How to Make 6 of Your Favorite Fast Food Chicken Recipes At Home!

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There’s just something special about ordering lunch or dinner from your favorite restaurant. Who knows how Chick-fil-A makes their nuggets so crispy, or how Buffalo Wild Wings creates their famous Honey BBQ wings? Well, today we’ll lift up the curtain and discuss how you can make some of your favorite restaurant chicken meals at home. There will be no need to leave the house for your favorite chicken meal ever again! Ladies and gentlemen, we give you copycat chicken entrees from your favorite restaurants!

Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup pickle juice
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons table salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • vegetable or peanut oil

Instructions:

  1. Cube chicken breasts into bite size pieces, trimming away any excess skin
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, pickle juice and egg
  3. Place cubed chicken into milk/egg mixture. Cover it and let marinate in the refrigerator overnight if possible
  4. When ready to cook, preheat oil in fryer or deep pot to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
  5. In a gallon size Ziploc bag, combine flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, salt and pepper
  6. Shake well to combine
  7. Add cubed chicken to the flour mix, small batches at a time
  8. Seal and shake until chicken is coated.
  9. In small batches, place chicken into fryer
  10. Cook until golden brown, about 4-6 minutes (the internal temperature of chicken should be 165 degrees)
  11. Remove and drain on paper towels

Applebee’s Fiesta Lime Chicken

Ingredients:

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Lowry’s seasoning salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup ranch dressing
  • 1/4 cup greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 4 slices Borden Colby & Monterey Jack Cheese
  • Pico de Gallo fresh cilantro and tortilla strips for garnish
  • Mexican Rice for serving

Instructions:

  1. Heat grill to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Brush each chicken breast with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt and pepper to taste
  3. Grill for approximately 10 minutes per side or until chicken is fully cooked through and no longer pink
  4. While chicken is cooking, combine the ranch, yogurt, lime juice, cilantro and garlic in a blender until fully combined and smooth
  5. Place 1 tablespoon of the ranch mixture on each chicken breast, then top with a slice of cheese (the cheese should melt down onto the chicken, so place it back on the grill for a minute or two if needed)
  6. Top each breast with fresh pico de gallo, cilantro and tortilla strips

Chicken Salad Chick Classic Carol Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders
  • 32 ounces low sodium chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons finely minced celery
  • 2 teaspoons dry Ranch salad dressing mix
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions:

  1. Cook the chicken by boiling in chicken stock until fully cooked
  2. Remove from broth
  3. Shred chicken
  4. In a medium sized bowl, add celery, mayonnaise, dry Ranch dressing mix, salt and black pepper, stirring until well blended
  5. Add shredded chicken and mix well
  6. Store chicken salad in an airtight container
  7. For best taste, allow to sit in fridge for a couple of hours before serving
  8. Serve in a sandwich or on a bed of lettuce

Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 7 cups chicken stock
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Shred cooked chicken and measure out 3 cups
  2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt
  3. Cut the butter into the flour mixture
  4. Stir in buttermilk to form a dough
  5. Flour a cutting board and roll dough with a rolling pin
  6. Cut dough into small strips with a pizza cutter
  7. Bring chicken stock/broth to a boil
  8. Drop dumplings into chicken stock one at a time, stirring to make sure they don’t stick together
  9. Once all dumplings are in the broth, simmer for 15-20 minutes, making sure the mixture doesn’t boil over
  10. When dumplings are cooked, add in shredded chicken.

Buffalo Wild Wings Honey BBQ Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound chicken wings
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/3 cup white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • Oil for frying

Instructions:

  1. Using a sharp knife, cut the joint that separates the wing from the drumstick
  2. Snip off the tip of the wing
  3. Trim any excess skin from the wing and pat them dry
  4. Add ketchup, white vinegar, molasses, honey, liquid smoke, salt, black pepper, paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to a medium saucepan
  5. Over medium heat stir to combine
  6. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and continue simmering
  7. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes
  8. Add the oil to a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or electric deep fryer, leaving at least 2 inches of space at the top
  9. Heat the oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
  10. Cook batches of 3 to 5 chicken wings, carefully frying for 10 to 15 minutes or until crisp on the outside
  11. Place on a paper-towel-lined plate to drain off excess oil and cool slightly
  12. Toss wings in the honey-barbecue sauce
  13. Serve immediately

Popeye’s Spicy Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups whole buttermilk
  • 3 tablespoons hot sauce (such as Tabasco), divided
  • 1 (2 1/2- to 3-lb) whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 3 teaspoons cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • Peanut oil

Instructions:

  1. Stir together the buttermilk and 2 tablespoons of the hot sauce in large bowl
  2. Submerge chicken in buttermilk mixture then cover and refrigerate overnight
  3. Whisk together eggs, water, and remaining 1 tablespoon hot sauce in a medium bowl
  4. Stir together flour, salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, paprika and garlic powder in a large bowl
  5. Pour 2 ½ inches of oil in a large Dutch oven and heat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit over medium-high
  6. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture
  7. Discard buttermilk mixture.
  8. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture then dredge in flour mixture, shaking off excess flour
  9. Dip in egg mixture and dredge in flour again, shaking off excess flour
  10. Carefully add chicken to hot oil, 4 pieces at a time
  11. Maintaining 325 degrees Fahrenheit, fry until golden brown and cooked through (8 to 10 minutes)
  12. Drain on paper towels

Related: Copycat Recipes of Your Favorite Restaurant Appetizers!