Walmart Has a Chick-fil-A Copycat Fans Call ‘So Friggin Delicious’

If you’re a Chick-fil-A fan, I’ll bet you know where each location is near you—even those elusive ones hiding in malls or college campuses. The most popular fast food chain in America, Chick-fil-A is notoriously fussy when choosing franchise locations, making trips through those meticulously choreographed drive-thrus a bit out of the way for many of us.

And while a trip across town to indulge in that famous chicken is usually worth it, it’s always nice to have options. Sometimes it’s equally satisfying to pull a bag out of your freezer and have dinner done in under 30 minutes, especially if you’re cooking for a hangry mob—otherwise known as your family. Luckily, I recently discovered a new chicken product that tastes just like it came from Chick-fil-A, and at a fraction of the price, it helps keep some of your hard-earned money right where it should be—in your bank account.

Southern Style Chicken Bites by John Soules Foods

On a recent trip to Publix, I picked up a bag of these Southern Style Chicken Bites for my older son’s birthday party. I had never heard of John Soules Foods brand, but the picture on the bag looked exactly like Chick-fil-A’s nuggets, so I was intrigued. My kids are huge fans of Chick-fil-A, but the closest location to us is 30 minutes out of the way, and those nugget party platters aren’t exactly cost-effective.

I heated the chicken bites in the oven for about 20 minutes and stuffed them between Hawaiian bread rolls to mimic the Chick-n-Minis. Not only did my kids and their friends gobble these up, but even my husband said, “These are exactly the same as Chick-fil-A.”

Since these were such a big hit, I decided to serve the same thing at my younger son’s party a couple of weeks later. I returned to Publix, but (unsurprisingly) the nuggets were sold out, so I opted for the Southern Style Chicken Strips, which were equally good. These even won an unofficial taste test conducted by a passionate Redditor and chicken strip lover who said, “Had the best flavor by a mile, kind of a sweet pickle brine flavor to it and the breading had really good flavor too. Wasn’t dry at all. Would definitely recommend.”

That signature pickle brine flavor the Redditor mentioned actually surprised me because I thought the pickle flavor was super subtle, unlike the Member’s Mark Southern-Style Chicken which was all the rage when it was first released in 2019. What struck me more was the slight sweetness of the light breading and the juicy, tender meat inside.

With almost 300 glowing Google reviews, I have a feeling we’ll be hearing more about this brand in the years to come. One reviewer said, “After trying several brands of chicken bites, I was always left disappointed. Finally, I decided to try this brand. The texture of it and taste was like home-cooked chicken in my grandma’s kitchen.”

Where to Buy Southern Style Chicken Bites by John Soules Foods

I found these nuggets by chance at Publix, but upon further digging on Texas-based John Soules Foods’ website, it looks like you can find its products in Walmart stores nationwide. The “Where to Buy” tool even allows you to search by product, so you can find the bites, strips, or even the sandwich near you.

Each 24-ounce bag contains fully cooked and frozen chicken and retails for around $10 to $13, depending on location. So the next time you’re at Walmart (or Publix if you’re near one), grab a bag of these to have on hand for those sneaky Chick-fil-A cravings that hit unexpectedly. The best part? You can even enjoy these on Sundays.