If you’ve never made fried pickles at home, this is your sign. They come together in about 20 minutes; they use pickles you probably already have in the fridge, and they hit that salty-crunchy-tangy spot like nothing else.
Table of Contents
Fried Pickles Recipe
Key Ingredients
Dill pickle chips: The round, pre-sliced shape gives the classic bite-sized crunch. Straight dill is the pick here, not bread and butter, since that sweetness clashes with the salty-sour appeal.
Cornmeal is the source of that signature gritty, sandy crunch that makes a fried pickle shatter when you bite in. A flour-only coating fries up smooth and soft, closer to a pancake, so I split the coating half flour and half cornmeal to keep it craggy but still clingy.
Buttermilk: The tang plays off the pickle and the slight thickness helps the coating grab hold. Plain milk is too thin and slides right off before the cornmeal can stick. I learned the messy way with half my coating floating in the oil.
Cayenne pepper adds a low background warmth that keeps each bite interesting against the sour pickle. It’s not there to make them spicy, just to round out an otherwise flat coating.
Tips to Make It Perfect
Pat the pickles bone dry before coating: Pickles are soaked in brine and that surface moisture is the enemy of a crispy coating. Wet pickles make the cornmeal turn to paste and cause the oil to spit and splatter. Press them between paper towels until they feel tacky, not slick.
Hold the oil at a steady 375°F: Too cool and the coating drinks up grease and turns soggy before it browns. Too hot and it burns dark while the inside is still cold. I keep a thermometer clipped to the pot and adjust the burner between batches because the temperature drops every time pickles go in.
Fry in small batches: Dumping in too many pickles at once crashes the oil temperature and they steam instead of fry. It takes longer but every pickle comes out crisp instead of a soggy pile stuck together.
Eat them within a few minutes: They lose their crunch fast as the pickle’s moisture works its way back into the coating.
Here’s how to make the fried pickles:
Fried Pickles
Crispy, golden fried dill pickle chips with a crunchy cornmeal coating and a tangy dipping sauce. Salty, sour, and addictive straight out of the fryer.
Ingredients
- Pickles
- 2 cupsdill pickle chips (drained and patted dry)
- ½ cupall-purpose flour
- ½ cupcornmeal
- 1 teaspoonpaprika
- 1 teaspoongarlic powder
- ¼ teaspooncayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoonblack pepper
- 1egg
- ½ cupbuttermilk
- vegetable oil (for frying)
- Dipping Sauce
- ½ cupmayonnaise
- 1 tablespoonketchup
- 1 teaspoonprepared horseradish
- ½ teaspoonhot sauce
Instructions
- 1Spread the drained pickle chips on paper towels and pat completely dry.
- 2In a bowl, whisk the egg and buttermilk together.
- 3In a second bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, and black pepper.
- 4Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy pot to 375°F (190°C).
- 5Dip each pickle chip in the buttermilk mixture, then dredge in the cornmeal mixture, pressing to coat.
- 6Fry in batches for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. Do not crowd the pot.
- 7Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack.
- 8Whisk the mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish, and hot sauce together. Serve alongside the hot pickles.
Nutrition per serving
📌 Notes
- Pat the pickles as dry as possible. Wet pickles make the coating slide off and cause the oil to splatter.
- Keep the oil at a steady 375°F. Too cool and the coating soaks up grease, too hot and it burns before the inside heats through.
- Fry in small batches. Crowding the pot drops the oil temperature and the pickles turn out soggy.
- Serve immediately. Fried pickles lose their crunch fast once they cool.
How to Pair
Fried pickles taste crunchy, salty, and tangy. You’ll need creamy dips, hearty sandwiches, and cold drinks to balance their sharp dill flavor and crisp coating.
- Serve them with ranch dressing, spicy mayonnaise, or cool blue cheese dip.
- Pair them with cheeseburgers, pulled pork sandwiches, or crispy chicken sliders.
- Enjoy them beside barbecue wings, loaded fries, or grilled bratwurst.
- Match them with cold lager, sparkling lemonade, or sweet iced tea.
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