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
Thoroughly drying the pickles is essential to the batter sticking properly, so don't skip that step. Simply remove the pickle slices from the jar, and drain them on a paper towel. Then, use another paper towel to pat each side of the pickles dry before dropping them into the buttermilk mixture.
How do they make pickles so crispy? ›
Use Calcium Chloride
Calcium chloride (CaCl2), sometimes known as “pickle crisp”, is a type of salt that helps preserve the crunchiness of food. It is used in the food industry to help preserve the texture of canned fruit and vegetables.
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.
What can I add to pickles to make them taste better? ›
Spicing Up Store Bought Pickles
- Heat – whole dried peppers, red pepper flakes, cayenne, black pepper corns, prepared horseradish, or hot sauce.
- Garlic – jarred minced garlic or garlic powder, stay away from fresh garlic because of the bacteria issues they can cause.
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.
What makes batter stay crispy? ›
My first choice here for a really crispy batter will be a combination of rice flour and cornstarch. Not so keen about using rice flour alone for deep-frying. The combination of Cornstarch and rice flour gives you that thin, light, and really crispy coating on the food.
Why are my homemade pickles not crunchy? ›
Using too weak a salt brine or vinegar solution may cause soft or slippery pickles, as can using moldy garlic or storing the pickles at too warm a temperature.
What are the crunchiest 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.
How to make Mrs wages pickles crispy? ›
Use An Ice Water Bath
One of the best ways to prepare crispy pickles is to soak your cucumbers in an ice water bath for nearly five hours before starting the pickling process. Place water and ice in a large container and add the clean pickling cucumbers into it, letting them soak.
Why are my fried pickles soggy? ›
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.
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.
What seasoning is good with pickles? ›
Use as many or as few of the spices below to create your own signature spice blend. I recommend using mustard seeds, black peppercorns, or red pepper flakes, and at least one of the sweet spices (allspice, cinnamon, or cloves), and then as many of the other spices as you like.
What makes pickles taste so good? ›
The process of fermentation gives pickle its distinctive flavor that serves as the perfect balance of spicy, sour and bitter to have along with a meal. The diversity of flavors in a single bite is what makes the dish truly complete.
What flavor pairs with pickle? ›
For example, think salty and sweet, spicy and sweet, and savory and sweet. Similar things also work well together: Things that are alike tend to combine together beautifully. Think salty cheese with salty pickles. A match made in salty heaven.
Why does my batter come off when frying? ›
Meat is not properly dry
Most home cooks often struggle with getting the breading part right because they do not let their meat dry properly. If the meat is wet, it will make the flour soggy. In that case, breading will not stick properly and may fall off when deep frying.
How to get flour to stick to pickles? ›
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.
Why does the batter come off the fish? ›
If the oil isn't at the correct temperature, your fish will absorb the oil while it's frying, causing some of the batter to drop off. To prevent this, your oil should be around 350 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Why does breading fall off calamari? ›
If the oil temperature is too low, the calamari will absorb too much oil and become soggy, or will lose its breading all together. On the other hand, if the oil is too hot, the outside will cook faster than the inside.
