Aside from the flavor itself, the best part of a pickle is arguably the crunch. Whether they're deep fried or straight out of the jar, there's nothing more disappointing than a soggy pickle. That's why, when perfecting this homemade fried pickle recipe, it was important to make sure the pickles maintained their crunch. The key to making sure these pickles don't get sad and flimsy comes in the form of crispy fried onions. You know those little fried pieces of goodness you usually sprinkle over a green bean casserole? Well it turns out they're a game changer for fried pickles, too. I discovered this hack accidentally when I ran out of ingredients for a traditional fried pickle recipe, and I've been making them like this ever since.
Instead of using flour and panko, or flour and buttermilk, you'll coat your pickles in flour and crispy fried onions. These fried pickles take significantly less time to fry since they already start out crispy, not to mention the oniony bits add another layer of delicious flavor. They're easy to make in both an air fryer or on the stove, and the breading doesn't get mushy after sitting out for too long. Trust me, that's important because you'll definitely want to make a big batch of these. To learn how to make the crispiest fried pickles yet, read on for all the steps.
Extra Crispy Fried Pickles
Original Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 jar (16 oz.) dill pickle chips
1 egg, beaten
2 cups (6 oz. package) crispy fried onions
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions
- Pat the pickle slices dry with paper towels, or dry them out with a salad spinner.
- Measure out flour into a bowl or plate, and season with cayenne powder, paprika, and garlic powder. You won't need salt or onion powder since the crispy fried onions will be enough.
- In another bowl, lightly crush up the crispy fried onions to your desired texture.
- Dip each pickle in the flour, then the beaten egg, and finally in the onions, making sure it's fully coated.
- After battering all the pickles, heat a pot of vegetable oil to 375°F.
- Once the oil reaches 375°F, flash-fry the pickles - they won't need any longer than a minute in the oil because the onion layer is technically already fried. If you're worried about burning your pickles, an air fryer also works great. Just spray the pickles with cooking spray, then air-fry them at 375°F for 5-10 minutes.
- Let the fried pickles sit on a wire rack until they're cool and the excess oil has dripped off. Serve with some homemade ranch dressing and enjoy!
Information
- Category
- Appetizers
- Yield
- 30 fried pickles
- Prep Time
- 30 minutes
- Cook Time
- 10 minutes
- Total Time
- 39 minutes, 59 seconds