Chick Fil A At Home, Is It Even Possible?

The drive throughs for Chick Fil A are one of many burdens in life that we must endure for the ultimate good: ourselves.

Whether that is for the addicting breakfast chicken minis that only early risers can snag, a juicy chicken sandwich for lunch with some waffle fries, or for some crispy chicken strips as a snack for the evening, ALL of us must wait in the dreaded lines at Chick Fil A’s drive through for such glory.

But wait, are we just being over dramatic because of our impatience for such delicious food? Is this not what everyone experiences at every fast food restaurant?

The surprising answer is no!

According to Insider, “the chicken chain had the longest wait time out of the 10 quick-service chains tested at 541 seconds, or about nine minutes, in the 2021 QSR drive-thru study.” What’s even more shocking in the Insiders’ article is that even 30% of their customers drive off and away from the drive throughs because the lines are so long.

Of course, there is a reason for all of this: Chick Fil A is so good! Who doesn’t love their classic crispy chicken and waffle fries? And don’t forget that sweet sauce to dip it in!

But of course, waiting in line for so long, along with the ever increasing price of fast food thanks to inflation, not to mention gasoline as well, makes one reconsider the worth of going out to pick some up.

Is there even an alternative to Chick Fil A’s wonders?

Much to our happy hearts (and stomachs), there is.

The answer is: Chick Fil A at home!

Chick Fil A At Home: The Best Alternative

Now you might be wondering, how is it possible to make Chick Fil A at home? Wouldn’t Chick Fil A’s recipes be top notch secret so that their competitors can’t use the same ones?

Unfortunately, yes.

But no need to fear! Here at Make Your Meals Epic, we have discovered the core tenets to the way they make their crispy chicken, which we will share with you below so you can make Chick Fil A at home, anytime, always.

The best part about our recipe is that it’s simple ingredients, easy to make, and you get to skip the drive through lane while making it at home instead!

Introducing…

Yummy Chickie Nuggies!

(Doesn’t that just look delicious!)

As mentioned, the ingredients are pretty simple and straightforward, and you can go with any jar of pickle juice that you prefer!

Ingredients:

(To make this truly taste like Chick Fil A at home, I recommend using an air fryer)

• 1 Cup of Pickle Juice (250g)
• 1 and ½ Cups of Unsweetened Almond Milk (200g)
• 2 Pound of Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breast or Chicken Breast Tenders cut into cubes

For Seasoning and “batter” (900g)

• 1 Tbsp Salt
• 1 Tbsp Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
• 2oz of Pork Rinds (56g)

Instructions:

(Now it’s time for the fun part!)

1. Place the pickle juice and unsweetened almond milk into a bowl and place the chicken in the bowl with the marinade.
2. Let the chicken marinade in the fridge for about 1 hour.
3. Add the pork rinds to a food processor or blender and blend until completely broken up.
4. Place the pork rinds and other seasonings into a separate bowl.
5. Remove the chicken from the marinade and after straining, mix together the chicken and “batter” seasoning.
6. Once all of the chicken bites are coated, place them into your air fryer at 400 degrees for 11-13 minutes until at your desired crispiness.
7. Plate your chicken nuggets and enjoy with your favorite sugar free sauce, or one of the sauce options from these recipes!

Fun tip: name brand grocery stores like Walmart and Winco actually have Chick Fil A’s brand sauce that you can dip your chickie nuggies in, which will bring the true immersive experience of Chick Fil A at home!

Macros: Makes 4 Servings

(Here’s where it gets fun: the protein macros on these are insanely good!)

• Carbs: 2g per Serving
• Fat: 6g per Serving
• Protein: 48.5g per Serving

Total Calories: 248 Kcal Per Serving

Make sure you count whatever sauce you use to have an accurate macros list. I love these with sugar free syrup, which only has 35 calories in a ¼ cup!

Some More Tips for Chick Fil A at Home!

Of course, you can get really creative with this recipe!

If you want to recreate the morning mini chicken nuggies wrapped in that golden, honey bread that is only for early risers, just swing by your favorite bakery to pick up some fresh bread rolls that you can wrap around them!

Drizzle them in some honey, and you will be in heaven!

Or if you want to make a big crispy chicken sandwich, you can apply the same recipe and instructions to larger strips of chicken, and then once fried to perfection, slap some of those crispy tenders on some bread and call it a day!

No matter what you choose, I always recommend having some fries on the side to make the meal complete!

Now making the classic waffle cut fries can be a bit time consuming, given you have to use a crinkle cutter to make the differing cuts along the fries. To keep it plain and simple, I would just cut up a washed potato with a chef’s knife to get the traditional fry.

To cook the fries, I would use an air fryer, which is the best in our opinion, but if you bake, use a tiny bit of cornstarch sprinkled on the fry cuts and bake at 400 degrees.

Best part, you can put those fries into your chicken sandwich or dip them in that classic Chick Fil A sauce!

And there you have it! Chick Fil A at home is not only possible, but it is also way better than going to Chick Fil A via drive through.

Especially when you make it at home with those you love 🙂

For more amazing recipes, stay tuned here on Make Your Meals Epic!