✔ Made and tested at home · 5 copycats: nuggets, sauces, sides + treats
These 5 Chick-fil-A copycat recipes bring the favorites home, from pickle-brined nuggets and the famous dipping sauce to baked mac and cheese, the classic coleslaw and the kale crunch side. Most take under an hour, and the sauce takes five minutes.
Start with the nuggets and a jar of Chick-fil-A sauce; together they make a full meal with a side of mac and cheese or coleslaw. The pickle juice brine and a pinch of powdered sugar in the coating are what make the chicken taste right.
- Easiest win: Chick-fil-A sauce, whisked in 5 minutes with no cooking.
- Best for a crowd: the baked mac and cheese, which serves 8 as a side.
- Lighter side: the kale crunch salad with a maple Dijon vinaigrette and roasted almonds.
Each one is a homemade version made with supermarket ingredients, so the flavor is close rather than identical, and you control the salt, the heat and the portion size. They are grouped below by type, and every card links to the full recipe with step photos.
Chicken and Sauces
The nuggets and the sauces that go with them. The sauces keep for a week in the fridge.
1. Chick-fil-A Nuggets
Bite-size chicken breast brined in pickle juice, coated in seasoned flour with a little powdered sugar and fried in peanut oil until golden.
Get the recipe →
2. Chick-fil-A Sauce
Mayonnaise, honey, smoky barbecue sauce, yellow and Dijon mustard and a squeeze of lemon. Ready in 5 minutes.
Get the recipe →Sides and Treats
The sides that make it a Chick-fil-A meal, plus something sweet.
3. Mac and Cheese
Macaroni in a creamy cheddar, Parmesan and Romano sauce, topped with more cheese and baked until golden in spots.
Get the recipe →
4. Coleslaw
Finely chopped cabbage and carrot in a sweet and tangy mayonnaise, vinegar and dry mustard dressing, chilled for 2 hours.
Get the recipe →
5. Kale Crunch Salad
Chopped curly kale and green cabbage in an apple cider, maple and Dijon vinaigrette, topped with salted roasted almonds.
Get the recipe →Tips for Chick-fil-A Favorites at Home
- Brine in pickle juice. Even 30 minutes in dill pickle juice seasons the chicken all the way through.
- Use peanut oil. It gives the nuggets their clean, nutty flavor. Keep it at 350°F and fry in small batches.
- Make the sauce first. Chick-fil-A sauce tastes better after an hour in the fridge, so mix it before you start the chicken.
- Chill the slaw. The coleslaw needs at least 2 hours so the cabbage softens and the dressing thickens.
- Check the chicken. Cook chicken to 165°F inside.
More Fast Food Chicken Favorites
Want more fried chicken nights? Try my KFC copycat recipes and McDonald’s copycat recipes, and you will find every restaurant in my copycat recipes collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most popular Chick-fil-A copycat recipes?
The nuggets, Chick-fil-A sauce and mac and cheese are the most searched, followed by the coleslaw and kale crunch salad. Start with the nuggets and sauce for a full meal.
What makes Chick-fil-A chicken taste the way it does?
A pickle juice brine, a seasoned flour coating with a little powdered sugar, and frying in peanut oil. Those three steps do most of the work at home.
Can I still make the Chick-fil-A coleslaw?
Yes. The coleslaw left the menu years ago, and the recipe here follows the version the chain shared when it was retired.
Can I make the nuggets in an air fryer?
You can. Spray the coated nuggets well with oil and air fry at 400°F, turning once, until golden and 165°F inside. They will be a little less crunchy than fried.
How long does homemade Chick-fil-A sauce keep?
Up to a week in a sealed jar in the fridge. Stir it before serving.
Are these the restaurant’s own recipes?
No. These are copycat recipes inspired by Chick-fil-A menu items and made in my home kitchen. Recipe Fairy is not affiliated with Chick-fil-A.
