stars because 1) I am a pretty picky eater and 2) My family LOVED them! Good job. Thank you.
By simply adding SPP (salt pepper paprika) to the dredge or coating, you can get the spice profile you’re seeking. To me, it’s a given that the coating should be seasoned, so I didn’t even consider not making this without adding SPP.
So good! I made this twice now. Second time, I air fryer and it was just as good as fried! Marinade plus the bit if confectioners sugar really make this recipe yummy!!
Whole family likes it!!
For how long did you AF? At what temperature? Thanks!
First I have to say my chicken marinated for two days because I was so tired after work, but it was perfect.
So good!
Will the pickle juice give this a pickle taste? I always ask my sandwiches for no pickle as I despise how pickle taste.
I hate pickles and I have made this recipe over and over. It makes the chicken juicy and not dry at all. You should absolutely try it. The first time I bought a jar of pickles and never ate them so I gave them to my brother haha. After that, family started saving the juice for me.
This is absolutely delicious and tastes JUST LIKE Chik Fil A!
I substituted almond flour baking mix because of my gluten allergy and tapioca flour. Worked like a charm. I’ve bookmarked this for future use!
20/10 DEFINITELY Recommend.
How much almond flour and tapioca flour did you use? I’m have celiac too.
This was delicious. I did not change a thing. My husband loves Chik Fil A. And has been craving during pandemic. Wow. We are impressed. Making him again today. Thank you. Pickle juice was cheap on Amazon for those who wondered. Thank you. Happy Hickey House
OK this is cheating! There, I’ve said that. Can we all agree the hardest part is getting the chicken right? I love the chick-fil-A sandwich, but don’t have a location very close; it would be cold by the time we got it home, and in the age of COVID don’t like indoor dining. My solution is to buy chicken strips at a nearby KFC or Popeye’s drive-up (the chicken strips can be reheated in the oven) and use that as your starting point.
Absolutely delicious !!! I added a tiny bit of Panko breadcrumbs for extra crispiness, and my husband added Cayenne and Parpika into his breading for the spicy sandwich option ! This was a total success and super delicious ! Added to the recipe book for sure !!!
I absolutely loved this recipe, it tasted exactly like my favorite place, Chick fil A , my husband and teenager couldnt believe i made it taste like theirs, thank you soo much .
Can someone who air fried it let me know for about how long. I love but really I am trying for a healthier alternative.
Thanks
This recipe may not taste exactly like the restaurant, but it is very close and I think the author is correct, it’s a lot better because I can add to it. I used 8 tenderloins that I beat a little with the meat tenderizer. I marinated for about 3 hours, then I used only 1/2 cup milk to one egg(1 C milk is a bit too runny) then I dipped in the flour mixture and cooked in my cast iron skillet with a mix of bacon grease and veggie oil (no peanut oil on hand) the key to making sure the breading remains is to have a very hot pan(which is why cast iron is good) it cooked up beautifully and it was amazing! I used a copy cat sauce to drizzle on top, used a toasted, buttered bun, lettuce and pickles(we don’t eat tomatoes) and coupled it with tater tots. It was an amazingly easy sandwich to make. It’s now on my list of make again meals!
These were totally delicious! I split the two chicken breasts into 10 small pieces to make sliders, and they came out perfectly. Buttered buns and pickles made them taste pretty much exactly like Chick-fil-A’s.
I lost my old copy cat recipe for these but this was basically the same thing. I never brine in pickle juice. I used to work at Chick-fil-A and they don’t do that. Still came out amazing and very similar to the original. For those having problems with breading make sure your oil is hot enough. I really think it’s the powdered sugar and peanut oil that give it the same taste. So good! Thank you for sharing.
I rarely eat out because i do it better at home and this is a crazy good sandwich amazingly fresh and just as good if not better than your best chic fil a sandwich. Make sure to use a nicely toasted brioche bun for that extra crunch!
This was excellent. I also recommend buttering the buns and getting a crisp on them for a savory taste with it. Very tasty though and very closely resembles chick fil a!
