Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Tenders
Pickle-brined, milk-soaked chicken tenders with a signature slightly-sweet breading (thanks to powdered sugar) fried in peanut oil. Served with a homemade copycat Chick-fil-A sauce.
Serves 4 servings
Ingredients
- Chicken & Marinade:
- 1½ lbs chicken tenders (or boneless breasts cut into strips)
- 1 cup dill pickle juice
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- Breading:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp celery salt
- ½ tsp dry mustard
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- For Frying:
- Peanut oil (about 2 inches deep in your pan)
- Copycat Chick-fil-A Sauce:
- ¼ cup mayo
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp BBQ sauce
- ½ tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Brine
- Place chicken tenders in a zip-top bag with pickle juice. Refrigerate 30 min to 1 hour (don't go longer or they'll get too salty).
- Egg Wash
- Drain the chicken. Whisk milk and egg together in a bowl, then add the chicken and let it soak for 5–10 minutes.
- Breading
- Whisk all dry ingredients together in a shallow dish. The powdered sugar is the "secret" — it caramelizes for that signature slightly-sweet crust.
- Coat
- Remove each tender from the milk mixture, letting excess drip off, then dredge in the flour mixture, pressing to adhere. For extra crunch, dip back in the milk and re-coat.
- Fry
- Heat peanut oil to 345–350°F. Fry tenders in batches for 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown and internal temp hits 165°F. Don't crowd the pan.
- Drain
- Transfer to a wire rack (not paper towels — keeps them crispy).
- Sauce
- Whisk mayo, mustard, honey, BBQ sauce, and lemon juice together and chill 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Peanut oil is non-negotiable for authentic flavor.
- Keep oil temp steady — a thermometer helps.
- Powdered sugar (not granulated) is the key differentiator from most fried chicken recipes.
- Closed on Sundays optional.
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