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Pickle-Brined Chicken Nuggets

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Edited by Mandy
Updated Jan 8, 2026
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Craving restaurant-style chicken nuggets but don’t feel like leaving the house? Good news: making delicious chicken nuggets at home is surprisingly simple. There are tons of versions out there, but this fast-food-inspired recipe is one of our favorites! Just like many popular restaurants, the chicken breast pieces get a quick pickle brine before frying. It may seem unusual, but it keeps the nuggets super juicy and adds incredible flavor. Serve the crispy nuggets hot with your favorite sauce (we're partial to honey mustard!) and complete the drive-through experience at home with warm biscuits—a classic combination you can enjoy together, any time of day! You might never wait in a line for your nuggets again.

Recipe Ingredients

Here is what you’ll need to make Pickle-Brined Chicken Nuggets.

Chicken: Breast pieces are typically used for commercial nuggets because they have a firm, consistent bite and are easy to portion.

Pickle Juice: The not-so-secret ingredient in these nuggets! A quick brine keeps the lean breast meat moist and gives the chicken a signature flavor. 

Eggs: Egg acts as the wet binder, helping the dry coating adhere tightly to the chicken and giving the finished nuggets their super crispy, golden-brown coating.

All-Purpose Flour: A double dip in seasoned flour gives the nuggets a classic fast-food-style crunch.

Peanut or Canola Oil: These are our favorites for frying because of their high smoke point and neutral flavor; canola is a bit more budget friendly. You may need more or less oil depending on the size of your frying vessel.

Other Ingredients You’ll Need: Salt, powdered sugar, paprika, pepper.

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How to Make Pickle-Brined Chicken Nuggets

Here are a few tips to make great restaurant-style nuggets. Follow the recipe for more.

1. Prep the Chicken

Cut the chicken into nugget-sized chunks and marinate in the pickle juice for 20 minutes. Don’t be tempted to go longer.

2. Make the Coatings

While the chicken is brining, make your wet and dry coatings.

3. Coat the Chicken

Drain and dry the chicken pieces. Coat each piece in the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, and finally into the flour mixture again. Dust off the excess and set aside until ready to fry!

4. Fry the Chicken

When your oil has reached 350°F (use a deep fry or candy thermometer), fry the chicken nuggets in batches until they are crispy, golden brown, and cooked through (internal temperature is at least 165°F).

5. Serve

Let the fried chicken drain on paper towels and enjoy piping hot with your favorite dipping sauce.

How to Store (and Reheat) Pickle-Brined Chicken Nuggets

Here’s how to store and reheat the nuggets if you have leftovers.

Refrigerator  

Refrigerate leftover nuggets in an airtight food storage container or resealable food-storage plastic bag for 3 to 4 days. 

Freezer

Let the chicken nuggets cool completely before freezing. Place the nuggets in a single layer on a baking pan and freeze. Transfer the frozen nuggets to a resealable freezer plastic bag and keep frozen for up to 2 months.

Reheating

  • From Fridge: To reheat from the refrigerator, transfer nuggets to a baking pan, and heat in a 375°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F (use a food thermometer). 
  • From Frozen: To reheat from frozen, transfer nuggets to a baking pan, and heat in a 375°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F (use a food thermometer).

Pickle-Brined Chicken Nuggets

  • Prep Time 40 min
  • Total 60 min
  • Ingredients 10
  • Servings 4
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Ingredients

  • 6 to 8 cups peanut or canola oil, for frying
  • 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 cup dill pickle juice
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon powdered sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, for finishing

Instructions

  • Step 
    1

    Add oil to a large Dutch oven or deep fryer. Begin heating oil to 350°F.

  • Step 
    2

    Meanwhile, cut chicken into chunks roughly 1 1/2 to 2 inches in size or about 1 ounce each.

  • Step 
    3

    Place chicken chunks into a medium bowl and add pickle juice. Let chicken chunks marinate for 20 minutes.

  • Step 
    4

    Crack eggs into a medium bowl and beat lightly. In another shallow bowl, mix flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, paprika, pepper, and powdered sugar.

  • Step 
    5

    Drain pickle juice from the chicken and discard brine. Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels.

  • Step 
    6

    Coat each chicken piece in flour mixture, then dip into the egg, allowing any excess egg to drip off, then coat again in the flour mixture. Transfer each piece of breaded chicken to a baking rack until ready to fry.

  • Step 
    7

    Working in batches, fry chicken for 6 to 7 minutes or until golden brown and cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F (use a food thermometer). Transfer to a paper towel to drain and immediately sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

  • Step 
    8

    Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.

Nutrition

No nutrition information available for this recipe
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