Fried Pickles: a Perfect Side and Appetizer
Fried pickles are on the menu this fall! From game day tailgaters to backyard BBQs, they are the ideal snack to serve up plated or in a basket with dipping sauce.
We take football very seriously here in the South, along with our game day munchies. Football season means buffalo wings with hot sauce, fried chicken wings with honey garlic drizzle, burgers, BBQ ribs, pies, dips, chips, fried okra — and of course, fried pickles!
Game Day in the South
If you are tailgating, you’d better live by the mantra, “the early bird gets the worm.” So early, the experienced tailgaters start the night before the big day with grills and fryers set up right outside the trucks…Families share food, kids throw footballs, truck stereos blare tunes so loud you’d think the lead singer is sitting in your lap, and friends gather, exchange stories, and play games.
This is what southerners wait for all year—fall is football and football is life.”
This recipe is my secret to making deliciously crispy, restaurant-worthy breaded pickles at home. For dipping, I recommend my creamy Comeback Sauce, which perfectly complements the tangy flavor and spicy kick of the pickles. However, blue cheese or ranch dressing would do just fine, too.
Ingredients for Fried Pickles
Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- Dill pickle chips
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Good vegetable oil such as peanut oil
- Buttermilk
- Eggs
- Seasoning: garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper
- Hot sauce
Tips for Making This Recipe
One key to the best fried pickles is to dry the dill pickle slices well with paper towels before dredging them in the batter and flour mixtures. Another is to make sure your cooking oil gets to 375°F for each batch. I recommend using a kitchen thermometer to monitor the temperature.
The pickles will cook fast! They will need only about 1 1/2 minutes to become golden brown.
In the unlikely event that you have leftovers, you can store fried pickles in an airtight container in the refrigerator and then reheat in the oven or air fryer. They will keep in the fridge for up to three days. Enjoy!
Best Fried Pickles Recipe
Ingredients
- vegetable oil for frying
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for sprinkling
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 16-ounce jar dill pickle slices, or 6-8 pickles cut into ¼ inch slices
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, add about 2 inches of oil and bring the oil to 375°F.
- Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl or plate with a rim, whisk together flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne.
- In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, and hot sauce.
- On a paper towel-lined plate, spread all the pickles out in a single layer to drain off any pickle juice, and dry the tops with another paper towel. If there is too much moisture, the batter won’t stick well to the pickles.
- Once the oil temperature has reached 375°F, dredge the pickle slices in the flour mixture and coat well, shaking off any of the excess. Then dredge in the buttermilk mixture, and coat again with the flour mixture.
- Place a few pickle slices at the time very carefully into the hot oil for about 1½ minutes or until pickles are golden brown. Remove pickles to a cooling rack on a lined baking sheet with a slotted spoon or spider. The rack will allow excess oil to drain.
- Before frying the next batch of pickles, make sure the oil returns to 375°F. Serve warm with Comeback Sauce. See Notes for recipe.
