Fried Pickles

Let’s talk about fried pickles. Yep, you heard that right. Those briny, tangy little bites you usually find on the side of your sandwich? They just got a deep-fried glow-up — and trust us, once you try them crispy and golden, there’s no going back.

So, What Are Fried Pickles?

Fried pickles are exactly what they sound like: pickles, battered and deep-fried until irresistibly crispy. Usually made with dill pickle chips or spears, they’re a snack that’s crunchy, zippy, and dangerously addictive. Think of them as the rebellious cousin of mozzarella sticks — bold, crunchy, and ready to steal the spotlight.

A Southern Staple Gone Viral

Fried pickles have deep roots in the American South. Legend has it they first popped up on a menu in Arkansas in the early 1960s, and from there, they took off. These days, you’ll find them everywhere from dive bars and diners to trendy gastropubs. And with the internet’s love for anything deep-fried, they’ve gone full-blown viral.

What will you need?

• Cucumbers
• serrano peppers
• garlic
• fresh dill
• vinegar
• water
• mustard seeds
• black peppercorns
• salt
• black pepper
• sugar
• flour
• cornstarch
• light beer
• smoked paprika
• turmeric
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• vegetable oil, for frying

How to make Fried Pickles

Slice your cucumbers in about 1/4 inch slices. Use a crinkle cutter if you want to be fancy. Add them to a large mason jars along with some serrano peppers, garlic cloves, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, smoked paprika, turmeric, and fresh dill.

In a pot, bring some water, vinegar, sugar, and salt to a boil. Pour the liquid into the mason jar until full. Once room temperature, add the lid and place in the fridge. The longer they pickle in the fridge, the better the flavor.

For the batter: Add some flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika to a large bowl and whisk together. Add half the mixture to another bowl, and add in some beer to one of the bowls making a batter.

Take some pickles and dust them in the dry flour mixture until coated. Then drop them in the beer batter, fully submerging them. Remove them and let some of the batter drip off before adding them to the frying oil. Fry until golden brown and crispy, then remove them to a paper towel lined tray to drain any excess oil.

Add your fried pickles to a plate and serve them with your favorite dipping sauce. I love making a homemade ranch to dip them in. Ranch recipe here.

Fried Pickles

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Zachary Rodriguez Course: SidesDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Ingredients

• For the pickles

• 2 2 cucumbers

• 2 2 serrano peppers, sliced

• 3 3 garlic cloves

• 1 tbsp 1 mustard seeds

• 1 tbsp 1 black peppercorns

• 1 tsp 1 smoked paprika

• 1 tsp 1 turmeric

• 1 1 bunch of fresh dill

• 1 cup 1 water

• 2 cups 2 white vinegar

• 1 tbsp 1 pickling salt

• 1 tbsp 1 sugar

• For the batter

• 1 cup 1 all-purpose flour

• 1 cup 1 corn starch

• 1 tsp 1 salt

• 1 tsp 1 black pepper

• 2 tsp 2 garlic powder

• 2 tsp 2 onion powder

• 2 tsp 2 smoked paprika

• 12 oz 12 light beer

• Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

• For the pickles
• Slice your cucumbers in about 1/4 inch slices. Use a crinkle cutter if you want to be fancy. Add them to a large mason jars along with the serrano peppers, garlic cloves, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, smoked paprika, turmeric, and fresh dill.
• In a pot, bring the water, vinegar, sugar, and pickling salt to a boil. Once boiling remove from the heat and pour the liquid into the mason jar until full. Once room temperature, add the lid and place in the fridge. The longer they pickle in the fridge, the better the flavor. You can pickle for 30 minutes or even up to 7 days for some amazing flavor.
• For the batter
• Add the flour, corn starch, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika to a bowl and whisk together. Pour half the flour mixture into a separate bowl. This will be for dusting the pickles before we add them to the wet batter. Pour the beer into the first bowl and whisk together making a wet batter.
• Take your pickles and add them to the dry flour mixture. Dust them until fully coated. Then drop them into the wet batter. Fully submerge them until they are all covered in the batter.
• Heat the oil in a pot until it reach 330 degrees Fahrenheit. One at a time, take a pickle out of the batter and let it drip a little before adding them to the oil. Fry in batches to not overcrowd the pot. Adding too many at once will cause the oil temp to drop and you will not get a very crispy pickle. Fry until golden and crispy. About 3-5 minutes. Make sure to constantly agitate the pickles in the oil to ensure an even fry. Remove the pickles to a paper towel lined tray to drain and excess oil.
• Serve them on a plate with your favorite dipping sauce. I love making a homemade ranch for this. Get my ranch recipe here.