Homemade Fried Pickles, The Real Dill
You’re out at a restaurant and you see your favorite appetizer on the menu, so you order fried pickles “for the table,” and hope that you don’t actually have to share this little basket of heaven with anyone else. We’ve totally been there! That’s why we are bringing this recipe for fried pickles home, so you can make them anytime the craving strikes.
How To Make Fried Pickles
Make a great fry station by gathering your ingredients: In a shallow bowl or pie pan make the flour mixture (the flour and seasonings). In a separate bowl add buttermilk.
Prepare the oil: Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat until temperature reaches 375°F with a deep-fry thermometer. You can test the oil by dropping in a 1 inch square of bread. The oil is ready when the bread turns golden brown in 60 seconds.
To bread the pickles: Dip each pickle in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in the buttermilk, then back into the flour, shaking off excess.
Fry Party: Drop prepared pickle in hot oil and cook until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Reheat oil to 375°F before repeating with remaining pickles, cooking in small batches for the best control. Frying is a cooking technique that is best approached with patience and care.
Eat! Season with flaky salt and pepper and serve immediately with ranch or fry sauce.
Have leftovers? Not possible! Well, maybe it’s possible. You can store these in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in a single layer on a baking sheet in a hot oven or toaster oven.
The Secret To Making Fried Pickle Chips
Last time you crunched your way through a basket of fried pickles you might have been thinking, How do I make fried pickles crispy? and How do you keep breading on fried pickles? Well, we’re here to solve these fried pickle mysteries. Make sure your pickle slices are completely dry before you dredge them. Drain them well and pat dry with a paper towel. Don’t add too much batter! Let the excess buttermilk drip from each pickle before dipping it back into the flour mixture. Seasoning–the flour mixed with herbs and Cajun seasoning (which has paprika and cayenne pepper), contributes to an overall southern fried pickles recipe flair. Make sure the fry oil returns to temperature between pickle batches. Each time you add food to the fry oil, it brings the temperature down, which means it will take longer to fry future pickle batches. The longer the pickle fries, the more oil it absorbs, making it less crispy, and no one wants that to happen!
What To Serve With Fried Pickles
Fried pickles are nearly perfect on their own, but fried pickles and Ranch Dip are truly perfect. We think that our all-time favorite dipping sauce–Fry Sauce–would make another superb fried pickle dip. If you’re looking for some more great recipes to prepare for supreme snackage, we think that a table full of great dips would be the nirvana of finger foods. We’ve made (and highly recommend) Caramelized Onion Dip, Queso Fundido, Spinach-Artichoke Dip and Perfect Guacamole. Round it all out with a few more finger foods, like Swedish Meatballs and Baked Buffalo Wings, and you’ve got some happy campers. You could even throw a few fried pickles onto a Classic Cheese Burger with Secret Sauce to add a delightful crispy texture.
Tools You’ll Need
Two shallow bowls or pie pans
Paper towel
Looking For More Of Our Fan Favorites?
You can’t go wrong with deep fried pickles. Here’s some more fool-proof, crowd-pleasing recipes:
If you want to keep practicing your frying technique: Fried Cheese and Perfectly Crispy Fried Chicken
More great dippers: Homemade French Fries and Potato Wedges with Ranch
Order up! Classic diner recipes: Patty Melt and BLT with Homemade Mayonnaise
Finger food faves: Jalapeño Poppers and Deviled Eggs
As Easy As Popping Open A Jar Of Pickles
We hope you loved making these simple fried pickles. We’d love to see a photo of your dish and maybe even a few smiles from the folks you feed. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!
