Fried Pickles

This deep Fried Pickles recipe is a fun way to eat fair food at home! Serve the crispy fried pickles on a stick as an appetizer with dipping sauce.

Fried pickles are one of my favorite appetizers to order so I decided to try making them at home. The method I used saves time on frying and makes it a snap to prepare. Just add several pickles to a stick, coat them with seasoning, and drop them in the fryer!

Deep Frying Food

Before we get started I wanted to talk briefly about deep frying food. There are a couple of options when it comes to deep frying food at home. You can use a large heavy bottomed pot on the stovetop with a thermometer or use a deep fryer.

We opted to purchase a deep fryer to use when deep frying food. It can hold up to 12 cups of oil and 8 cups of food. You can find our exact deep fryer here. These are a few of the advantages of using a deep fryer:

• Temperature: The deep fryer heats the oil and maintains the temperature. You choose the temperature you would like the oil to be and a green light comes on when it is ready.
• Thermometer: The thermometer is built into the deep fryer. There is no need for an external one unless you want to double check the temperature.
• Wire Basket: There is a wire frying basket for lowering and raising food in the fryer.
• Cover: There is a vented, removable cover with a view window.

Our deep fryer does limit the size and the shape of the items we are frying. It also has a max temperature of 375˚ and we had to purchase it rather than use what we already had on hand.

Always keep in mind that you need to be cautious when frying food. Keep the oil at a steady temperature and always stay close by.

Combine the flour, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt. You can either do this in the wide, shallow bowl or transfer the flour mixture to a loaf pan for easy dipping.

What else could I add to the batter?

I love that you can add spices and seasonings to the fried pickle batter to make various flavors. Try adding 1/4 to 1 teaspoon of any of the following:

• garlic powder
• onion powder
• chili powder
• cajun seasoning
• paprika

Put the milk, eggs, and hot sauce in a bowl and whisk to combine. You can either do this in a wide shallow bowl or transfer the beaten egg mixture to a loaf pan for easy dipping.

How can I give my fried pickles more kick?

You can make your fried pickles more flavorful by starting with a flavorful pickle. If you can’t buy them already sliced, you can slice them at home.

More spices and seasonings can be added to the flour mixture as I mentioned above. But you can also add more flavor to the egg mixture by stirring in some Worcestershire sauce, sriracha sauce, or even pickle juice.

Drain the pickle slices and dry them on paper towels.

Then, thread the pickles on skewers. I cut my skewers shorter so that they would fit into the deep fryer. And I only added six pickle slices to each skewer so that they would fit into the deep fryer.

Can I make these fried pickles without the stick?

Yes, you can make this fried pickle recipe without the sticks. Coat each individual pickle slice with the batter and add them to the hot oil one at a time.

The reason to make fried pickles on a stick is that it saves you a lot of time. You can coat and fry six pickles at once. Plus, they are perfect for serving!

First, coat the pickles in the flour mixture.

Second, dip the coated pickles in the egg mixture.

Third, coat the pickles on a stick in the flour mixture again.

Heat the oil in your deep fryer (or heavy pot) to 365˚F. Once the oil is hot carefully add the coated pickles.

Deep fry the pickles for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown, flipping them halfway through cooking.

Drain the fried pickles on a paper towel lined plate.

What should I serve with fried pickles?

Fried pickles are often served as an appetizer but they could also be a side dish. Serve them with a dipping sauce. Here are some popular choices:

• ranch dressing
• hot sauce
• honey mustard
• thousand island dressing

Can I use pickle spears instead of slices to make fried pickles?

Yes, you can use pickle spears or whole mini dill pickles instead of slices when making fried pickles. Drain them well and dry them with paper towels before coating them.

Would this recipe work to make other fried foods?

Yes, you could use substitute the pickles with anything else you want to try frying. Check the information at the top of the post for suggestions about adding ingredients to the coating depending on what you are frying.

• sliced zucchini
• jalapeno slices
• fresh green beans
• sliced mushrooms
• onion slices
• ravioli
• tortellini

Want more fair food recipes? Try these next:

Make this easy Funnel Cake Recipe and surprise your family with fair food at home! Just add your favorite toppings to these sweet, crispy funnel cakes.

This Fried Cheese Curds recipe was so easy to make. These deep fried white cheddar cheese curds are the BEST appetizer and the perfect comfort food!

Corn Fritters are tender little fried balls of dough with bits of sweet corn inside. Serve them warm with maple syrup and honey drizzled on top.