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 you keep fried pickles from getting soggy? ›
For the crispiest fried pickles, add cornstarch to the breading batter recipe. More absorbent than flour or breadcrumbs alone, cornstarch helps remove excess moisture from the pickles, and also reacts with hot frying oil to thicken the coat of breading for a super crispy crunch.
How to make your homemade pickles crunchy? ›
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.
How do you're crisp fried pickles? ›
The solution? 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.
How do you get breading to stick to fried pickles? ›
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 does my breading always fall off? ›
Step 1: Pat the chicken dry
It sounds counterintuitive, but a dry surface will help the flour adhere evenly to the chicken. Just as important as the first patting down of the chicken's surface, the final pat down of your meat after covering it with breading helps every piece of crunchy coating adhere.
Why aren't my fried pickles 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.
What is the secret to a crunchy pickle? ›
Add a Source of Tannin
Tannins work against softening enzymes and help keep pickles crunchier. They can be found in various sources, such as grape leaves, oak leaves, raspberry leaves, black tea, etc. Add some directly to your jars!
What ingredient makes pickles crisp? ›
Pickle Crisp, I learned, is a trade name for calcium chloride, a common additive in commercial canning. Calcium chloride is used for several purposes, but in pickles it is mainly a firming agent.
What are the ingredients in pickle crisp? ›
Pickle crisp is a product put out by ball, but I'm sure other brands sell it as well. All it contains is calcium chloride, which is supposed to help maintain the firmness of pickles. You simply add a very small amount to each jar when you are packing them. Quick, easy, and just calcium chloride.
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.
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.
Can you add pickle crisp to any recipe? ›
For the best crispy pickles, I use Ball Pickle Crisp Granules. This helps keep the pickles crisp when canning, and it's very easy to add to almost any pickle recipe.
Can you save fried pickles? ›
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.
Why does my batter come off when frying? ›
Not shaking off the excess flour
Excess flour will create a thick coating that prevents the egg mixture from latching onto the meat. Therefore, if you want your breading not to fall off from the meat when deep-frying, you must shake off the excess flour before proceeding.
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 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.
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.
