Fried pickles are a beloved snack and appetizer, offering a delightful combination of tangy, crunchy, and salty flavors. If you’ve ever wondered How To Make Fried Pickles at home, you’re in for a treat. This guide will walk you through the process of creating perfectly crispy fried pickles without needing a deep fryer, using simple ingredients and techniques. Get ready to enjoy this restaurant-favorite in just about 20 minutes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe for Homemade Fried Pickles
Making fried pickles at home is surprisingly straightforward. Forget waiting for your next restaurant visit to satisfy your craving – with this recipe, you can indulge in fresh, hot fried pickles whenever you desire. Here’s why this recipe will become your go-to:
- No Deep Fryer Needed: Enjoy crispy fried pickles without the need for special equipment. This recipe is designed for stovetop frying in a pot.
- Perfectly Crispy Results: Learn the secrets to achieving that satisfying crunch every time, avoiding soggy pickles.
- Quick and Easy: From prep to plate, you’ll be enjoying your homemade fried pickles in just about 20 minutes.
- Basic Ingredients: You likely already have most, if not all, of the necessary ingredients in your kitchen.
- Versatile Dipping Options: Pairs wonderfully with classic ranch dressing or a zesty homemade dipping sauce (recipe included).
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Fried Pickles
To embark on your fried pickle adventure, gather these simple ingredients:
- Buttermilk: This is key to the tangy flavor and tender texture of the fried pickles. If you don’t have buttermilk, a quick substitute can be made with milk and lemon juice or vinegar.
- Whole Dill Pickles: While pre-sliced pickle chips are convenient, slicing your own from whole kosher dill pickles allows you to control the thickness, which is crucial for the best texture.
- Neutral Oil: Choose a high-heat, neutral oil like vegetable, peanut, or canola oil for frying. Avoid olive oil as it’s not suitable for high-temperature frying.
- Spices: A blend of salt, black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder creates a flavorful breading. Feel free to adjust these to your spice preference.
Key Ingredient Note: The thickness of your pickle slices is important! Slices that are just under ¼ inch thick are ideal. Thinner slices might get lost in the batter, while thicker slices can become difficult to eat in one bite. Aim for that perfect balance to get the best pickle to batter ratio and that satisfying pickle crunch.
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Crispy Fried Pickles
Follow these simple steps to create delicious fried pickles at home:
- Heat the Oil: Pour about 2-3 inches of your chosen oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Attach a frying thermometer to the side of the pot, ensuring it’s submerged in the oil but not touching the bottom. Heat the oil over medium heat to 375°F (190°C). Maintaining the correct oil temperature is crucial for crispy, not greasy, fried pickles.
- Prepare the Pickles and Breading: While the oil is heating, slice your dill pickles to the desired thickness (about ¼ inch thick). Pat the slices lightly dry with paper towels to help the breading adhere. In one bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg. These are your breading stations.
- Bread the Pickle Slices: Once the oil is hot, take 3-4 pickle slices at a time and dredge them in the flour mixture, ensuring they are fully coated. Shake off any excess flour. Next, dip the flour-coated slices into the buttermilk mixture, and then back into the flour mixture for a double coating. This double dip is key to a crispy crust.
- Fry to Golden Perfection: Carefully place the breaded pickle slices into the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pot (overcrowding will lower the oil temperature). Fry for about 90 seconds per side, flipping them gently halfway through, until they are golden brown and crispy.
- Drain and Repeat: Remove the fried pickles from the oil using a slotted spoon or strainer and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Before frying the next batch, make sure the oil temperature returns to 375°F (190°C). Repeat the breading and frying process until all pickle slices are cooked.
- Serve Warm: Fried pickles are best enjoyed immediately while they are warm and crispy. Serve them with your favorite dipping sauce.
Pro-Tip for Frying: Pickles tend to float in the oil. Make sure to flip them during frying to ensure even browning and crispiness on both sides.
Tips for Extra Crispy Fried Pickles
Achieving perfectly crispy fried pickles is all about technique and temperature control. Here are a few key tips to ensure your pickles are wonderfully crispy:
- Use a Thermometer: Maintaining a consistent oil temperature of 375°F (190°C) is paramount. Too low, and the pickles will be greasy; too high, and they might burn before cooking through.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pot: Fry in small batches (3-4 slices at a time) to prevent the oil temperature from dropping too drastically.
- Double Breading: The double coating of flour ensures a thicker, crispier crust that holds up well to the moisture of the pickles.
