Fried Pickles

Crunchy on the outside and flavorful on the inside, fried pickles are a southern favorite. Popular at restaurants, fried pickles are a fun appetizer or side dish.

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Breaded and fried to perfection, fried pickles are a flavorful southern favorite. This crunchy and savory treat makes a fun appetizer or side dish.  

MORE RECIPES: Apple Fries | Fried Pork Chops | Crispy Fried Potatoes

Fried Pickles

A favorite appetizer at restaurants, dill pickles sliced, coated in breading, and deep-fried, fried pickles are a crowd-pleasing hit at any gathering. Serve them at your next party, potluck, or game night, and watch them disappear. 

Crunchy on the outside and flavorful on the inside, fried pickles are one delicious appetizer. Pickles join a long list of other foods that taste deliciously fried, from fried corn on the cob to apples. 

Ready in just 20 minutes, serve your fried pickles warm with a dipping sauce, or eat them just as they are. Pair them with another quick and easy appetizer including bacon wrapped mozzarella sticks or Crockpot Buffalo Chicken dip.

Fried Pickles Ingredients

• Oil - peanut or vegetable oil, for a 10” skillet
• Pickles - dill pickles, sliced
• Flour
• Salt
• Pepper - black pepper
• Paprika
• Garlic powder
• Cayenne pepper
• Buttermilk
• Egg - lightly beaten
• Ranch dressing
• Mayonnaise
• Ketchup
• Sugar - dark brown sugar
• Vinegar - apple cider vinegar
• Hot sauce - to your taste

You can buy dill pickles and slice them for your fried pickles, or you can buy pre-sliced pickles from the grocery store. To make a stronger flavor in your fried pickles, you can make your pickle slices thicker. 

Make breading your pickles easier by using one hand for the dry ingredient step and the other for the wet. This keeps everything from turning into a gooey mess. When you are dropping your pickles into the oil be careful not to have any moisture on your hands as water that drops into the oil can cause it to pop. 

If you aren’t a fan of peanut oil you can also use vegetable oil to fry your pickles. Just be sure to carefully monitor the oil temperature throughout cooking as this stops the pickles from absorbing too much oil.

How to Make Fried Pickles

FIRST STEP: To make the dipping sauce, combine all the ingredients and stir until smooth then pop in the fridge until serving. 

SECOND STEP: Prepare the cooking oil by pouring the oil into a 10-inch heavy-bottomed skillet. Cast iron works great! The oil needs to be at least 1 inch deep. Place a candy thermometer on the side of the pan and heat the oil to 375 degrees. This will take about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the oil, making sure it does ​not ​come to a boil. While frying the pickles, try to keep the temperature of the oil between 360 and 375 degrees.

THIRD STEP: If you are slicing your own pickles, slice them crosswise into ¼ inch slices. Lay the pickles onto paper towels and pat dry.

FOURTH STEP: In a half-gallon or gallon-sized Ziploc bag, combine flour, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne. Set aside.

FIFTH STEP: In a small shallow bowl, combine the buttermilk and egg.

SIXTH STEP: Place several pickle slices (about 6 to 8) into the bag with the flour mixture. Coat the pickles by gently shaking the bag. Dip the pickles into the buttermilk mixture. Return the pickles to the flour mixture and coat again.

SEVENTH STEP: Gently place the pickles into the heated oil. Fry until golden. This will only take 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. Place on a plate lined with a paper towel. Repeat until all the pickles are cooked.

EIGHTH STEP: Serve with dipping sauce or eat as is. These are best when served warm.

What dipping sauce is good with fried pickles? 

As well as the tomato dipping sauce recipe that goes along with the fried pickles you may also enjoy a buttermilk ranch, creamy blue cheese, or chipotle garlic dip. 

What temperature should the oil be? 

Keeping the oil temperature between 360 and 375 helps the pickles to cook quickly and keeps the batter from soaking up tons of oil.

What kind of oil should I use? 

Either peanut oil seems or vegetable oil would work well to fry your pickles. 

Should I slice my pickles or use pre-sliced pickles?

If you want a stronger pickle flavor you’ll be able to get a thicker pickle slice by slicing your own. But the pickles will cook the same, so you can use either pre-sliced pickles or slice your own.

How to Store Fried Pickles 

ON THE COUNTER:  Store leftover crispy fried pickles in an airtight container on the counter with some paper towels inside the box to absorb excess oil. Reheat the pickles by popping them back into the skillet for a minute or two. Don’t put the pickles in the refrigerator as it will make them soggy.

Fried Pickles

Crunchy on the outside and flavorful on the inside, fried pickles are a southern favorite. Popular at restaurants, fried pickles are a fun appetizer or side dish.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 2235 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

PICKLES:

• ▢ 4 cups peanut or vegetable oil, (for a 10” skillet)
• ▢ 2 cups dill pickles
• ▢ 1 cup flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ▢ ½ cup buttermilk
• ▢ 1 egg, (lightly beaten)

DIPPING SAUCE:

• ▢ 6 tablespoons ranch dressing
• ▢ 4 teaspoons mayonnaise
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ketchup
• ▢ 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon hot sauce, (or to your taste)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS

 

• To make the dipping sauce, combine all the ingredients and stir until smooth then pop in the fridge until serving.
• Prepare the cooking oil by pouring the oil into a 10-inch heavy-bottomed skillet. Cast iron works great! The oil needs to be at least 1 inch deep. Place a candy thermometer on the side of the pan and heat the oil to 375 degrees. This will take about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the oil, making sure it does ​not ​come to a boil. While frying the pickles, try to keep the temperature of the oil between 360 and 375 degrees.
• If you are slicing your own pickles, slice them crosswise into ¼ inch slices. Lay the pickles onto paper towels and pat dry.
• In a small shallow bowl, combine the buttermilk and egg.
• Place several pickle slices (about 6 to 8) into the bag with the flour mixture. Coat the pickles by gently shaking the bag. Dip the pickles into the buttermilk mixture. Return the pickles to the flour mixture and coat again.
• Gently place the pickles into the heated oil. Fry until golden. This will only take 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. Place on a plate lined with a paper towel. Repeat until all the pickles are cooked.
• Serve with dipping sauce or eat as is. These are best when served warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 2235kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 235g | Saturated Fat: 37g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 134g | Monounsaturated Fat: 53g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 1576mg | Potassium: 202mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 360IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 2mg

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