Sooper Copycat Chick-fil-A Recipes – Crispy Fast-Food

The first thing you'll notice is the sound: a damp, salty sizzle the second the chicken hits the oil, followed by that sweet-savory waft of pickle brine and buttermilk drifting through the kitchen. That smell is the whole promise of this recipe collection, and you're about to make it happen at home.

This is a package of six copycat Chick-fil-A recipes: the classic crispy chicken sandwich, bite-size nuggets, grilled chicken sandwiches, waffle fries, Chick-fil-A sauce, and a tangy Polynesian dipping sauce. Each one is built around the same trick, a pickle-juice and buttermilk brine that keeps the chicken juicy while the flour coating turns shatteringly crisp.

You don't need special equipment, just a heavy pot, a thermometer, and a little patience with the oil temperature. Read through once, then pick your first recipe and cook along with me.

About the Ingredients

2 lb (900g) boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 4 sandwich fillets and 24 nugget pieces

Buy breasts that are similar in thickness so they cook evenly; if yours are thick, slice them horizontally into cutlets. Chicken thighs work beautifully here too and stay juicier on the grill.

1 cup (240ml) dill pickle juice, from a jar of dill pickles

Any dill pickle brine works, but refrigerated Claussen-style brine is closest to the original. Save the pickles for topping your sandwiches.

1 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk

No buttermilk? Stir 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice into 1 1/2 cups whole milk and let it sit 10 minutes until it looks slightly curdled.

2 large eggs

Bring them to room temperature for 15 minutes so they blend smoothly into the buttermilk. Liquid egg substitute works in a pinch but thins the coating.

2 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour

Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off; scooping straight from the bag packs it and makes the coating heavy. A 50/50 blend with cornstarch gives an even crispier crust.

3 tbsp powdered sugar

This is the secret to that faint sweetness in the coating. Don't skip it, and don't substitute granulated sugar, which won't dissolve into the flour.

2 tsp fine sea salt, plus more for finishing

Fine sea salt dissolves faster than kosher flakes in the dredge. If you only have kosher, use 2 1/2 teaspoons.

1 tbsp paprika, plus 1 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp black pepper

Smoked paprika adds a subtle campfire note; sweet paprika keeps it closer to the original. Whisk the spices into the flour before dredging so they distribute evenly.

6 cups (1.4L) peanut or canola oil, for frying

Peanut oil gives the most authentic flavor and handles high heat well; canola is a neutral, cheaper alternative. Never fill your pot more than halfway.

6 brioche or soft white buns, 2 tbsp butter, and 12 dill pickle chips, for serving

Brioche is closest to the original bun's soft sweetness. Brush the cut sides with butter and toast them in a dry skillet for 60 seconds for that buttery finish.

Tips & Tricks

Keep the oil at 350F (175C)

use a clip-on thermometer and adjust the burner, because oil that's too cool makes greasy chicken and oil that's too hot browns the crust before the inside cooks.

Drizzle, don't soak

add 2 tablespoons of the buttermilk brine to the flour and rake it with a fork until shaggy clumps form, which is what creates those crispy ridges.

Rest the coating for 10 minutes

let dredged pieces sit on a rack before frying so the flour hydrates and clings instead of sliding off into the oil.

Fry in small batches

four nuggets or two sandwich fillets at a time keeps the oil temperature from dropping and gives you even golden color.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Brine the chicken

Whisk the pickle juice, buttermilk, and eggs in a bowl until smooth, then submerge the chicken pieces. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight for the deepest flavor; the brine is what keeps the meat juicy.

2. Mix the dredge

In a wide dish, whisk the flour, powdered sugar, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper. Drizzle in 2 tablespoons of the brine and rake with a fork until you see shaggy clumps, which become the crispy ridges.

3. Heat the oil

Pour the oil into a heavy Dutch oven to a depth of 2 inches and heat over medium-high until a thermometer reads 350F (175C). Keep a sheet pan with a wire rack nearby for draining.

4. Dredge the chicken

Lift each piece from the brine, letting excess drip off, then press it firmly into the flour on both sides. Set the coated pieces on the rack and rest 10 minutes so the coating sets.

5. Fry the sandwiches

Lower 2 fillets into the oil and fry 5 to 6 minutes, turning once, until deep golden brown and the internal temperature reads 165F (74C). The crust should sound crisp and dry when you tap it with tongs.