I have a question, what is the peanut oil used for? Is it necessary or can I use vegetable oil
I used vegetable oil and it turned out great
Peanut oil cuts down on smoke and has a higher burn.
I don’t normally do review but I tried this recipe and as an avid Chick fil a customer, I did not see the resemblance and after double battering it still fell apart. It wasn’t a bad tasting chicken sandwich it definitely not chick fil a.
I want to make this but I don’t have pickle juice. Any substitutes?
go buy some pickles for petes sake, there is only three items to make this. Do you want to substitute the chicken too?
You’re a jerk
The brine out of an olive jar??? Caper juice?
Do not use salt based brines. If anything use a 50/50 vinegar water mixture with salt
A brine is salt based.
Yes vinegar is the substitute. The pickle juice turns the milk into butter milk. Which 1 tablespoon of vinegar will do the same.
It’s all about the brine and the rest. Fantastic. I
I added a ton of different spices and then added hot sauce in my milk/egg mixture. After dredging in the flour, put the chicken on sheet pan to rest. 5-10 min.
I had a lot of frying to do as I had tenderloins. Giving the piece a time to rest helps the breeding adhere properly.
I used vegetable oil- it’s what I had on hand. Came out great. Entire family ate them up.
I followed the exact recipe and my chicken came out amazing !!! I added some paprika and went heavy handed on salt and pepper but it came out just right ! I didn’t have the issue of the breading falling apart….
This was the BEST chicken sandwich we have ever had. Perfect seasoning, nice light breading. Thank you for recipe!
Good work.
I followed this as closely as I could and it came out ok… but definitely not like Chick fil a and definitely not better. Not sure where I went wrong but it seemed like all the breading just fell off in the peanut oil. It ended up something like a cross between the fried and grilled sandwiches. Was it bad? No. Was it ‘surprisingly easy’ to recreate Chick fil a? No. I’ll have to research where I went wrong (I almost never deep fry or bread). I did follow the recipe as closely as I could because of that though so if you have any tips that’s appreciated.
The key to the breading is in part having ths oil nice and hot already! A good test is to take a couple drops of cool tap water and drop it into the oil. If it reacts, the pil is hot and ready! If it barely even fizzles, turn up the heat and wait another couple of minutes!
I myself found this recipe to be very tasty! My only issue is that I love fried chicken that has a batter breading, so its nice and thick! However, I found that the chicken was very juicy and cooked through without problem, so I’m happy!
Sorry, but you should never drop water (any amount) into hot oil. It will cause the oil to sizzle and pop and could cause an oil fire. Much too dangerous. Oil temperature should be at 350F for good results; use a thermometer to check temperature of oil.
This is good in theory, but not everyone can afford a thermometer. Plus, the water trick has been done in my family for GENERATIONS and not one single grease fire because of it. Regardless, I agree that you should always remember “safety first, safety always” and be careful when testing the oil temperature.
For those not using peanut oil…Y’all do realize who the single largest buyer of peanut oil is right?!?!
Who is the single largest buyer Mac?
Chik fil a, that’s what they try all their chicken in, it’s part of the taste.
Domain name checks out, that was damndelicious! I like spice and added cayenne to the flour mixture. Double dredged the chicken and toped the bun with a mix of mayo, hot sauce and diced pickles.
Hi! Just curious how much cayenne you put in. I don’t want to put in too much and make it inedible… but I love the spicy chicken sandwich
Delish!!! Better than chick fil a. Easy and quick.
Honestly I am not one to even write reviews but this was very disappointing.. the breading was not thick at all, almost non existent, when I read that there were no seasonings it gave me a red light but I persisted with the recipes.. there definitely should’ve been seasoning.
DAMN DELICIOUS!
Loved it! I double dipped the chicken breasts and added extra spice like suggested in the comments. Next time I will marinate for 24 hours. I also ran out of All-Purpose flour and used Wheat and it was fine. Used mixture of Peanut oil and Canola oil. Made the sauce that was shared in the comments and it was delicious. I would love to try a baked version though, so if anyone does try please share results! This recipe was easy to follow with excellent results!
