Air Fryer Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets (Gluten Free & Grain Free)

These Air Fryer Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets taste like the real deal and can easily be made at home with a few simple ingredients. They are made from tender and juicy chicken and coated in a crispy Paleo friendly breadcrumb. This recipe is gluten free, grain free, dairy free, egg free, and refined sugar free.

I think we can all agree that, regardless of age, chicken nuggets are a classic comfort food. I also think we can all probably agree that fast food chicken nuggets aren’t typically made from the best ingredients. The good news is that these Air Fryer Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets give you the taste you love with just 5 simple real-food ingredients. What’s even better is that you can enjoy these delicious, crispy chicken nuggets from home. No more getting in the car, waiting in line, and feeling guilty about what you’re eating.

I can’t take full credit for this recipe as it was inspired by my husband’s love for Chick-fil-A. He was told that the secret ingredient for their tasty chicken nuggets is pickle juice. When he shared this information with me, I thought there was only one thing to do…test it out for ourselves. I am happy to report that the pickle juice definitely gives these chicken nuggets that special, savory taste we all crave. The pickle juice also makes these nuggets perfectly tender and juicy. We added a Paleo friendly breadcrumb made from almond flour, salt, and pepper that gives these chicken nuggets that crispy coating. We have made these chicken nuggets every weekend since creating this recipe. Yes, they are that good!

To get these Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets crispy yet tender, we used the Instant Pot Air Fryer lid. You can find the one we use here, but make sure it’s the right lid for your specific Instant Pot. This is a recent purchase for us, but so far we have been obsessed with it! It can also be used to bake, broil, reheat, roast and dehydrate as well.

To make these Air Fryer Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets, cut the chicken into cube sized pieces. I find it easiest to buy chicken tenderloins, but chicken breasts will also work. Put the cut chicken in a quart sized Ziploc bag, pour in the pickle juice, and place the bag in the refrigerator. The longer you let the chicken marinade, the better the results. I would suggest letting it marinade for at least 30 minutes. If I have the time, I usually let them marinade longer to really let them soak up the pickle juice.

Once your chicken is done marinating, mix together the almond flour, salt, and pepper. Next, transfer the chicken to a new quart sized Ziploc bag. I scoop the chicken out of the bag rather than dumping it. You want to avoid transferring extra marinade to the new bag. If there is too much liquid, it will make it more difficult for the breadcrumb mixture to stick to the chicken. Add the breadcrumb mixture to the bag and toss until the chicken nuggets are thoroughly coated.

Place the chicken nuggets in a single layer in the air fryer basket. You can use the tray that comes with the air fryer lid to add another single layer of chicken nuggets to the basket. Select the air fryer setting and cook at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. It will beep halfway through the cooking time as a reminder to flip the chicken.

The next time you are craving crispy chicken nuggets, skip the drive through and give these simple Air Fryer Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets a try. Made with real ingredients, these chicken nuggets will have both kids and adults asking for more!

-Kelsey

Air Fryer Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets (Gluten Free & Grain Free)

Recipe by Kelsey GrassCourse: Dinner/LunchDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Total time

30

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken tenderloins

• 1.5 cups pickle juice

• 1 cup almond flour

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• Cut the chicken into nugget sized cubes and place them into a quart sized Ziploc bag. Add the pickle juice to the bag and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
• When the chicken is finished marinating, mix together the almond flour, salt, and pepper. Transfer the chicken to a separate quart sized Ziploc bag making sure to strain the extra marinade. Add the breadcrumb mixture to the bag and shake until the nuggets are thoroughly coated.
• Place the chicken nuggets in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Use the tray that comes with the air fryer lid to add another single layer of chicken nuggets to the basket. Select the air fryer setting and cook at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. It will beep halfway through the cooking time as a reminder to flip the chicken.