Deep Fried Pickles
My deep fried pickles are ultra crispy on the outside with that tangy taste you love on the inside. This easy appetizer recipe tastes better than what you get at the restaurant and is one of my all-time favorites.
We love deep-fried appetizers around here, like mac and cheese balls, lasagna fritta, and hushpuppies. Another family favorite is these deep-fried pickles. Every game day I make these and little smokies for meat man! They cook up so crispy with that savory dill flavor we all know and love. I order them everytime I see them on a menu at a restaurant or bar! You will be surprised at how easy it is to make them at home. Follow my tips to ensure they turn out super crunchy every single time.
Don't forget a dipping sauce too! I like spicy ranch which is rich and creamy with a spicy kick. Other yummy options to consider for dipping are blue cheese, honey mustard, or even fry sauce.
These Deep-Fried Pickles Are Dill-Licious
- Super Crispy: The beer batter always cooks up super airy and crispy without ever feeling heavy or soggy.
- Well Seasoned: We season each layer, so these are anything but bland.
- Addicting Dip: Plunge into spicy ranch for the perfect finish.
They're a wonderful side to burgers, and perfect for enjoying while watching sports.
Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips
- Pickles: I like using dill pickle chips. If you'd prefer a thicker pickle, you can also cut up whole kosher dills.
- Beer: Beer makes the deep-fried pickle batter super light and airy. It also adds great flavor like in my beer battered cod.
- Seasoned Salt: Always season your batter. I like Lawry's seasoning salt, but cajun season or even dill would be yummy too.
- Oil: I used vegetable oil for frying. Any neutral oil with a high smoke point, like canola or peanut oil, will work fine.
Beer Alternative
If you don't like beer or want to avoid alcohol, use club soda instead. Its bubbles will help provide the same light and crispy texture.
️Krystle's Tips️
- Dry Pickles: Make sure the pickles are as dry as possible. This will help the batter stick.
- Wet/Dry Hand Method: Use one hand to dip the pickles into the egg/beer mixture, and your other hand to dip them into the flour. This will prevent you from battering your hands and making a mess.
- Use a Deep Fry Thermometer: If the oil is not hot enough, they'll absorb too much oil and you'll end up with soggy pickles. Use a thermometer to make sure the oil stays around 350-375 degrees. (It is normal for it to drop a few degrees after adding your pickles).
- Don't Add Too Many At Once: Don't overcrowd the pot, or the oil temperature may drop. Bring up to temp in between bathes too.
- Keep Warm: Keep your first batch warm on a baking sheet in a 250-degree oven while you fry the rest.
Get All the Moisture Out Of your PIckles
I like to pat them dry with paper towels and then spin them in my salad spinner!
You can bake them instead; however, just keep in mind they will not be quite as crispy. Bake at 450 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.
No, this batter is too wet to hold up on the air fryer.
More Game Day Grub
📖 Recipe
Crispy Deep Fried Pickles
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Ingredients
For the Fried Pickles
- 1 Jar Dill Pickles Drained
- 1 Egg
- 12 Ounces Beer
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
- 1 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
- Vegetable Oil For Frying
For the Spicy Ranch
- ½ Cup Mayonnaise
- ½ Cup Buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon Dry Ranch Seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 1 Dash Hot Sauce
Instructions
For the Fried Pickles
- Pat pickles dry with paper towels.
- In a large bowl, combine egg, beer, baking powder, and seasoning salt. Add in flour.
- Heat ~ 1 ½ inches of oil in a large dutch oven until it reaches 375 degrees.
- Fry in batches for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.
- Drain on paper towels.
For the Spicy Ranch
- In a small bowl, combine all ingredients.
Notes
- Pickles:If you don't like beer or want to avoid alcohol, use club soda instead. Its bubbles will help provide the same light and crispy texture.
- Seasoned Salt: Always season your batter. I like Lawry's
- Oil: I used vegetable oil for frying. Any neutral oil with a high smoke point, like canola or peanut oil, will work fine.
- Dry Pickles: Make sure the pickles are as dry as possible. I like to pat them dry with paper towels and then spin them in my salad spinner!
- Wet/Dry Hand Method: Use one hand to dip the pickles into the egg/beer mixture, and your other hand to dip them into the flour. This will prevent you from battering your hands and making a mess.
- Use a Deep Fry Thermometer: If the oil is not hot enough, they'll absorb too much oil and you'll end up with soggy pickles. Use a thermometer to make sure the oil stays around 350-375 degrees.
- Don't Add Too Many At Once: Don't overcrowd the pot, or the oil temperature may drop.
- Keep Warm: Keep your first batch warm on a baking sheet in a 250-degree oven while you fry the rest.
Nutrition
First time I made these and I'm surprised how good they are! They're my new favorite appetizers to make now!
I nailed it! They came out super crunchy and perfectly tangy inside! Can't wait to make another batch soon!
Deep fried pickles looks delicious perfect with coffee.
These are some darn good fried pickles! You got the batter spot on, which is one of the most important parts for me. Love these
I never had deep fried pickles before, being from Germany and all, and this recipe has me absolutely hooked on them! I adored the beer batter. It came out so light and crispy with so much flavor. I think I might use it to fry camembert in next, as I was looking for a good batter recipe for ages.
The fried pickle slices are the best. A great Southern specialty:) Thanks for sharing the fabulous recipe.
Very interesting beer batter used. Will have to try it out.
These were out of this world. My 16 year old wanted to make fried pickles, and this recipe resulted in perfect, crispy, delicious ones. We had batter left over so we did some onion rings and they were spectacular too. Thank you!
This batter was so very crunchy and fried up perfectly. Tasted great! I am going to try this on fish next time. Yum!
I'm confused about wet/dry comment. It's not mentioned in the recipe. Do I actually NOT add the flour to the wet ingredients?
Hi Mark!
That's right don't combine them. Dip into them separately. This helps everything stick and come out super crispy.
Thanks for these amazing fried pickles. I made them and brought them to a party. Everyone loved them and asked for the recipe.
OMG these are soooo good! Everyone here loves them so much! Thanks for this recipe.
These are a favorite app of mine! The key is having delicious sauces to pair them with.
I grew up eating pickles (true story) and actually really love them deep fried. Yum!
These are so good and they are really easy to make so, naturally, we love them!