Love the recipe but can never get it the crispy texture. Help
Have any Celiacs tried this with an alternate flour? I’d love to try a Chick Fil A. My kids (non-Celiacs) love them!
Yes, I did this with potato flour for a friend and it came out great! Any starchy flour will work though.
Very good, but I would back off the milk to 1/2 C in the egg mixture. 1 Cup caused the crust on the chicken to be too thin.
Surprisingly very good! All I was missing was the sauce.
Google copy cat sauce, I found one and it was perfect.
Can anyone verify a way to make this in the oven? Even a quick fry on the stove is fine, that then moves to the oven, but I never have good luck with making good totally fried large chunks of meat.
Amazing. Followed recipe exactly except added paprika to flour mix. Tasted a lot like Chic Fil A, except in my opinion it was better. Buttered buns and placed in oven to crisp. Absolutely recommend this recipe!
Just did this recipe since we are stationed in Japan and have no access to a Chik-fil-A. I’ll say it did have that hint of a true Chik-fil-a sandwich and I think it was mostly because of the pickle juice marinade. It’s still not the real thing though, but was a nice “teaser” that will help restrain the cravings til we get back home!
Thank You for your service. Get home soon:)
Turned out soooo yummy! I made it with chicken thigh. Added onion powder and some garlic powder and cayenne for a kick. Pickle juice blew my mind! So tasty!
I used crushed pork rinds instead of flour. They came out amazing.
Oh wow, great idea!
Doesn’t taste like chick file but it’s decent. I substituted white vinegar for pickle juice because I didn’t have any. It’s like marinating chicken in buttermilk, pickle juice or vinegar.
It tastes like chick fila if you follow the recipe; the pickle juice is key for the flavor.
Tastes very close to the original and my kids love it. Yes, must follow the recipe.
The pickle juice gives it that yummy taste.
The pickle juice is key. Without it, you’ll have a nice sandwich but it definitely won’t taste like chik-fil-A.
Before finding this recipe, I tried with vinegar (different types) and all sorts of citrus, but , surprisingly, the pickle juice is the only thing that worked.
How do you describe PERFECT!
My son told me it was a grand slam!
Let me first start off with I never write reviews , well until now . As I was putting the recipe together I thought, no ways just going to taste like Chick-fil-A, then I thought after cooking in the peanut oil there is no way this is going to taste like Chick-fil-A. I bought a package of four chicken breasts which I cut in half long ways and then cut in half sideways which gave me 16 chicken patties for sandwiches.
I, My wife and daughter ate a total of 6 chicken sandwiches for dinner and I thought maybe they didn’t like them. When I packed a sandwich for lunch, when I came home today from work my daughter had already ate two chicken sandwiches for lunch, when my wife got home I asked her what’s for dinner and she said chicken sandwiches because they were delicious. Needless to say we ate all 16 sandwiches within two days.
I will definitely make these again, maybe when my family is over for the football game.
This is a tasty chicken sandwich. It does not resemble a chick fil a sandwich at all. Still, delicious for what it is!
Have you ever had a chic fil a sandwich then? They may not be spot on but pretty damn close! Maybe you should have one before you comment.
do you think you could make this in an air fryer also?
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Yes I have and they are great. Just spray both side with a spray oil. They brown beautifully and are crunchy.
