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
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 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.
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 to get breading to stick to fried pickles? ›
The pickles must be dredged in seasoned flour, to get the batter to stick, dipped in the batter and then re-tossed in the seasoned flour or a cornmeal-flour mixture. Then they are fried until golden brown and crispy.
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 makes pickles crunchy vs soft? ›
To get crisp pickles start with fresh, just-picked vegetables. As vegetables age they lose their crispness. Refrigerate produce if it cannot be used immediately upon harvest. Vegetables become soft as their pectin structure changes due to microbial activity, excess heat or improper handling.
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.
How long to air fry soggy fried pickles? ›
Air fry the pickles for three to four minutes, but always be attentive as the size and thickness of your pickles and varying air fryer models can alter the ideal reheating time. After this period, gently shake the basket or use a pair of tongs to flip the pickles and continue frying for a similar duration.
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.
Many of the calories in a deep-fried pickle come from fat. One deep-fried pickle spear contains 4 grams of total fat and 36 milligrams of cholesterol. Regular pickles are fat free. Fat is an important nutrient your body needs to make cell membranes and help you absorb vitamins, and it's also a source of energy.
Why are my fried pickles not crispy? ›
While you're prepping your pickles and batter, you need to get the oil hot, really hot. About 375 degrees Fahrenheit is great. This is an important step, because if your oil isn't hot enough your pickles won't fry in a way that achieves that perfect super crispy texture.
Do leftover fried pickles need to be refrigerated? ›
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.
How to make crispy pickles reddit? ›
There are a few way to make them crisp and crunchy.
- Using the most firm cucumbers you can find.
- Placing them in an ice bath for a couple of hours or overnight before pickling and canning.
- Adding tannins to the brine also helps. ...
- Cutting off a small bit of the blossom side of the pickle.
I would think that you are not binding the breading correctly. Set three dishes/bowls and one platter in a row. In the first put flour or cornstarch (seasoned); in the second put egg beaten with a bit of water; and in the third breadcrumbs, crushed cornflakes or panko (also seasoned).
How to get flour to stick to pickles? ›
Slice your dill pickles and make your breading and dipping mixtures while your oil is heating. Once your oil is hot, toss 3-4 pickle slices in your flour-based breading mixture, shake off the excess, dip in a buttermilk/egg mixture, and dip in flour mixture again. (Carefully!)
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.
