Home » Appetizer » Best Fried Pickles Recipe
To me, the most important step when making a deep-fried pickles recipe is the breading process. The pickles have to be extra crispy on the outside. In this fried pickle recipe, I will show you exactly how to achieve that, and what is the best breading method and ingredients to use. So keep reading and follow these simple steps for the best-fried pickles recipe ever.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Pickle spears. You can also use rounds, but I think using spears is easier and faster than using rounds
- All-purpose flour. It helps the egg and bread crumbs still to the pickles
- Eggs will help bind the bread crumbs to the spears
- Panko bread crumbs are essential in this recipe. I think they produce the crispiest breading. They are way better than regular breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Garlic and onion salt to flavor the breading
- Ranch dressing for serving or your favorite sauce.
How To Make Fried Pickles?
- Cut the spears in half if you think they are too thick. Prepare your dredging station by placing the flour in one shallow dish, the beaten eggs in another, and the panko bread crumbs in a third one.
- Season the flour with salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder. Dredge the pickle spears in the flour until completely coated, shaking any excess. Next, dip them into the beaten eggs until completely covered, and lastly, cover them evenly with the panko bread crumbs.
- Let them rest for about 5-10 mins, this will harden the breading a little bit and prevent it from falling while frying them.
- Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat and fry the pickles in batches until golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Dips and Sauces for Fried Dill Pickles
My favorite sauces for this amazing fried pickles recipe are:
- Ranch dressing
- Fry sauce (ketchup and mayo)
- Buffalo sauce
- Mayo with chopped dill, onions, relish, ketchup, and vinegar
- Thousand Island dressing.
Tips For Crispy Pickles:
- Pat dry the pickle spears before breading them so the breading can stick to them.
- Shake any excess flour from the spears. We want a thin coat.
- Make sure the spears are fully covered with egg before dipping them into the bread crumbs. The egg is what will make the crumbs stick to the spears.
- Use Panko bread crumbs instead of regular bread crumbs. They are way crispier.
- Let the pickles rest for 5-10 mins before frying them so the breading can harden a little and not fall off into the skillet.
Make sure the oil is hot before placing the pickles into the skillet. If the oil is not hot enough, the pickles will come out soggy instead of crispy. To test it, throw a little piece of breading into the oil. If it sizzles, it’s ready.
Freeze Fried Pickles?
You can, but I recommend placing them on a baking sheet or plate in a single layer and into the freezer until they are hard. Then transfer them to a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Can You Reheat Fried Pickles?
You can reheat them in the toaster oven, or by pan-frying them in a little bit of oil. Remember to let the oil get hot before placing the pickles into the pan.
Best Fried Pickles Recipe
This fried pickles recipe makes the crispiest fried pickles you’ve ever tried!
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 12 Servings
Calories 78.7 kcal
Ingredients
- 12 large pickle spears, drained and patted dry
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 cups Panko bread crumbs
- Vegetable oil
- Ranch dressing or fry sauce for dipping
Instructions
Slice any large spears in half to make them thinner. Prepare your dredging station by placing the flour, eggs and panko bread crumbs in three different shallow dishes. Season the flour with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Dredge the pickles first in the flour (shake any excess), then into the eggs (make sure they are fully covered in egg), and lastly into the panko bread crumbs. I like to use two forks to do this so I won't get my fingers dirty.
Let the breaded spears rest for 5-10 mins and pour about ½ inch of oil into a medium-sized skillet. Heat the oil over medium-heat until hot, and fry the spears in batches until golden brown. To test if the oil is hot enough, drop a few bread crumbs into it and if they sizzle, it’s ready. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 78.7kcalCarbohydrates: 13.3gProtein: 2.8gFat: 1g
FAQs
Reheat leftover deep-fried dill pickles in an air fryer or place them under the broiler until they get crispy again.
How do you keep fried pickles from getting soggy? ›
To keep your pickles from getting soggy, use a sturdy breading. This one is made with a mix of flour and cornstarch. The cornstarch is key: it absorbs excess moisture from the wet pickles which results in an even crispier fried coating.
