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August 23, 2016

Copycat Chick-fil-a Nuggets Recipe (Grain-Free, Paleo)

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Chick-Fil-A nuggets are super popular, but sadly they contain MSG, white flour and some ingredients I can’t really pronounce. After hearing so many friends rave about them for so many years, I decided to come up with a recipe for copycat Chick-fil-a nuggets that we can enjoy at home!

Copycat Chick-fil-a Nuggets Recipe (Grain-Free, Paleo)The chicken is marinated in pickle juice and buttermilk, providing a tangy flavor and making the meat exceptionally juicy. The nuggets are then coated with a grain-free flour mixture featuring lots of spices. I chose tallow or lard (from good sources) as the frying fat because they withstand high heats without oxidizing.

Copycat Chick-fil-a Nuggets Recipe (Grain-Free, Paleo)

I hope you enjoy them!

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Homemade Chick-fil-a Nuggets Recipe (Grain-Free, Paleo)

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  • Author: Carrie Vitt
  • Prep Time: 24 hours 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 24 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

Units

For the marinade:
2 pounds of chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup pickle juice (I used Bubbies)
1/2 cup buttermilk (or use 1/2 cup coconut milk and 2 tablespoons lemon juice)

For the breading:
2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup arrowroot flour
1 1/2 teaspoons gelatin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon Celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of cayenne
5 large eggs

For frying:
4 cups tallow or lard

Instructions

  1. Place the chicken, pickle juice and buttermilk in a large bowl. Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight.
  2. Place the almond flour, coconut flour, arrowroot, gelatin, paprika, sea salt, garlic power, black pepper and cayenne in a large baking dish. Toss gently to combine. Crack the eggs into a pie plate and whisk in 2 tablespoons water. Dip a few pieces of the chicken first into the flour mixture, then the egg, then the flour again. Set the coated chicken on a large plate while you coat the remaining pieces.
  3. Place the tallow or lard in a large pot or Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat to 350ºF on a candy thermometer (this will take about 10 minutes).
  4. Place a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 250ºF and adjust the rack to the middle position.
  5. When the tallow is at 350ºF, carefully place 8-10 chicken pieces in the hot oil. Fry for about 2 minutes, or until they’re golden brown on the bottom. Using a pair of tongs, flip the chicken pieces. Cook until the other side is golden brown, about 2 minutes. As you finish the chicken pieces, place them on the prepared baking sheet. Place the sheet into the oven to keep the chicken warm while you cook the remaining pieces. Serve hot.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 8

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Filed Under: Dairy and Grain-Free Recipes, Dairy-Free Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Grain Free Recipes, Kids and School Lunches, Main Dish, Paleo Recipes, Thyroid Support and Health Recipes (Days 31+), Uncategorized | 21 Comments

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21 Comments

  1. Julie

    August 23, 2016 at 9:59 pm

    Hi, I was trying to see which gelatin it is you use but it just takes me to Amazon and doesn't send to item.
    to Julie" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Julie'>Reply to this comment
    • Deliciously Organic

      September 6, 2016 at 10:07 am

      Sorry about that! I just made the edit. HEre's the link: http://amzn.to/2cDF01Y
      to Deliciously Organic" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Deliciously Organic'>Reply to this comment
  2. Lynda

    August 24, 2016 at 5:33 am

    Can you reuse the tallow for another day?
    to Lynda" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Lynda'>Reply to this comment
    • Deliciously Organic

      September 6, 2016 at 10:05 am

      Yes! I do it all the time!
      to Deliciously Organic" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Deliciously Organic'>Reply to this comment
  3. Kathleen

    August 25, 2016 at 9:50 pm

    Finally...a use for pickle juice! ;-) I always hate to throw it out...
    to Kathleen" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Kathleen'>Reply to this comment
    • Chel

      October 8, 2016 at 9:32 am

      I'm in the UK and not familiar with pickle juice. What exactly is it?
      to Chel" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Chel'>Reply to this comment
      • Deliciously Organic

        October 24, 2016 at 7:35 am

        It's the juice from a jar of pickles.
        to Deliciously Organic" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Deliciously Organic'>Reply to this comment
  4. Dena Norton

    August 26, 2016 at 1:57 pm

    Love this! I only take my kids to CFA once or twice year, so they'll love hearing there's a suitable homemade alternative. Thanks!!
    to Dena Norton" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Dena Norton'>Reply to this comment
  5. Alyce

