Best Fried Pickles Recipe - Top Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep batter from falling off fried pickles? ›

Thoroughly drying the pickles is essential to the batter sticking properly, so don't skip that step. Simply remove the pickle slices from the jar, and drain them on a paper towel. Then, use another paper towel to pat each side of the pickles dry before dropping them into the buttermilk mixture.

Tips for Crispy Fried Pickles

Always make sure the oil is hot enough to cook with, or else the pickles will simply absorb the oil and they won't be crunchy. Reheat leftover deep-fried dill pickles in an air fryer or place them under the broiler until they get crispy again.

If you've ever had the misfortune of getting fried pickles with soggy breading bathed in grease, you know that making the dish can be a real pickle. Cornstarch can help you avoid a fried pickle faux pas by drawing some of the excess water content from your pickle spears or chips.

Dry the pickles well.

This is probably the most important step. Pickles live in liquid and they need to be very dry before frying if you want the breading to stick well.

Not patting the chicken

After you have covered the chicken with the breading, gently pat it down on all sides, so every layer sticks to each other properly. The patted-down chicken is less likely to lose its breading!

Alum, short for aluminum sulfate, is used in pickling to promote crisp texture and is approved, though not recommended, as a food additive by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

Using too weak a salt brine or vinegar solution may cause soft or slippery pickles, as can using moldy garlic or storing the pickles at too warm a temperature.

You can prep the dredge ingredients 1-2 days in advance. You can dredge the pickles up to 30 minutes before frying and place them in the fridge to help the dredge set. You can fry them and keep them warm in the oven for about 15 minutes, but not longer as they will lose their crispiness.

Air fry the pickles for three to four minutes, but always be attentive as the size and thickness of your pickles and varying air fryer models can alter the ideal reheating time. After this period, gently shake the basket or use a pair of tongs to flip the pickles and continue frying for a similar duration.

Storage: Fried pickles are best fresh and hot, but if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, place on a baking sheet in a single layer and reheat at 400 degrees until warmed through. You can also reheat in the air fryer at 360 degrees F for 2 minutes.

What is the main ingredient in pickle crisp? ›

Pickle crisp is a product put out by ball, but I'm sure other brands sell it as well. All it contains is calcium chloride, which is supposed to help maintain the firmness of pickles. You simply add a very small amount to each jar when you are packing them. Quick, easy, and just calcium chloride.

Bake at 350 for 8 to 12 minutes for desired crispness. Dip in ranch and enjoy.

Calcium chloride is mainly used in canning to make crunchy pickles. It can also be used in lacto-fermentation! Fermentation tends to soften vegetables, so using calcium chloride helps keep the vegetables crunchy.

It's all about pan prep

Your goal is to prevent your cake from sticking by creating a barrier between batter and pan (e.g., parchment, nonstick spray, or shortening and flour) prior to adding cake batter.

For batter, coat the fish in flour before coating and make sure your batter is thick enough. Usually it's the thickness (or lack thereof) that causes it to fall off during cooking.

Dip the pickles in seasoned flour and then dunk them in buttermilk. Once they are wet by the buttermilk dredge them heavily in seasoned flour again. I like to incorporate a little corn meal in the second flour mixture for texture. Once they have picked up a nice coating of flour toss them into the fryer.