I made a couple of changes to the recipe based on what I had on hand at home, but my family loved it so much, their friends are asking me to make it for them. I used boneless, skinless chicken THIGHS, and marinated them in the pickle juice and milk. (I doubled the recipe for the amount of chicken I had). Although this step seriously grossed out my 6 and 11 year old, later on, there were NO complaints. I ran out of milk for the milk/egg mixture so I mixed 2 eggs with a cup of plain whole fat Greek yogurt and added a tiny bit of water. After dipping the chicken in that mixture (and letting it sit in that a bit), I mixed seasoning salt, garlic powder, paprika and black pepper in a bowl and sprinkled that on the chicken before tossing it in the flour/powdered sugar mixture. I fried them for about 10 minutes in vegetable oil. I had mini brioche burger rolls on hand, so I sliced those in half (as you would Hawaiian rolls for a slider dish) toasted both halves, and then put the bottom half in a baking pan. Topped the bread with mayo, the chicken, havarti cheese slices, and mixed greens (in place of lettuce). I mayo-ed the top half of the buns and sandwiches it all together. After cutting the buns to separate them, I served it with French fries and a glass of homemade lemonade- pure Chick-fil-A style! Thank you for the inspiration for a delicious dinner that we all loved!!
Trying this tonight however using vegetable oil instead of peanut.
Has anyone tried to bake the chicken?
I listened to some of the comments.
Added some paprika and chili powder to the batter.
Doubled the egg wash and batter, so I could double dip. The batter stayed on the chicken, nice and crisp.
Make sure oil is very hot – heat on medium high, check with flour for a sizzle, then turn back to medium heat to cook.
Used a whole bottle of peanut oil in a cast iron pan. The oil completely covered the chicken pieces.
Cooked 2 pieces of chicken at a time. Only took 5-6 minutes to cook each piece.
My breasts were large, so 1 breast actually made 4 sandwiches. (I butterflied, then cut in half again after frying, to fit the sandwich.)
Served with lettuce, tomato, pickle.
Melted butter brushed on the toasted buns.
This was really good! Absolutely will make again. It was fast and easy and yummy.
I cooked mine for 7 minutes each side in an iron frying pan. Maybe my chicken was thicker even butterflied? My dad LOVES Chick-Fil-A but it’s an hour drive to the closest one. This is such a treat for him (age 89). Thanks for recipe.
Aw that’s so great! Thanks for sharing.
Family loved them! The chicken crisped up great, was juicy, and the marinade really made the flavor.
The only problem i had was the breading didnt stay on to good i went by the steps i believe theres other steps or something miss out any one know what it could be ???
Your oil probably wasn’t hot enough.
Flour before eggwash then flour again
Amazing! It tasted just like the real thing!
Tastes good and is tender. The breading just came off half of the chicken breasts in full sheets of breading when cooking. Some stuck and some didn’t. Don’t know what the difference was.
Definitely tasty and you can feel the essence of Chik-fil-a, but I wouldn’t mistake it for the real thing. I accidentally cut my chicken cutlets too thick but it didn’t end up being an issue – it seemed that as long as it had a golden-brown exterior, the interior was fine.
Question though – any recommendation so I don’t have to use pickle juice? Husband and I really don’t like pickles and though the taste wasn’t too strong, I’d hate to waste pickles just for the juice.
The pickle juice is actually a key ingredient here so I do not recommend using a substitute.
You can just buy a bottle of pickle juice. I got some from Amazon. No pickles = no waste.
I will be totally honest in saying I had all kinds of doubts about this. I felt the recipe was way too simple. But I followed it just like the instructions say and I am extremely pleasantly surprised of how similar this does taste to the real thing. I don’t know what else to say other than I am totally impressed! I will definitely be using this recipe again and again!
Can I sub almond milk for whole milk? I have a dairy allergy
I made this for dinner last night. It was fantastic. I stuck to the recipe, I have been saving my pickle juice as it makes delicious caesar’s. I did double dip and double coat the chicken breast in the egg and flour. I kept the lid on the pan wile heating the oil and cooking – it was hot and the steam helped cook the chicken – which turned out nice and tender. I let the steam off a few times and checked on the chook. The sugar in the flours helps them brown and the hot oil crisped the crust up. Delish! thanks for sharing – also easy and quick.
Would vegetable oil work just as well as peanut oil
Yes.
So simple, so yum ❤️ thank you for the quick go to for when I need to satisfy EVERYONE in the fam Truly identical to chick Fil a ! And actually we prefer it over theirs !
