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
how do you keep the breading from falling off the pickles? Pressing the pickles in the regular flour first helps the egg to stick to the pickles, thereby helping the cereal coating to stick. When I dredge them into the cereal coating I really press it firmly on both sides to get a nice bit of dredge on the outer layer.
What is the secret of pickles? ›
Here are 10 tips for crunchy pickles:
- Choose Freshly Harvested Cucumbers. As soon as cucumbers are picked, the softening process begins. ...
- Use the Right Cucumber Varieties. ...
- Cut off the Ends of Cucumbers. ...
- Soak Cucumbers in Ice Water. ...
- Use Calcium Chloride. ...
- Add a Source of Tannin. ...
- Use Enough Salt. ...
- Don't Add Bacteria.
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!
How do you make fried pickles crispy again? ›
Always make sure the oil is hot enough to cook with, or else the pickles will simply absorb the oil and they won't be crunchy. 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 breading from falling off when frying? ›
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 to stop breading from falling off fish? ›
If the fish is dropped in the fryer to fast or even just tossed in the fryer the batter will most like disperse or just a little will stick. The secret here is to put in the fish slowly while giving it a little wiggle to get access batter off. This will really give you an amazing coating on the fish!
What ingredient keeps 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.
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 gives flavor to pickles and makes the product crisp? ›
Alum, short for aluminum sulfate, is used in pickling to promote crisp texture and is approved, though not recommended, as a food additive by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
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.
It's important to dry food before applying the breading because a high moisture content prevents dry ingredients from correctly reacting with hot oil. If improperly prepared, the batter on your pickles will soak up all that grease instead of frying to perfection.
What is a substitute for buttermilk in fried pickles? ›
Buttermilk. The tangy flavor of the buttermilk is the perfect complement to dill 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 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.
How to get batter to stick to fish for frying? ›
The base of the breading mixture will be a cup of all-purpose flour and a cup of yellow corn meal. This gives the fried fish the classic gritty breading texture. Corn starch is essential to fish breading. Add a heaping tablespoon of it because it will help the batter adhere to the fish.
How to get flour to stick to 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.
How to fry fish without breading falling off? ›
Don't cover—Once the fish is in the pan, never cover it; you'll end up steaming it, and the coating might fall off, leaving behind a greasy fish fillet. Steady as you go—Keep the oil temperature steady. A thermometer is a great tool to have at hand, especially if you're fond of fried food.
