How to Make Fried Pickles

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 4, 2021 Tested

Fried pickles are a delicious appetizer and the perfect alternative to fried chicken, onion rings, or fried fish and chips. If you're having a craving for something fried and want to be a bit more adventurous, you should try your hand at making some fried pickles. They make a delicious afternoon snack and are also perfect treats for a barbecue or daytime party. There are many ways to make fried pickles and no doubt, you'll develop your own after trying a few of these suggestions.

Ingredients

Simple Fried Pickles

3 cups wedged dill pickles
Salt and pepper
1 cup flour
1 cup of cornmeal
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Spicy Fried Pickles

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp. drained horseradish
2 tsp. ketchup
2 cups sliced dill pickles
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. salt

Sweet and Spicy Fried Pickles

Vegetable oil for frying
1 cup self-rising cornmeal mix
1/4 cup flour
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 lightly-beaten egg
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp. hot sauce
2 cups well-drained bread and butter pickle slices

Beer-Battered Fried Pickles

2 16 oz. of drained dill pickle sandwich slices
1 large egg
1 12 oz. can beer
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Vegetable oil
1/4 cup flour

Dry Batter Breading Fried Pickles

(Amounts depend on how many pickles and seasonings are all to taste)

Pickles
Flour
Cornmeal
Garlic powder or granulated garlic
Onion powder
Cayenne pepper
Paprika
Black pepper

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Simple Fried Pickles

1
Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan until it reaches 375°F (190°C). Fill the saucepan with about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of vegetable oil. Test the temperature using a deep-fry thermometer. Alternatively, you can add a pinch of flour to the oil to see if it immediately browns and bubbles. If it does, then the oil is ready.
2
Make the batter. Combine 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of cornmeal, and 3 lightly-beaten eggs in a large bowl. Mix the ingredients together until you've created a thick, even batter for the pickles.

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3
Sprinkle the pickle slices with salt and pepper to taste.
4
Dip each pickle slice into the batter. Use tongs or a fork to lower each pickle into the batter and move it around until it's completely covered in it. Hold it above the batter for a second or two so that the excess batter drips off the pickle.
5
Fry the pickle slices in batches. Once you've covered a sauce pan's worth of pickles in the batter, it's time to start frying them. Lower the pickles into the hot oil using a mesh basket or a set of tongs. Fry them until they are crispy and golden brown, which should take about three minutes, depending on the size of the saucepan. The pickles are done when they float easily on the surface of the oil. Once one batch of pickles is fried, move on to the next.
- Avoid crowding the pan or you'll bring down the temperature of the oil. The pickles will be soggy instead of crispy.
6
Remove the pickles from the oil with a set of tongs. Place them on plates covered in paper towels to absorb excess oil.
7
Serve. Serve the fried pickles immediately with a small bowl of ranch dressing for dipping.

Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Spicy Fried Pickles

1
Make the sauce. To make the sauce, just mix 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml). drained horseradish, 2 tsp. ketchup, and 1/4 tsp. Cajun seasoning together in a medium-sized bowl. Stir the ingredients until you've created a rich and creamy mixture.
2
Heat the oil. Heat 1 inch (2.5 cm) of vegetable oil until the oil and place the pickles in the oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375°F (190°C).
3
Make the batter. To make the batter, whisk together 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 3/4 tsp. Cajun seasoning, 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 cup water until you've mixed the ingredients together well.
4
Place the pickles on paper towels and pat them dry. They should be dry before you fry them for best results.
5
Add half the pickles to the batter. Toss them to really coat them in the batter.
6
Add the pickles to the oil. To do this, take them out from the batter using a slotted spoon, one at a time, which will let the excess batter drip off. Add them to the oil one at a time.
7
Fry them until they're golden brown. This should take 1-2 minutes.
8
Remove them from the heat. Remove the pickles from the pan with the same slotted spoon and place them on paper towels to drain them.
9
Repeat the process with the rest of the pickles and batter.
10
Serve. Once the pickles are ready, serve them with the sauce you've made. You can also serve them with a few celery sticks.

Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Sweet and Spicy Fried Pickles

1
Pour vegetable oil into a large skillet and heat it to 375°F (190°C). The oil in the fryer should be about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick.^{[1]
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2
Make the cornmeal mixture. Combine 1 cup self-rising cornmeal mix, 1/4 cup flour, 1 tbsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper, and 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper together in a shallow bowl.
3
Make the milk mixture. Combine 1 lightly-beaten egg and 1/2 cup milk together in another bowl. Stir them together until the egg is blended with the milk.
4
Cover the pickles in both mixtures. Dip 2 cups well-drained bread and butter pickle slices in the milk mixture and then roll them in the cornmeal mixture.
5
Fry the pickles in batches for 3 minutes each. Place a batch of pickles on the frying pan and fry them for about 3 minutes each, until they're golden brown.
6
Remove the pickles from the heat and drain them on paper towels.
7
Serve. Serve these tasty fried pickles as soon as they're ready. You can add a ranch dip on the side or serve them with 2 tablespoon (29.6 ml). of hot sauce.

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Beer-Battered Fried Pickles

1
Drain two 16 oz. of dill pickle sandwich slices. To do this, simply pat the pickles dry with a paper towel.^{[2]
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2
Make the egg mixture. Whisk together 1 large egg, one 12 oz. can of beer, 1 tbsp. of baking powder, and 1 tsp. of salt.
3
Add 1/4 cups flour into the mixture. Whisk the ingredients together until the mixture is smooth.
4
Pour vegetable oil 1/2 inches deep into a large skillet.
5
Heat the mixture over medium-high heat. Heat it until the oil reaches about 375°F (190°C).
6
Dip the pickles into the batter. Let the excess batter drip off the pickles.
7
Fry the pickles until they're golden brown. This should take about 3-4 minutes.
8
Serve. Serve the pickles with spicy ranch dressing.

Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Dry Batter Breading Fried Pickles

1
Remove the pickles from the jar. Choose as many as you wish to fry. Use tongs to pluck them out.
2
Make a breading mixture from flour and cornmeal. Add spices to taste.
3
Pour all of the mixture into a quart or gallon bag.
4
Toss the wet pickles into the bag. Gently shake the bag. The process will evenly coat the pickles.
5
Fry the coated pickles at 355ºF. Fry for no longer than 2 minutes.
6
Serve hot. These are bound to be a great crowd pleaser.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I know when the oil is hot enough?

Community Answer

Take a drop of batter and drop it into the oil, if it starts to bubble, it's hot enough.

Warnings

Avoid dropping the pickles into hot oil with your fingers. The cold temperature of the pickles will make the hot oil pop, which could give you a nasty burn.

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