Fried Pickles

Crispy, crunchy, vinegar-y fried pickles are one of our favorite appetizers. But it can be hard to recreate fried restaurant appetizers properly in your home kitchen.

In our righteous pursuit of the perfect fried pickle, we discovered the trick to unbeatable crunchiness is breading them in cornmeal and flour. We’ve curated a punchy mix of hot spices in the batter to complement the puckery vinegar and herbal dill, and chosen to pair them with a bowl of creamy ranch, which offers just the right cooling contrast. Serve these fried dill pickles as an appetizer at a casual dinner party or bring ’em out on game day for the real win.

How to Make Fried Pickles

The best fried pickle recipes are simple, but each step is important. First, choose the right pickles. Dill pickles sliced into coins are robust enough to keep their crunch through the frying process, but dill spears are also a great choice. Then, dunk the pickles into tangy buttermilk and hot sauce before coating them in seasoned flour and cornmeal breading. Finally, fry them until they’re golden brown.

If you’re new to deep-frying at home, don’t be daunted; the process is straightforward. Once the oil is hot, gently lower the pickles into it. They’ll drop down and then pop up, with tiny bubbles fizzing around them. After a couple minutes, flip them over and fry the other side. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain them while you fry the remaining pickles. You can even filter the oil through a fine mesh sieve and save it for your next frying recipe.

Ingredients for Fried Pickles

• Dill pickles: Dill pickle coins are sturdy enough to stand up to frying without losing their crunch. The best dill pickle brands are full of flavor from dill, salt, vinegar and spices. You can also pick up a jar of whole dill pickles and slice them yourself.
• Buttermilk: As with our favorite fried chicken recipe, coating the pickles in buttermilk before breading them adds a tangy flavor and helps the batter adhere.
• Louisiana-style hot sauce: Thin, pourable, red Louisiana-style hot sauce is easy to find. Think Tabasco or Frank’s RedHot.
• Flour: Use all-purpose flour in the batter to give the fried pickles a light, flaky coating.
• Cornmeal: Cornmeal in the batter with the flour guarantees a crunchy, crispy bite.
• Seasonings: The pucker of dill pickles pairs well with bold spices. This recipe calls for a spicy, smoky and savory mix of garlic salt, paprika, cayenne pepper and black pepper.
• Oil: Make sure to use a good oil for deep-fat frying like canola, peanut or safflower oil.
• Ranch salad dressing: Our favorite dip for fried pickles? Cool, tangy ranch dressing.

Directions

Step 1: Prep the pickles

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Drain the pickles, discarding the liquid. Cut the pickles into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

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Set the pickle slices to drain on paper towels; blot them with additional paper towels until they’re as dry as possible.

Editor’s Tip: The drier the pickles, the better the batter will stick and the crispier the coating will be. Also, if you’re a true pickle lover, use the pickle juice in cocktails or salads, or to marinate chicken.

Step 2: Prep the batter

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In a shallow bowl, stir together the buttermilk and hot sauce.

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In another shallow bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, garlic salt, paprika, cayenne pepper and pepper.

Step 3: Coat the pickles

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Dip the pickles in the buttermilk mixture.

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Shake off excess buttermilk, then dredge the pickles in the flour mixture.

Step 4: Deep-fry the pickles

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In a Dutch oven, heat 1 inch of oil to 375°F. Working in batches, fry the pickles for two to three minutes on each side or until they’re golden brown. When they’re done, drain them on paper towels.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t be tempted to load the fryer with pickles. Overcrowded oil will drop in temperature, causing soggy pickles instead of crispy ones.

Step 5: Enjoy the pickles

Serve the fried pickles immediately with ranch dressing, if desired.

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Fried Pickles Variations

• Change up the spices: This savory spice mix is very adaptable. Swap the paprika with smoked paprika. Or use a spice blend like Cajun seasoning or Italian seasoning.
• Dial down the heat: If you don’t love spice, omit the hot sauce and skip the cayenne. You may also want to reduce the amount of black pepper.
• Use dill spears: If you’re in a hurry (or are limited to what’s in the pantry), you can use dill pickle spears in place of sliced whole pickles. Make sure to dry them very well.
• Make gluten-free fried pickles: Swap the plain flour for a gluten-free all-purpose flour mix to accommodate gluten allergies.

How to Store Fried Pickles

Fried pickles are best enjoyed immediately, when the flavor is freshest and the coating crispest. However, you can store leftover fried pickles in an airtight container in the fridge.

How long do fried pickles last?

In the fridge, fried pickles will keep for three to four days.

Can you freeze fried pickles?

Unfortunately, fried pickles (and most fried foods) don’t freeze well. That signature crunchy coating will be lost, and the pickles themselves will get bendy and sad.

How do you reheat fried pickles?

The best way to reheat fried pickles is in an air fryer. The intense heat will help to crisp the coating back up and heat the pickles through. Air-fry them at 350º until crispy, flipping the pickles often.

Reheating the pickles in an oven is nearly as good as doing so in an air fryer. Bake them at 350º until they’re crisped and warmed through. Microwaving leftover fried pickles will make them even soggier, so we don’t recommend that method.

Fried Pickles Tips

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Why isn’t the batter sticking to the pickles?

Batter won’t stick to pickles if they’re too wet. Make sure to carefully press as much liquid as possible from the pickles in Step 1, using extra paper towels if necessary.

Can you make fried pickles in the air fryer?

This recipe for fried dill pickles works best in a deep fryer. Our air-fryer pickles recipe is slightly different, with a lightweight, yet thicker coating made with bread crumbs rather than cornmeal. The heartier crumb coating will add that extra crunch that mimics the results of deep-frying. Air-frying is healthier, too, calling for just a spray of cooking oil instead of an inch of oil.

What should you serve with fried pickles?

Fried pickles are a classic party or football food. Serve them with burgers and potato salad, or pulled pork sliders and corn on the cob. You can also get creative with dips like spicy jalapeno ranch, Thousand Island dressing, blue cheese dip, flavored mayonnaise, aioli or even ketchup.