6. Fry the nuggets

Fry the nugget pieces in batches of 6 for 3 to 4 minutes, until they float and turn golden. Drain on the rack and sprinkle with salt while hot.

7. Toast the buns

Brush the cut sides of the buns with butter and toast in a dry skillet over medium heat for 60 seconds, until lightly golden and fragrant.

8. Build and serve

Spread each toasted bun with 1 tablespoon of Chick-fil-A sauce, add a chicken fillet, and top with 2 pickle chips. Serve immediately while the crust is at its crunchiest.

Delicious Variations

Spicy deluxe

whisk 1 teaspoon cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder into the flour dredge and top with pepper jack and tomato slices.

Grilled version

skip the flour entirely, marinate in the pickle brine for 4 hours, then grill 6 minutes per side over medium-high heat for a lighter sandwich.

Nugget party platter

fry the nuggets and serve with small bowls of Chick-fil-A sauce, Polynesian sauce, honey mustard, and ranch for dipping.

How to Store Sooper Copycat Chick-fil-A Recipes

Frequently Asked Questions

Pick one recipe, grab a jar of pickles, and let the brine do its quiet work overnight. Then fry a batch, taste as you go, then taste again.

Sooper Copycat Chick-fil-A Recipes

Recreate Chick-fil-A's crispy chicken sandwiches, nuggets, waffle fries and sauces at home with these 6 easy copycat recipes and a pickle-juice brine.

★★★★½ 4.8 (214 ratings)

25 minPrep time35 minCook time6Servings485 kcalCalories

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🧂 Ingredients

• 2 lb (900g) boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 4 sandwich fillets and 24 nugget pieces
• 1 cup (240ml) dill pickle juice, from a jar of dill pickles
• 1 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp powdered sugar
• 2 tsp fine sea salt, plus more for finishing
• 1 tbsp paprika, plus 1 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp black pepper
• 6 cups (1.4L) peanut or canola oil, for frying
• 6 brioche or soft white buns, 2 tbsp butter, and 12 dill pickle chips, for serving

📋 Instructions

1. 1Brine the chicken — Whisk the pickle juice, buttermilk, and eggs in a bowl until smooth, then submerge the chicken pieces. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight for the deepest flavor; the brine is what keeps the meat juicy.
2. 2Mix the dredge — In a wide dish, whisk the flour, powdered sugar, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper. Drizzle in 2 tablespoons of the brine and rake with a fork until you see shaggy clumps, which become the crispy ridges.
3. 3Heat the oil — Pour the oil into a heavy Dutch oven to a depth of 2 inches and heat over medium-high until a thermometer reads 350F (175C). Keep a sheet pan with a wire rack nearby for draining.
4. 4Dredge the chicken — Lift each piece from the brine, letting excess drip off, then press it firmly into the flour on both sides. Set the coated pieces on the rack and rest 10 minutes so the coating sets.
5. 5Fry the sandwiches — Lower 2 fillets into the oil and fry 5 to 6 minutes, turning once, until deep golden brown and the internal temperature reads 165F (74C). The crust should sound crisp and dry when you tap it with tongs.
6. 6Fry the nuggets — Fry the nugget pieces in batches of 6 for 3 to 4 minutes, until they float and turn golden. Drain on the rack and sprinkle with salt while hot.
7. 7Toast the buns — Brush the cut sides of the buns with butter and toast in a dry skillet over medium heat for 60 seconds, until lightly golden and fragrant.
8. 8Build and serve — Spread each toasted bun with 1 tablespoon of Chick-fil-A sauce, add a chicken fillet, and top with 2 pickle chips. Serve immediately while the crust is at its crunchiest.

👨‍🍳 Chef's Note: The brine is doing most of the work here, so don't rush it; even two hours makes a noticeable difference, and overnight makes it taste like the drive-thru.

Servings: 6

Cuisine: American

Course: Main Course

Nutrition (per serving): 485 kcal · 38g protein · 42g carbs · 19g fat

Written by Priya Raghunathan

Priya writes about South Indian home cooking and the improvisation that happens in real kitchens, from quick weekday tiffins to slow weekend spreads. She is interested in how a single tempering of spices changes a dish and in adapting familiar recipes to what a cook has on hand. Her angle is playful, sensory recipe writing that treats cooking as something to tinker with.