Fried Pickles
Fried Pickles are golden brown and oh so crispy on the outside while staying true to their tender and tangy goodness on the inside! Savory dill pickles are hand breaded, fried, and served with the best spicy remoulade sauce. This is a party food that you might just want to make a double batch of!
Fried Pickles
There’s not a whole lot more I love in this life than some perfectly deep fried pickles. When they’re done just right, they always hit the spot and pair perfectly with whatever beer or fruity cocktail I’m sipping on!
While they’re great with a soda too, there’s just something so bar food friendly about fried pickles that I’m obsessed with. Sometimes, you just need a drink and a snack that gets your fingers a little greasy!
With all of that being said, not all fried pickles are created equally. I’ve had my fair share of just “meh” fried pickles at several different bars and restaurants. It’s always so sad, because I get excited every time, and being let down is never fun! That’s why now I’ve just started making my own fried pickles at home, because if you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself.
In this recipe, I hand bread my sliced dill pickles with seasoned panko breadcrumbs and batter that also has just the right amount of seasonings in it. Trust me, you’ll be getting a ton of savory flavor with each bite of these pickles!
While I could eat a whole batch on my own, these deep fried appetizers really shine when they’re paired with some homemade spicy remoulade sauce.
How to Make Fried Pickles
- Make the sauce. Mix all of the sauce ingredients together well and cover and refrigerate while making the pickles.
- Prepare the pickles. Drain the pickles well and gently pat them dry with paper towels.
- Bread the pickles. Combine all of the batter ingredients in one bowl and the breadcrumb mixture in another. Dip each pickle into the batter, then dip it into the panko mix. Place the breaded pickles on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Fry the pickles. Once your oil is heated 350-375°F, use tongs to gently place the battered pickles into the hot oil. Cook for about 3 minutes per side until golden brown.
- Let them cool and drain. Once fried, place the pickles on a second baking sheet lined with paper towels so they can cool and drain of excess grease.
You can mix it up by making your own pickles to fry up. We love these easy Bread and Butter Pickles or these Dill Pickles!
Tips for the Best Fried Pickles
- Use your hands! I use my left hand for dipping, then my right hand for coating. I try my best to make sure the left dipping hand doesn’t get into the coating, and vice versa. This helps to keep things as clean as possible, but sometimes its fun to make a little mess!
- Check the temperature. Don’t just look at the oil to gauge it’s readiness. Use a thermometer to see if it’s between 350-375°F. If it’s within that range, it’s ready for the pickles. Also, adjust your stove temperature throughout the cooking process. When food is added, the temperature may change.
Variations to Try
- You can use pickle spears. Just keep in mind that the yield of how many spears/numbers of servings may reduce a bit as spears have more surface to cover than dill slices do.
- Spice up the remoulade. If you like it spicy, add more Cajun seasoning or horseradish to your sauce. Or both!
Storage and Reheating
Once cooled to room temperature, you can transfer your deep fried pickles to an airtight container and keep them stored in the fridge for 2 days.
To reheat, I recommend using your air fryer for the crispiest results. Preheat your air fryer to 375°F. Coat the inside of the basket or a fry basket tray with non-stick cooking spray and place a single layer of battered pickles. Cook for 5 minutes, open the fryer to flip the pieces (when the shake is recommended) and cook for a final 5 minutes. (Air fryers may vary, so check the batch after 4 minutes to see how things are cooking).
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Get the Recipe: Fried Pickles Recipe
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 TBSP chili sauce
- 1 TBSP horseradish
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp Cajun seasoning
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the Batter:
- ½ cup AP flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup buttermilk
For the Breading:
- 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp parsley, chopped dried
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
Additional ingredients:
- 1 jar sliced dill pickles, 16oz
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish, optional
Equipment
- 1 deep skillet
- 1 thermometer
Instructions
To Make the Sauce
- Mix all ingredients together well and cover and refrigerate while making the pickles. If you like it spicy add more Cajun seasoning or horseradish or both. This sauce makes about 1 ¼ cups.
To Make the Pickles
- Using a strainer, drain pickles well and remove any small end pieces, then place each pickle slice on a paper towel lined plate to remove any excess moisture. Pat dry with additional paper towels if needed. Set it aside.
- In a shallow bowl mix together all the batter ingredients and set aside.
- In a separate shallow bowl mix together the breading ingredients and set aside.
- In a pan or deep fryer preheat oil to 350-375 degrees.
- Line two small cooking/baking trays. One tray with parchment paper for battered pickles before cooking; and one tray lined with paper towels for cooked pickles.
- Working one slice pickle at a time, dip a pickle into the batter, coating each side of it, then placing the dipped slice into the panko mix.
- Cover each side of the sliced pickle with the panko mixture, using your hands to pat the coating onto each side of the pickle slice. Then move that breaded piece to the parchment lined tray. (I use my left hand for dipping, then my right hand for coating. I try my best to make sure the left dipping hand doesn’t get into the coating, and vice versa. This helps try to keep things as clean as possible, but sometimes its fun to make a little mess!)
- Repeat the process until all the pickle slices have been fully battered.
- When the oil is at 350-375 degrees, it’s ready to cook your pickles!
- Using a pair of tongs, gently add the battered pickles into the hot oil, and cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. (Adjust your stove temperature throughout the cooking process; when food is added, the temperature may change.)
- Place cooked fried pickles on the second baking tray lined with the paper towel.
- Serve immediately with a side of the spicy remoulade sauce and garnished with fresh chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
Fried pickles should be eaten within 2 days of cooking. Don’t have buttermilk on hand? It’s easy to make with just milk and lemon using my quick recipe!
2 Comments on “Fried Pickles”
Oh Yeah! Now you’re talking!!!
ha ha!! They’re so good!