As a long-time CFA employee I note two differences here: first, a fried Chick-fil-a sandwich does not use marinated chicken. Marinade is used only for grilled chicken and chicken strips. Second, you can add a little paprika to the flour mixture for more authenticity. Finally, I recommend upping the flour from 1/2 cup to 1 cup; my typical mixture is 1 c flour, 1 Tbsp powdered sugar, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper.
Finally: be generous with the peanut oil. If you have a fryer use it.
Thank you sooooo much!!
It is important to marinate the chicken. The pickle juice and milk combination is the same as buttermilk and always makes the fried chicken extra moist and tender.
Does it matter what pickle juice. W/wo garlic
You can use a pickle juice of your choice.
I will be trying this tomorrow for sure. I saw that Lucas added cajun spices. Are those what Chick-Fil-A to spice up their Spicy Chicken Sandwich?
I believe they use something similar to Cajun spices such as paprika and chili powder.
Here’s a link to a Chick-fil-A sauce recipe to go with 🙂 https://houseofyumm.com/copycat-chick-fil-a-sauce/ The recipe isn’t mine.
I made this just now and OMG GIRL you nailed it
#CHUNGAH, is it possible to make a video of this recipe, step-by-step. It will be far better us to learn. Thank you.
Yay! Love Chik-Fil-A but find the owner’s policies vis-a-vis gay people and his ardent support of The Big Orange Bigot objectionable in the extreme, so I won’t patronize them.
Why did you even click on this article? Was it just to bitch. Move along ding dong.
obviously because they love the chicken. They don’t want to give money to the restaurant. They can get their chicken fix with this recipe. By making it at home. Which is exactly what I’m also here. Who cares bootlicker
Also thanks for the recipe OP I’ll be trying this this weekend! Looks yummy
ANGELA, please keep your political statements off of a cooking website. KELLY was right… MARI shouldn’t call ppl “bootlickers” either… We are here to learn and not be “triggered”. Chick-fil-A rocks!!
I used buttermilk and Cajun spices in my marinade and double dipped. Also, I only had boneless thighs and they came out great. I will use breasts for this recipe next time we go to the store. Thanks
Exactly! Well said…..
Hahahaha! You’re an idiot. Why would you think it necessary to regurgitate your political beliefs in the comment section of a recipe? You are a prime example of what is wrong with America.
1 cup pickle juice, 2 teaspoons accent, 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 teaspoon potassium chloride(Morton’s Salt Substitute) and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. This gives you the Chik Fil A authentic experience. Marinate 6 to 12 hours, more if using drumsticks or thighs.
Just add 2 teaspoons of Accent or MSG for an even more authentic Chik Fil A taste. Trust me, they use it.
I wish we knew how much salt and pepper to add to make it taste just like the original.
LoL… my thought always when I read this in ANY recipe. Guess we know the amount on the second go-round.
Chick Fil A invented a real winner, brining their chicken breasts with of all things, dill pickle brine. If we could all be so brilliantly entrepreneurial. , we’d open our own franchises
Wow, made this last night. What a treat. I added cajun spices to the flour for extra flavour. The milk and pickle juice break down the chicken nicely, it remains juicy and flaky once its fried. (I used a deep fat fryer). Delicious, a slice of American Cheese and mayo with Brioche buns… Heavenly. Partner thought I cheated and used KFC fillets but said they tasted unusually better. Thank you!
Oh, one neat trick is to press the chicken into the flour really hard, used a big bowl with lots of flour) (I saw Chick fil a people doing that at the back of the kitchens on a youtube video) Makes it stick really well and flattens out the partially broken down chicken nicely.
For those of you that are having trouble getting the batter to stick, try this trick. After marinating, place chicken in the freezer for 13-15 min, remove and do your 2 dredges and then right into the oil.
I ran out of pickle juice…is there any ither substitution or can I leave it out?
It curdle the milk a bit on my batch I use all the right ingredients and measure mental did I do something wrong?
The vinegar in the pickle juice is an acid. Any acid will eventually curdle the milk.. Maybe it eas5the length of time you marinated for? Or if your milk was close to souring, it wouldn’t take long with an acid to turn it the rest of the way.
