3-Ingredient Crispy Homemade Southern Fried Pickles
You can make crispy, golden brown fried pickles at home with only 3 ingredients. No need for restaurants, bars, or deep fryer — you probably have everything you need right in your cupboards!
Deliciously crispy, golden brown fried pickles are one of my favorite appetizers to order out. That core of umami pickle flavor and the crunch of the deep fried seasonings on the outside might be one of my favorite combos ever. This recipe shows you how to recreate that deliciousness at home for a fraction of the cost.
These deep-fried pickles are made without the use of any special equipment, including a deep fryer. They only take about 20 minutes from start to finish, and are a fantastic appetizer or side dish to serve at parties!
What’s in 3-Ingredient Fried Pickles?
In spite of the fact that I’ve never seen these outside a restaurant, you only need 3 simple ingredients and about 20 minutes of time to create this delicious side/appetizer.
- Pickles: I use hamburger dill chips for this recipe. If you don’t like the ridges, you can slice whole dill pickles into 14″ slices. If you want to try another type of pickle, you can sub sweet pickles or bread and butter pickles for the dill pickles.
- Seasoned Flour: This is your secret ingredient. Made for frying chicken, seasoned flour contains a ton of flavor in a single box. If you can’t find seasoned flour at your grocery store, you can make seasoned flour mixture at home from all purpose flour and a variety of spices.
- Vegetable Oil: You will use this to fry your pickles. You can use any neutral cooking oil here, including canola oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, or corn oil. The exceptions are coconut and olive oil. They do not work in this recipe.
- For the variation: Buttermilk If you want to follow the instructions for the buttermilk variation, below, you’ll need 1/2 cup of buttermilk. You can either buy it from the store, or make it at home by adding 1/2 tbsp of lemon juice to 1/2 cup of milk.
How do I make Deep-Fried Pickles?
Step 1: Drain and Dry
Before you do anything, pour your neutral oil into a heavy-bottomed pot and begin heating over medium heat. The temperature of the oil does matter: your oil will need to reach 375° in order to properly fry the pickles.
Then, start by draining and drying your dill pickle slices. If you want crispy pickles, do NOT skip this important step! I dump my pickles into my colander to drain the excess pickle juice, then pat them dry with paper towels.
Step 2: Dredge
Next, place the seasoned flour in a shallow bowl or dish. Dredge your dry pickles in the flour, making sure they are coated on both sides. Shake off the excess flour and then put them in a single layer on a plate to await frying!
Step 3: Fry
Once your oil hits the correct temperature, you can drop your coated pickles into the hot oil. Working in small batches, allow the pickles to fry for 2-3 minutes. They will look brown and crispy when they’re done.
Fish them out with a slotted spoon and put the pickles on paper towel-lined plate to catch the excess oil.
Serve these pickles warm with your favorite dipping sauce (I llke ranch dressing with a dash of hot sauce). They’re sort of wilt after a few hours, so this is a delicious appetizer best served fresh!
Other Delicious Sides and Appetizers
Variation: Buttermilk Fried Pickles
If you’d like to have a battered version of this recipe, simply add one step in during the dredging phase:
In a second shallow bowl or dish, pour 1/2 cup buttermilk. When you dredge the pickles, first coat them with the seasoned flour, then dredge them through the buttermilk. Finally, give them a second coat of seasoned flour before dropping them in the oil to fry. This will create a texture similar to the outside of fried chicken on your pickles, and the tang the buttermilk adds is delicious!
FAQs
While hamburger dill pickle slices are commonly used for fried pickles, you can experiment with other types of pickles as well. Some people enjoy using pickle spears or even pickle chips. Just ensure that the pickles are well-drained before coating them with flour.
For best results, aim for pickle slices that are about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. This thickness allows the pickles to retain their crunchiness while ensuring that the coating cooks evenly.
Yes, you can use other types of oil with high smoke points, such as peanut oil or canola oil. These oils work well for frying at high temperatures and will give your fried pickles a crispy texture.
Fry the pickles in batches for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until they are golden brown and crispy. Be careful not to overcrowd the frying basket or pan, as this can lower the oil temperature and result in soggy pickles.
This recipe is specifically made for pickles fried in oil. If you’d like to make oven-friedn pickles, check out this recipe. For the air fryer, this one is great!
Ingredients
- 1 cup seasoned flour
- 16 oz jar of dill pickle slices
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Pour vegetable oil into heavy-bottomed pot. You will need at least 2 inches of oil in the bottom of the pot. Heat oil on medium-high until it reaches 375°.
- Drain pickles in colander. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Dump flour into shallow dish or bowl. Dredge pickles in flour, then set to side.
- When oil reaches 375°, fry dredged pickles in small batches, about 2-3 minutes per batch.
- When pickles are fried, scoop them from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to dry.
A great tangy and crispy snack, especially when entertaining!
These fried pickles are a winner! Tried this recipe and they were deliciously crispy. Thanks for sharing!