    August 27, 2016 at 1:06 pm

    This sounds delish. What is the purpose of the gelatin and can it be omitted?
    to Alyce" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Alyce'>Reply to this comment
    • Deliciously Organic

      September 6, 2016 at 10:03 am

      The gelatin acts as a binding agent for the breading and shouldn't be omitted.
      to Deliciously Organic" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Deliciously Organic'>Reply to this comment
  6. Jeanne

    September 12, 2016 at 1:11 pm

    OMG I LOVE ChicFilet Nuggets, this is an exciting recipe for me! I already have Gelatin from Perfect Supplements so I can't wait to try this recipe out :)
    to Jeanne" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Jeanne'>Reply to this comment
  7. Susanna

    September 19, 2016 at 10:20 am

    What can I use instead of almond flour? My son is allergic to nuts.
    to Susanna" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Susanna'>Reply to this comment
    • Deliciously Organic

      September 19, 2016 at 11:25 am

      I only test the recipes on my site with the listed ingredients and measurements. If you would like to try a substitution, you are welcome to share what you used and how it turned out in the comments below. Thanks!
      to Deliciously Organic" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Deliciously Organic'>Reply to this comment
  8. Kate

    October 26, 2016 at 6:16 pm

    Carrie! These are awesome! So...I wanted to do them and was in a pinch today. Didn't have pickle juice, but they were still great! The other neat thing? I had halibut thawed, not chicken and they were amazing!! Just thought others might like to know that the recipe works with a good sturdy fish too. :)
    to Kate" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Kate'>Reply to this comment
    • Deliciously Organic

      October 31, 2016 at 12:09 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it! I'll have to try this with fish. Thanks for the tip! :)
      to Deliciously Organic" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Deliciously Organic'>Reply to this comment
  9. Abbi

    December 8, 2017 at 1:43 pm

    Hi! Have you ever you frozen the leftovers? Just wondering if I could keep them in freezer and reheat for lunches? Thanks!
    to Abbi" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Abbi'>Reply to this comment
  10. Debbie

    October 1, 2018 at 2:32 pm

    Yummy, I made these yesterday and wanted to share this with your users as I'm sure several may be wondering. I did not fry them due to having so much healthy fat in my diet already and wanted to see if I could bake them or air fry them... So, I put it all to the test and here is what I found out and my personal preferences: The first few batches where done EXACTLY as you have listed - flour, egg, flour 1) Air fried - turned out great and nice and crispy, but too bready for my taste 2) Baked - turned out fine, not crispy, but still good and too bready for my taste Now before I continue I know had I fried them according to the recipe, they wouldn't be too "bready" as the oil would have soaked in and crisped them up really good. The next 2 sets of batches were done: 1. With just dipping chicken in flour mixture one time 2. With dipping chicken in egg and then flour mixture one time And those 2 batches I did only in the air fryer and preferred the ones dipped in egg and then the flour mixture. Due to these being "drier" than what Carrie posted, you'll likely want some sauce with it. As for the cooking times and settings: OVEN - baked at 425 - 8 to 10 minutes on one side, flip them over and baked another 4 to 6 minutes AIR FRYER - "preheated" at 400 for 8 minutes and cooked a TOTAL of 7 1/2 - 8 minutes, flipping them half way through Finally, I can't personally take credit for the settings of oven and air fryer as I googled them first. Either way, wanted to share.
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  11. Tami Lambert

    December 29, 2018 at 9:15 pm

    Carrie any thoughts on how to make this dairy free????
    to Tami Lambert" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Tami Lambert'>Reply to this comment
    • Deliciously Organic

      January 1, 2019 at 4:41 pm

      The dairy-free adaptation written in the ingredient list will work! ;)
      to Deliciously Organic" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Deliciously Organic'>Reply to this comment
  12. J Rich

    March 26, 2023 at 1:22 pm

    What is a "late" egg? Thank you for your recipes!
    to J Rich" aria-label='Reply to this comment to J Rich'>Reply to this comment
    • Deliciously Organic

      March 27, 2023 at 10:49 am

      That should have said "large". I just made the edit!
      to Deliciously Organic" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Deliciously Organic'>Reply to this comment

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Hi, I’m Carrie Vitt, FNTP
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Through unprocessed, organic food and detox I’ve reversed Hashimoto’s disease, chronic migraines, IBS and eczema.

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