CHUNGAH-
I made this the other day without the milk, quite frankly I forgot it but the chicken came out very well and was a big hit. I’m on a second batch now with just the pickle juice again. I’m going to marinate this for two days. What exactly does the milk add to the recipe? I may add the milk for the second night of marinating if it makes a substantial difference.
Thanks.
The milk acts as a base for the marinade – but please do let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Just a small piece of input. The original CFA sandwich has butter on its buns which of course adds immensely to the flavor profile. I usually ask for it without when I’m order one, but would be tempted to do it at home just to add the extra “love” to my taste buds.
Doesn’t the sugar make it taste too sweet? Also, would cornstarch make for a crispier crunchier batter?
Not at all! As for the cornstarch, unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
Yo all 🙂 I think the premise is correct like the marinade and all. to those who didn’t quite get the chick fil a affect, here’s what I’d recommend (I’m a professional chef of over 20 years so listen up! 🙂 you need to double batter it. So after you dip it in the milk/egg mixture, dredge it in the flour. THEN, dip it back in the milk/egg mixture a second time and then AGAIN into the flour. That’s the ultimate key to amazing southern style fried chicken and the same concept applies here. Cheers!
Thanks, I will try this next time. Mine tasted great (i did pound chicken before marinade)….but after sautee/fry in minimal avocado oil, batter slide off.
This was awesome! I added some paprika, and garlic powder in with the flour and it tasted great! We opted for just pickles and some chick fil a honey mustard. Thanks for the recipe!
Mine tasted delightful – hubby was delighted – but didn’t taste quite as good. Maybe because I didn’t use peanut oil?
Yum! Recipe turned out great! Instead of frying in peanut oil, I sprayed the coated chicken with a butter spray and used and air fryer to cook.
Wow this looks so good. Love a good sandwich. Thanks for sharing.
Simon
Mine was a complete fail. Followed exact instructions. Didn’t work out for me. No prob-my fault darn it.
I tried this last night but all my batter stuck to the bottom of my cast iron killet so it was a fail for me. I shoulda used my trusty nonstick pan but went against my better judgement
Sounds like you possibly didn’t have enough oil.
I am very anxious to try this! I’ve been playing around with a similar recipe using buttermilk, but it just wasn’t quite right. One thing I think may help is that a good quality (preferrably organic without hormones), never frozen chicken breast can make a HUGE difference in the flavor, tenderness and juicyness of your sandwich. For those not having great success, it might be worth trying a different chicken.
I tried it, and it was mediocre. Maybe I followed the recipe incorrectly.
I’ve never had chick-fil-a (gasp) but I just made this for dinner tonight and I don’t think I’ll ever need to visit the chain! I was so happy with how quickly this came together and what a crowd pleaser it turned out to be! Thanks for sharing!!
Where have you been in jail? ha ha
I’m making these now …I will repost after dinner!!
Sounds delicious can’t wait to give this one a try!
Do you need the sugar? Just wondering if leaving that out well make a huge difference in taste.
You can omit as needed.
My daughter is a chic-fil-a expert as she suggests we eat it 2-3 times a week. I fried whole breast and cut into nuggets. When my daughter popped the first piece in her mouth, the smile on her face said it all!!! Thank you!!!
This recipe did not deliver a Chick-Fil-A “clone.” Don’t get me wrong, it was good. I will give it another shot with coconut flour which delivers a subtle sweetness and a healthy fiber alternative.
Yeah I’m not able to replicate it either. I found the egg wash/milk bath did not lend itself very well to having the flour stick.
I have tried a chic file clone before, letting my chicken sit in a sugar/ salt solution with water for over 6 hours. I found that it made the chicken extremely tender after cooking. Maybe you should try this and then follow the recipe.
This is so good… We placed ours in the oven sprayed with butter cooking spray, place on broil setting. It is a instant family hit. Thanks for sharing
What would you recommend if I wanted to bake it instead of doing it over the stove top? I’m not big into frying.
