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
Use Calcium Chloride
Sea salt is sodium chloride. In this case, we're talking about calcium chloride! These little granules, which dilute quickly in water, are THE trick to crunchy pickles, as they prevent the enzymes from softening the pickle during lacto-fermentation.
How do you keep batter from falling off fried pickles? ›
How do you keep batter from falling off fried pickles? Make sure you pat the pickles plenty dry after taking them out of the jar. Dredging them in the flour mixture before adding the breadcrumbs also helps the batter adhere to the pickle.
How do you make fried pickles crispy again? ›
Reheat leftover deep-fried dill pickles in an air fryer or place them under the broiler until they get crispy again.
How to can dill pickles and keep them crisp? ›
Soak Cucumbers In Ice Water Beforehand
If you're not canning your cucumbers immediately, leave them in an ice bath or in your refrigerator overnight to maintain firmness. Doing this before you start canning them will give you the crunchiest pickles you've ever had!
What ingredient makes pickles crisp? ›
Calcium chloride is easier to use: You add 1/8 teaspoon along with the fruit or vegetable pieces and the pickling liquid to a pint jar, or 1/4 teaspoon to a quart jar.
What makes pickles crunchy vs soft? ›
Grape leaves contain tannins to inhibit the enzyme that makes pickles soft. Cutting off the blossom end 1/16th of an inch has the same effect as grape leaves. Alum is a compound used in old recipes to make pickles crisp.
What is fried pickle batter made of? ›
Ingredients ½ 1x 2x
- 1 ½ cups dill pickle chips, pressed dry with paper towels ( I use Mt. Olive mini stuffers)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour.
- 1½ teaspoons Cajun seasoning.
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika.
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning.
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
- ½ teaspoon onion powder.
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
Dry the pickles well.
This is probably the most important step. Pickles live in liquid and they need to be very dry before frying if you want the breading to stick well.
Why are my homemade pickles not crunchy? ›
If you start with a big ol' soft cucumber, you'll end up with big ol' soft pickles. Always, always select the smallest, most firm cucumbers and leave the big soft ones out of the pickle jar. It's a natural law of sorts– if you are using ginormous, overgrown cukes for your pickles, nothing will turn them crunchy…
What gives flavor to pickles and makes the product crisp? ›
Very simply, tannins are chemical compounds in the leaves that will make your pickles crunchy. Seriously, don't skip this step. Nobody likes soggy pickles. If you have no oak leaves, you could also use horseradish leaves or grape leaves.
Naturally juicy, pickles have a lot of moisture that can alter the dry ingredients in breading mixes and make the frying process result in a soggy mess.
What is a substitute for buttermilk in fried pickles? ›
If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can use my easy buttermilk substitute, which just requires milk (preferably whole milk) and either a splash of lemon juice or vinegar.
How to make extra crunchy pickles? ›
The best way to keep your pickles crisp is by taking an extra moment to remove the blossom from the end of the cucumber. By adding this extra cut, you have a crisper pickle. Other ways to ensure a crisp pickle is by adding grape leaves to your jar. I tend to cut off both ends of the cucumber as I quickly process them.
What powder keeps pickles crisp? ›
Ball Pickle Crisp Granules are easy to use for crispier homemade pickles. Just measure and add to the jar, replacing pickling lime and the need for time-consuming pre-soak.
Does cream of tartar keep pickles crisp? ›
One of the most significant advantages of using cream of tartar in pickling is its ability to maintain the crispness of the fruits or vegetables being pickled. This is especially crucial for pickles like cucumber and green beans, where texture is an essential aspect of their appeal.
What is the crisping agent for pickles? ›
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.
Why are my pickles not crunchy? ›
If you start with a big ol' soft cucumber, you'll end up with big ol' soft pickles. Always, always select the smallest, most firm cucumbers and leave the big soft ones out of the pickle jar. It's a natural law of sorts– if you are using ginormous, overgrown cukes for your pickles, nothing will turn them crunchy…
What leaves keep pickles crunchy? ›
One of the secrets to getting crunchy pickles is to add leaves, such as grape, oak, raspberry, blackberry, or cherry leaves that have tannins in them.
Why are kosher pickles so crunchy? ›
Cucumbers are soaked in a saltwater brine solution to generate fermented pickles, which then ferment naturally with lactic acid-producing bacteria. The sour flavor and crunchy texture of fermented pickles are a result of this process.
