Homemade Grilled Chick-fil-a Nuggets {with low calorie dipping sauce}

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Make homemade, healthy grilled Chick-fil-A nuggets from home. It’s easy and delicious! Plus, a recipe for a low calorie Chick-fil-a sauce to go with it!

I’ve been collecting and creating a ton of healthy chicken recipes recently. I’m still eating the way I did during my bikini prep, which means, chicken, veggie, rice, and eggs are a major part of my diet. (check out my low carb, high protein meal plan here)

So, it makes sense to start creating a variety of ways to cook chicken. This week, I decided to recreate the Grilled Chicken nuggets from Chick-fil-a.

I think most people underappreciate how tasty the grilled chicken is at Chick-fil-a. So many of their customers go for the breaded chicken sandwiches, or the breaded chicken nuggets.

Not me! I can’t say I eat at Chick-fil-a very often. Kind of like never, because we actually rarely eat out. BUT, when I have eaten there, I think the grilled Chicken nuggets are best thing on their menu!

They are healthy, low in calories, they taste fresh, and the chicken is never dry!

So, obviously, I wanted to make some of my own Grilled Chick-fil-a nuggets at home.

Why the Grilled chicken nuggets are a healthy, delicious option:

Bite sized grilled chicken

I really like the size of these baby nuggets. Portion control is everything for me, so size is very important to keep my portions under control! Besides, if a chicken nugget is too big, you may be double dipping (adding more calories from the dip!)

The Grilled Chicken Nugget flavor!

I don’t know if it’s true or not, but many online copycat recipes believe the chicken is marinaded in pickle juice.

The moistness of the grilled chicken and Chick-fil-a!

I read on a Chick-fil-a official site, that they lock in the moisture with a special cooking method. The Chick-fil-a site says:

The patented high-tech grill cooks the chicken quickly and keeps it moist by locking in flavor. How? With a hydraulic system to lift the lid and lower it – but gently so it doesn’t put too much pressure on the chicken and release the juices.

Its proprietary cooking surface has the biggest impact for customers. Unlike your grill at home, it cooks both sides of the chicken at the same time, so it’s done fast and you don’t have to wait. And like your grill at home, it leaves actual grill marks on the chicken, adding to the flavor and experience. (source)

Recreating the Grilled Chick-fil-a nuggets

So, I set out to make my own. I really wanted to make the Chick-fil-a sauce into a low calorie version as well. Here’s what I found.

The chicken marinade and seasonings

Starting with the marinade, I used pickle juice, since a lot of online copycat recipes thought that brought out the flavor best.

Then, I used some monk sugar to sweeten it up. Other recipes said to use powdered sugar, but I was interested in bringing down the calories.

Then, I used typical spices. Salt, garlic powder, pepper, paprika. You know, the usual.

The grilling method

Since the Chick-fil-a site said they had a grill that closed on the chicken to allow for both sides of the chicken to cook and lock in the moisture, I pulled out my $15 George Foreman grill! It’s been so long since I used it, and I can’t believe I don’t use it more often! It was perfect for this grilled recipe!

The healthier copycat Chick-fil-a sauce

And finally, the sauce! I mentioned I used low fat mayo, but I also spent a bit of time in the condiment aisle at the grocery store, trying to find the best BBQ sauce with the fewest calories. Here’s one I found: G Hughes Sugar free BBQ Sauce. It was only 10 calories for 2 tablespoons! Plus, it tasted great.

And how did it turn out? SO GOOD!! I can’t wait to keep making these grilled Chick-fil-a nuggets over and over. I hope you like them too!

READ NEXT –> 8 Reasons 3 Meals A Day Makes Weight Loss Easier.

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