- Pat Pickles Dry: Removing excess moisture from the pickle slices helps the breading adhere better and contributes to crispiness.
- Serve Immediately: Fried foods are always best when fresh and hot. Enjoy your fried pickles right after cooking for maximum crispiness.
Serving Suggestions & Dipping Sauce
Fried pickles are fantastic on their own, but they’re even better with a delicious dipping sauce. Classic ranch dressing is always a great choice, but you can easily elevate your snack with a homemade zesty dipping sauce.
Zesty Dipping Sauce Recipe (Optional):
- 2 tablespoons Ranch dressing
- 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce
- 1 teaspoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
- Dash of Tabasco sauce (or hot sauce of choice)
- Dash of black pepper
Simply whisk all ingredients together until well combined. Adjust the Tabasco sauce to your preferred level of heat. This sauce provides a wonderful contrast to the tangy pickles and crispy breading. You can also experiment with other sauces like honey mustard, sriracha mayo, or even a creamy dill sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fried Pickles
Can I make fried pickles in an air fryer?
While this recipe is optimized for stovetop frying, reheating leftover fried pickles in an air fryer to crisp them up is a good option. However, for the initial cooking, stovetop frying provides the best and most consistent crispy results.
How do I store leftover fried pickles?
Fried pickles are best eaten fresh. However, if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will lose some crispiness as they cool and are stored. To reheat, use an air fryer or oven to try to regain some crispness, but they will not be as crispy as freshly made.
Can I use pre-sliced pickle chips?
Yes, you can use pre-sliced dill pickle chips for convenience. However, slicing your own from whole pickles allows you to control the thickness, which is recommended for this recipe to achieve the best texture and flavor balance.
Now that you know how to make fried pickles, you’re all set to create this irresistible appetizer at home. Enjoy the satisfying crunch and tangy flavor of homemade fried pickles – they’re perfect for game days, parties, or just a fun snack!
## Fried Pickles
My famous crispy fried pickles recipe is easy to make and includes instructions for a zippy dipping sauce! Recipe includes a how-to VIDEO!
5 from 44 votes
[ Print](https://sugarspunrun.com/wprm_print/fried-pickles) [ Pin](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/bookmarklet/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsugarspunrun.com%2Ffried-pickles%2F&media=https%3A%2F%2Fsugarspunrun.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F09%2FFriedPickles_A1.jpg&description=&is_video=false) [ Rate](#commentform)Prevent your screen from going dark
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 139kcal
Author: [Sam Merritt](https://sugarspunrun.com/about-me/)
### Ingredients
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 cup (125 g) [all purpose flour](https://sugarspunrun.com/how-to-measure-flour/)
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup (118 ml) [buttermilk](https://sugarspunrun.com/easy-buttermilk-substitute/)
- 1 large egg
- 3 kosher dill pickles cut into slices just shy of ¼” thick and lightly patted dry (see note)
#### Dipping Sauce (optional, plain old Ranch dressing also works great for dipping!)
- 2 Tablespoons Ranch dressing
- 1 Tablespoon BBQ sauce
- 1 teaspoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
- Dash tabasco sauce
- Dash of ground black pepper
### Recommended Equipment
- Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan
- Frying thermometer
- Slotted spoon or strainer
- Paper towels
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
### Instructions
- Fill a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan 2-3" deep with oil for frying. Fix a frying thermometer to the edge (make sure it is in the oil but not touching the bottom of the pan) and set your heat to medium. Oil will need to reach 375F (190C) before you can begin frying, but this will take 10 minutes or so.
- Meanwhile, prepare your breading mixture by whisking together flour, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg.
- Once oil has reached 375F (190C), prepare pickles for frying in batches of 3-4 slices
- Coat slices in flour mixture, gengly shake off excess, dredge in buttermilk/egg mixture, then coat with flour mixture again.
- Transfer (carefully!) to oil and fry 3-4 pickle slices at a time for 90 seconds on each side or until golden brown.
- Use a slotted spoon or strainer to remove from oil and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Make sure oil returns to 375F (190C) before frying your next batch of pickles.
- Fried pickles are best enjoyed warm. If desired, serve with dipping sauce, which can be made by stirring together all of the dipping sauce ingredients until combined.
### Notes
#### Pickles
Alternatively you can use 1 ½ cups of pre-sliced dill pickle chips
### Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 139kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 607mg | Potassium: 111mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 223IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
