Deep Fried Pickles
Fried pickles are one of my favorite bar snacks, but when trying to make them at home they can turn out greasy, soggy, and bland. My version is super crispy thanks to a secret ingredient and a few simple tricks.
These Deep-Fried Pickles Are Dill-Licious
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 and are easy to make at home. They're a wonderful side to burgers, and perfect for enjoying while watching sports. I suggest making the spicy ranch first and letting it chill while you fry. This helps the flavors come together.
Why Our Recipe Is the Best: A Sprinkle of Food Science
- We Remove Excess Moisture 2x: Wet pickles can make your batter soggy. We dry them with paper towels and send them for a ride in the salad spinner to remove any excess moisture.
- We Use A Beer Batter: Beer's bubbles help the batter expand creating a light airy batter. Alcohol also evaporates faster than water for a super crunchy end result.
- We Add Cornstarch: Cornstarch is pure starch with no gluten. It fries up lighter and crisper than flour alone in our tests.
- We Use Hotter Oil: Frying at 375 causes the batter's surface to set almost instantly to help them absorb less oil.
- We Cool Them On A Wire Rack: Draining on paper towels traps steam which can make them soggy. I like using a wire rack so air can circulate on all sides.
Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips
- Pickles: I like using Claussen dill pickle chips as they tend to stay crunchier than non refrigerated pickles. Grillos are also very good. If you'd prefer a thicker pickle, you can also cut up whole kosher dills.
- Beer: We like light lagers or pale ales such as Budweiser or Corona. Avoid dark beers and IPAs which can be bitter. Use it cold straight from the fridge. Try leftovers in my beer battered cod.
- Oil: I used vegetable oil for frying. Any neutral oil with a high smoke point, like canola or peanut oil, will work fine.
- Mayonnaise: I like Duke's. Avoid low fat mayonnaise as the dressing will be thin and less creamy.
- Buttermilk: Use real not homemade buttermilk for the best tangy flavor.
- Hot Sauce: Frank's Red Hot is our go to!
Beer Alternative
If you don't like beer or want to avoid alcohol, use club soda or nonalcoholic beer instead. Its bubbles will help provide the same light and crispy texture.
Tips and Troubleshooting: Steal My Culinary School Secrets
- Batter Won't Stick: Make sure the pickles are as dry as possible. This will help the batter stick. I pat them dry AND run them through my salad spinner.
- They Turn Out Greasy: This is usually caused by your oil not being hot enough. Use a deep dry thermometer and aim to keep the temperature around 375. Also, be sure to not overcrowd the pot which can also cause the temp to drop. Fry in batches if needed.
- 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.
Yes, you could also use spears, but you'll need to increase the frying time by 1-2 more minutes.
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📖 Recipe
Crispy Deep Fried Pickles
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Ingredients
For the Fried Pickles
- 1 Jar Dill Pickles Chips I used Claussen Hamburger Chips
- 1 Egg
- 12 Ounces Beer Light Lager or Pale Ale such as Budweiser or Corona
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
- 2 Teaspoons Seasoning Salt
- 1 Cup All Purpose Flour
- ½ Cup Cornstarch
- Vegetable Oil For Frying
For the Spicy Ranch
- ½ Cup Mayonnaise I used Duke's
- ½ Cup Buttermilk Store bought not homemade with lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon Dry Ranch Seasoning
- ¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 1 Dash Hot Sauce I used Frank's
Instructions
For the Fried Pickles
- Pat pickles dry with paper towels. If you have one, also spin them in your salad spinner to remove any excess moisture.
- In a large bowl, combine egg, beer, baking powder, and seasoning salt. Add in flour and cornstarch.
- 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 on a wire rack.
For the Spicy Ranch
- In a small bowl, combine all ingredients.
Notes
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!