Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Tenders in the Air Fryer with Homemade Chick-fil-A Sauce
Today I am thrilled to share with you this very tasty and very delicious chicken strip recipe. Why is it so good? Because it tastes just like Chick-fil-A Chicken Strips. Our family loves Chick-fil-A. However, the thing with takeout is that sometimes it is so expensive. With this simple air fryer recipe, you’ll rethink getting takeaway from Chick-fil-A.
Watch us taste the difference in this YouTube video!
Ingredients and supplies needed for Air Fryer Chick-fil-A Chicken Tenders:
- Chicken tenders or chicken breasts cut up
- Dill pickle juice
- Egg
- Milk
- All-purpose flour
- Confectioners sugar
- Paprika
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Dried basil
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Celery powder
Chick-Fil-A Sauce
- Mayonnaise
- Dijon mustard
- Honey
- Yellow mustard
- Fresh lemon juice, but from the bottle will work too
- Barbecue sauce
- Salt
Supplies:
- Air fryer
- Oil sprayer
- Medium bowl
- Small bowl
- Parchment paper liners (for easy clean up)
Chick-fil-A Chicken Tenders Secret Ingredient
The ingredients for this recipe are super simple.
However, there is a special ingredient that really makes this recipe taste like the real deal and that is pickle juice. Aka the pickle flavor is the secret ingredient to these delicious chicken pieces.
Yep, you read that right. The pickle juice brings out the Chick-fil-A flavor and makes this recipe so great.
Turn these into nuggets:
If you want to make chicken nuggets instead of chicken strips, just cut the strips or chicken breasts into small bite-sized pieces before you toss the chicken in the batter. Then cook them at the same temperature, however, the cooking time may vary depending on the size you cut the chicken to.
How to Make Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Strips:
Step 1: Marinate chicken strips
Before you begin making this recipe, you need to soak the chicken strips in pickle juice for 30 minutes to 2 hours. If you want a stronger flavor, I recommend marinating the chicken for at least 2 hours. However, if you are in a pinch for time, 30 minutes will work as well since pickle juice has a pretty strong flavor.
Step 2: Make the batter
Step 3: Coat chicken strips
Step 4: Air Fry Chicken Strips
This recipe is super quick in the air fryer. If you use small chicken tenders, then this recipe will be a breeze. Once your chicken is ready to be cooked, place the chicken in an even layer in the basket and cook for 5 minutes at 340°F or 170°C, flipping the chicken over when there is about 2 minutes left. You may have to cook in batches depending on how much chicken you are making.
Depending on the thickness of your chicken, then you may need to cook the chicken longer. Use an instant read thermometer to gauge how much longer to cook your chicken for to achieve safe eating temperatures.
Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of or near 165°F or 74°C, increase the heat to 400°F or 200°C and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the chicken is crispy to your liking and cooked through.
Download out my FREE internal temperature guide to know exactly when your food is fully cooked!
Amazing Chick-fil-A Sauce Recipe
Ever since our family discovered that Chick-fil-A sells their amazing Chick-fil-A sauce in bottles, this condiment has been a staple in our home. But when I tried making this homemade honey mustard sauce, I was floored. It tastes like the real deal, and is probably a little healthier too. To make homemade Chick-fil-A sauce, you will need:
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or bottle lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Simply, mix the ingredients together and let it cool in the fridge if you desire.
Final Thoughts
This recipe is so crazy easy that it is another staple in our home. Whenever I like to plan ahead my meals, I make sure that this Chick-fil-A copycat recipe is on the list. It is a simple dinner recipe for air fryer chicken tenders that tastes amazing with fries or a side salad.
Do you think this recipe tastes like the real deal? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
More amazing air fryer chicken recipes
- Chicken BLT Burrito in the Air Fryer
- How To Cook Chicken From Frozen in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Rosemary Ranch Chicken
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
How To Air Fry- Everything You Need to Know
- Air Fryer 101
- 12 Air Fryer Mistakes
- The Best and Worst Air Fryer Accessories
- How to Clean Your Air Fryer
- How to Cook Any Recipe in the Air Fryer
Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Tenders in the Air Fryer with Homemade Chick-fil-A Sauce
Equipment
- Oil sprayer
- Small bowl
- Medium bowl
- Parchment paper liners
Ingredients
- 1-2 pounds chicken tenders
- 1 cup dill pickle juice
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tablespoons confectioner's sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon pepper
- ¾ teaspoon dried basil
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon celery powder optional* see note
Chick-Fil-A Sauce
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or bottle lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place the chicken tenders in a Ziploc bag, add the pickle juice, and refrigerate for 2 hours (you can do more time if wanted, your chicken will just taste more pickely). If you are in a pinch for time, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- After the chicken finishes marinating, prepare your ingredients. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. In a second shallow bowl or plate, combine the flour, sugar, paprika, salt, pepper, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, and celery powder.
- Preheat the air fryer to 340 °F for 5 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Dip and cover the chicken in the egg mixture, then in the flour mixture. Place the chicken in a lightly sprayed air fryer basket. Repeat with remaining chicken tenders.
- Air fry for 5 minutes, flipping when there is about 2 minutes left. Check the internal temperature of the chicken. My chicken strips were very thin, so this was plenty of time. If yours are thicker, they may need a couple of extra minutes. Add time as needed, making sure to flip the chicken so that each of the sides cook evenly.
- Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of or near 165 °F, increase the heat to 400 °F and air fry for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the chicken is crispy to your liking and cooked through.
- Remove from the air fryer basket and enjoy with Chick-fil-A dipping sauce!
Chick-Fil-A Sauce
- Mix together all the ingredients until well combined.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Adapted From: Call Me PMC
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I havent tried this recipe yet.
The directions mention milk but the ingredients do not. Just wondered the recommended amount of milk. Also, I love Chick-Fil-A chicken and nuggets. However, I do not like dill pickles and don’t think I’d ever have a cup of dill pickle juice. How important is that? Would chicken broth be okay, fir example?
Hi Deanna, great catch. Milk is added to the recipe ingredients, you will need a 1/4 cup. As for the pickle juice, its kinda like the secret ingredient for this recipe. So I highly recommend you use it. Since you don’t like dill pickles, I recommend only marinating for about 30 minutes.
Just pan fry em with oil. Air frying is messy and you’ll be left with naked chicken. I deep fried mine last night. And chose this recipe as an alternative. Breading ripped from the chicken and what was left was ashy with flour. The pickle juice tenderizes the chicken. If you aren’t for pickle juice go with seasoned rice wine vinegar. I never comment on recipe blogs. This is my first time and i hate to be negative but this was a waste of time and chicken. Nope. No thanks.
I love that the recipe is made with real chicken!
I am going to try nuggets with real chicken. Do you have the recipe?
Thank you so much!
You can follow this recipe, but just cube smaller bits of chicken instead.
I don’t have an air fryer so I fried them in a frying pan in a mix of olive oil and butter. They came out delicious. Not really like Chick Fil A but I liked them a lot. Will make them again.
Recipe is good but the flour didn’t cook off. Came out like i dredged them in flour after cooking