How do you keep breading from falling off fried pickles? ›
Dry the pickles well.
Pickles live in liquid and they need to be very dry before frying if you want the breading to stick well.
How to make the crispiest pickles? ›
Add a Source of Tannin
Tannins work against softening enzymes and help keep pickles crunchier. They can be found in various sources, such as grape leaves, oak leaves, raspberry leaves, black tea, etc. Add some directly to your jars!
What gives flavor to pickles and makes the product crisp? ›
Alum, short for aluminum sulfate, is used in pickling to promote crisp texture and is approved, though not recommended, as a food additive by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
Can you prep fried pickles ahead of time? ›
You can prep the dredge ingredients 1-2 days in advance. You can dredge the pickles up to 30 minutes before frying and place them in the fridge to help the dredge set. You can fry them and keep them warm in the oven for about 15 minutes, but not longer as they will lose their crispiness.
Why are my homemade pickles not crunchy? ›
Remove 1/16th” from the blossom end to eliminate enzymes which cause the pickles to become soft. One of the simplest methods of firming pickles is to use ice. Soak cucumbers or other vegetables in ice water or layer with crushed ice for 4 to 5 hours before pickling.
How long should you air fry pickles? ›
Place in a single layer in the air fryer basket with a little space around each pickle. Don't overcrowd the basket. Work in batches if necessary. Air fry for 11 to 14 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown.
How do you get breading to stick to fried pickles? ›
Firmly pat the pickle chips dry with paper towels or clean dish towels to avoid any soggy fried pickle chips. Press the panko breadcrumbs firmly onto the pickle chips. This will help the coating to stick to the pickle chips once they are fried. Refrigerate the panko coated pickle chips.
How do you get breadcrumbs to stick to pickles? ›
Dust the pickle slices in the seasoned flour, then dunk in the beaten egg before lifting out, allowing to drip-dry excess and then laying into the panko breadcrumbs. Cover the dill pickles completely with the breadcrumbs so they are stuck, then store on a tray or plate until needed whilst you continue coating the rest.
Don't use egg wash, use buttermilk instead. Egg wash is great for making bread crumbs stick to fried foods but you need buttermilk for battering. Dip the pickles in seasoned flour and then dunk them in buttermilk. Once they are wet by the buttermilk dredge them heavily in seasoned flour again.
What chemical makes pickles crunchy? ›
Calcium chloride is mainly used in canning to make crunchy pickles. It can also be used in lacto-fermentation! Fermentation tends to soften vegetables, so using calcium chloride helps keep the vegetables crunchy.
What are the ingredients in pickle crisp? ›
Pickle crisp is a product put out by ball, but I'm sure other brands sell it as well. All it contains is calcium chloride, which is supposed to help maintain the firmness of pickles. You simply add a very small amount to each jar when you are packing them. Quick, easy, and just calcium chloride.
What are the crispiest pickles? ›
Claussen Kosher Dill Halves
These kosher dill halves are incredible. They are the best crunchy dill pickles straight out of the fridge. They have impeccable flavor, and delicious brine.
What's the best way to reheat fried pickles? ›
Reheating. The best way to reheat your leftover pickles is in the oven to keep that crispy texture. I like to crisp mine under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, just make sure to keep an eye on them so they don't burn!
Can you save fried pickles? ›
Storage: Fried pickles are best fresh and hot, but if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, place on a baking sheet in a single layer and reheat at 400 degrees until warmed through. You can also reheat in the air fryer at 360 degrees F for 2 minutes.
Why did my pickles lose their crunch? ›
Crispness can also be lost if cucumbers are stored longer than 24 hours in the refrigerator from harvest to pickling. Thoroughly wash each cucumber, especially around the stem area, where soil can be trapped. Any remaining soil may be a source of bacteria and can cause a soft pickle.
Why did my pickles turn out soggy? ›
Pickles are soft or slippery.
This can happen when the blossom ends of the cucumbers are not removed. Cut 1/16-inch off blossom ends of cucumbers. The blossom end contains an enzyme that may cause softening. This can also happen if the brine or vinegar was too weak.
