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
Pickles live in liquid and they need to be very dry before frying if you want the breading to stick well. Keep the oil hot. These fry very fast and if you don't have your oil hot enough, they will soak up some oil and won't get nice and crispy. Give your oil time to reheat between fry batches.
How to make the crispiest 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 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.
Using an air fryer. To reheat fried pickles in the air fryer, begin by preheating the gadget to approximately 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it's heated, spread your pickles in a single layer in the fryer basket without overcrowding. Ensuring each pickle has enough room is crucial for even reheating.
How do you keep fried pickles from getting soggy? ›
Along with using a paper towel to soak up some of the pickles' juices before frying, incorporating cornstarch into the breading mix helps reduce wetness and ensures a crisp fry.
What is the additive for crisp pickles? ›
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.
Why are my homemade pickles not crunchy? ›
If the pickles are soft, they are spoiled from the yeast fermentation. Don't use them. 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 brand has the crunchiest pickles? ›
These pickles' texture also really stands out: Cleveland Kitchen's spears have a nice crunch and snap to them. Out of all the store-bought pickles we've ever tried, Cleveland Kitchen's are some of the best.
Does Chick-Fil-A use pickle juice in their batter? ›
There are two crucial ingredients chick-fil-a uses that most recipes dont have- pickle juice and sugar. They also use MSG- but its also ok without it if you dont like it. Just cut up the breasts into chunks and follow recipe for nuggets.
What is a sonic pickle fry? ›
The Sonic Pickle Fries are made from dill pickle spears cut into a French-fry shape. The pickles are coated in a light tempura batter and fried. The fried pickles are served with a side of ranch dressing for dunking.
While pickles are a high-sodium food item, the deep-fried pickle is significantly higher. One deep-fried pickle spear contains 1,220 milligrams of sodium, versus 210 milligrams in a regular spear. One deep-fried pickle gives you more than half of the daily recommended intake, which is 2,300 milligrams a day.
What is the trick to crispy pickles? ›
5 Secrets for Crispy and Crunchy Pickles
- Use small, firm cucumbers.
- Jar them immediately after picking, or as soon as possible.
- Soak cucumbers in an ice water bath for a couple hours.
- Cut off the blossom end of cucumber.
- Add tannins to the jar.
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 ingredient gives flavor to the pickles? ›
Acetic acid, or vinegar, is added to the cucumbers. After water, vinegar makes up most of the pickle juice. It also adds to the pickles' sour taste.
How do I keep my breading from falling off? ›
Place the breaded chicken on a cooling rack (or a platter) and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This cooling time will help the layers of breading ingredients solidify and adhere better after the chicken cooks. Once you start cooking the chicken, be patient and don't flip it over too early.
How do you keep batter from sticking? ›
It's all about pan prep
Your goal is to prevent your cake from sticking by creating a barrier between batter and pan (e.g., parchment, nonstick spray, or shortening and flour) prior to adding cake batter.
Why does my batter come off when frying? ›
Meat is not properly dry
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. Therefore, you must take some paper towels and pat dry the meat on all sides.
How do you keep batter from sticking to the fryer? ›
For example, workers should season each basket by dipping it in the hot fryer oil before adding food. This layer of oil helps prevent the batter from sticking to the metal. Similarly, workers should use a shake time counter to ensure all excess oil and debris come off once an item comes out of the fryer.
