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Fried Pickles

A tasty restaurant classic, Fried Pickles are a fun and easy appetizer that you can make at home. With only a few simple ingredients, these can be made pretty quickly!

THE PERFECT FRIED APPETIZER

Fried Pickles are a family favorite. More specifically, my son’s favorite! They are the perfect appetizer for any party, gathering, football game or just because you are craving them. They are also super easy to make at home! Save yourself some time and money and try making them yourself. You absolutely have to make this Fried Pickle Recipe. You will not regret it!

Fried Pickles on white plate with ranch in bowl.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What does the cornmeal do to the batter?

We really like adding cornmeal to the batter as it gives the pickle coating an extra crunch that is amazing.

What kind of pickles should I use?

Traditionally fried pickles are made using dill pickle slices. You could use bread and butter pickles but they are much sweeter and don’t give quite the same punch.

Can I use other seasonings?

Absolutely, some other ones that you could substitute would include: Old Bay, bbq or lemon pepper.

What are these best to dip in?

Ranch dressing is traditional. The creamy dressing offsets the tang of the pickle. So, not matter what you prefer, creamy is the way to go!

How do I store leftovers?

These can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container where they will keep for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing these. To reheat. place into an air fryer for a minute or two until they are crisp again.

Pinterest image of overhead of plate filled with Fried Pickles with ranch dipping sauce in bowl.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • peanut oil for frying
  • hamburger dill chip pickles
  • all-purpose flour
  • yellow cornmeal
  • creole seasoning
  • water
  • pickle juice
  • ranch dressing, for dipping
Ingredients needed: peanut oil, hamburger dill chip pickles, all-purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, creole seasoning, water, pickle juice and ranch dressing.

HOW TO MAKE FRIED PICKLES:

Add oil to a deep fryer or a dutch oven with 3 inches of oil up the side of the pan. Heat the oil to 350°F. Place paper towels on a sheet tray. Place the pickles on the paper towels, not touching. Take more paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and press out as much of the liquid from the pickles as you can. They need to be dry.

Pickles drying on paper towel.

In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, and creole seasoning.

Dry ingredients mixed together in bowl.

Add the water and pickle juice, stir to combine until smooth.

Wet ingredients added to dry and mixed together in bowl.

Once the oil is up to temp, add handfuls of the dried pickles to the batter. Using a slotted spoon or your hands, separate the pickles making sure they are not sticking. Carefully drop them into the hot oil one at a time. If using a deep fryer, I like to shake the basket around to make sure they don’t stick to the bottom. Fry until crispy and lightly golden brown, about 4 minutes. Stir around every so often to make sure they are browning evenly.

Pickles added to batter in bowl.

Take the fried pickles out of oil and place them on a paper-towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil. 

Pickles draining on paper towel lined plate.

Immediately place the pickles onto a wire rack over a sheet tray to catch any drips. Repeat with the remaining pickles. Serve with ranch for dipping.

Pickles on wire rack.
Hand holding up one of the Fried Pickles dipped in ranch.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Close up overhead photo of Fried Pickles on white plate with ranch.

Fried Pickles

A tasty restaurant classic, Fried Pickles are a fun and easy appetizer that you can make at home. With only a few simple ingredients, these can be made pretty quickly!
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 4 minutes
Total Time: 24 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • peanut oil, for frying
  • 2 cups hamburger dill chip pickles, drained
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
  • ¾ teaspoon creole seasoning
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon reserved pickle juice
  • ranch dressing, for dipping

Instructions

  • Add oil to a deep fryer or a dutch oven with 3 inches of oil up the side of the pan. Heat the oil to 350°F.
  • Place paper towels on a sheet tray. Place the pickles on the paper towels, not touching. Take more paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and press out as much of the liquid from the pickles as you can. They need to be dry.
  • In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, and creole seasoning.
  • Add the water and pickle juice, stir to combine until smooth.
  • Once the oil is up to temp, add handfuls of the dried pickles to the batter. Using a slotted spoon or your hands, separate the pickles making sure they are not sticking.
  • Carefully drop them into the hot oil one at a time. If using a deep fryer, I like to shake the basket around to make sure they don’t stick to the bottom.
  • Fry until crispy and lightly golden brown, about 4 minutes. Stir around every so often to make sure they are browning evenly.
  • Take the fried pickles out of oil and place them on a paper-towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil.
  • Immediately place the pickles onto a wire rack over a sheet tray to catch any drips.
  • Repeat with the remaining pickles. Serve with ranch dressing.

Notes

  • Other seasonings can be used, see above for some suggestions.
  • Freezing is not recommended after they have been cooked. However, you could flash freeze the pickles before they are fried then store them in the freezer in bags.
  • Other dippings sauces can be used, see above for others we love!
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 87kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 635mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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