Elisha, you can certainly bake these but they won’t taste quite the same as deep-frying!
No Chick-Fil-As here in Oregon so I tried this recipe. Amazing! Hubby and I are both hooked and call it Pickle Chicken. Thank you for sharing!
Tried this and the chicken had a strong pickle taste. We liked it, but mine didn’t come crispy.
The coating was too soft, my fault I guess.
Your oil was not hot enough. You should hear a resounding sizzle when sprinkling a little flour. If its not making a noise you need to hold off. Also be sure to heat your oil on medium high, wait until its hot and the chicken then turn up the temp to bring the oil back to temperature.
There’s a Chick-Fil-A practically on every corner around here but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to recreate their sandwich. Yum!
This instantly made my Fry-day better =) The batter looks so crunchy! Definitely going to give this a try soon. Yumm! =)
This was fantastic! Chicken was so tender and juicy. Was made even better by the Chik Fil A sauce I bought today at the grocery store.
Even my VERY skeptical 15 year old couldn’t believe how good it tasted. She told me I should have made more chicken. I consider that a win.
Question – shouldn’t the fry time be 5 mins per side? With only 1 cup oil, it seems like they’ll need to be flipped and 4-5 mins total doesn’t seem right….? Hoping to make this tonight 🙂
Kristin, if you are using a shallow pan, 1 cup oil should be more than sufficient. As for cooking time, I recommend 5 minutes total, but that may need to be adjusted as needed depending on the size of your chicken breasts.
Just curious, but can pickle juice be purchased at a local grocery store? I don’t even know if we have that here in Canada =S
Rick, you can purchase pickles from the local grocery store and use the pickle juice from there.
Really Rick? Do they not teach common sense in Canada?
Common Sense is an American book. That’s were the word and word meaning came from so if u say common sense to a non American speaker it will mean nothing.
Roy, apparently you were taught to be a rude ahole.
Unfortunately, too often America forgets to teach manners.
Hi, Heather. I felt the need to comment because that is a very unfair statement. Don’t group the rest of us Americans in with the ones that lack manners.
Really Roy? Do they not teach people to be kind where you’re from (In America, I’m assuming, since you so rudely dissed an honest question)?
Roy has a Sense of HUMOR. Geeze..
No pickle juice…lmao..
I thought the comment was funny, Roy. Thanks for making me laugh. Some people are uptight and take everything way too seriously. .
So excited to try this! Will a different oil (perhaps canola or coconut) change the flavor?
Using peanut oil will add a very subtle peanut flavor, but the difference in oils should be very minimal. Here is a great article on difference kinds of oils: http://www.wholeliving.com/133738/choosing-healthier-oils.
Can you substitute cashew/almond milk or does it have to be regular milk?
Cashew/almond milk should work just fine, although there may be a teensy bit of a flavor change.
What would you recommend using for a spicy version of the sandwich?
You can add about 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more, to taste) for a spicy sandwich.
Add a slice of pepper jack cheese as well.
These sandwiches look amazing!! I have never heard of Chick-fil-A.. maybe it’s an American thing? But at least I have the option of making their sandwich 🙂
It’s an American southern thing. Georgia couldn’t thrive without chick-fil-a .
Just a quick question – isn’t pickle juice high in vinegar? doesn’t that curdle the milk?
Nope, there shouldn’t be any kind of curdling here.
Even if it sours the milk, it’d just further resemble buttermilk which is an excellent marinade as well
we just got some now in the state but the wait time to get in is about two hrs. I will try this instead
Yum!! Thank you for posting this delicious copycat recipe on a Sunday. (The day of the week my Chick-Fil-A cravings are at their highest since I can’t have any!!) can’t wait to try!
Would you believe I’ve never been to a Chick-Fil A? The closest one is over 80 miles away! That wouldn’t stop me from trying this sandwich though! I don’t need to try the original to see how good this one is.
My life is now complete!! Copycat ChickFilA every day for a month now!