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Fried pickles have always been one of my favorite savory snacks. Chip-sized dill pickles, battered and deep-fried into golden tangy and savory bites. I can’t think of a better appetizer to accompany a crisp beer on game day…except maybe honey buffalo wings.
My homemade fried pickles are made with a simple homemade beer batter (just like my beer-battered fish). The combination of pickles and beer batter is a delicious way to infuse additional flavor and texture into a classic deep-fried pickle.
The result is a light crispy tempura-style batter coating with a tangy pickle that melts in your mouth. While the choice of beer is up to you, I’d recommend a blonde ale, lager, pale ale, or IPA. Although the beer flavor is subtle, it’s so much better than using water.
Looking for more delicious gameday appetizers? Try my Philly cheesesteak sliders, buffalo chicken dip, or my air fryer garlic and parmesan chicken wings!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Dill chip pickles: make sure you get dill pickles, not sweet pickles. If you don’t want to use beer, you can substitute it with 1 cup of water. You can make this recipe with pickle spears as well.
- Beer: IPA, lager, pale ale, or ale of your choice (citrusy, fruity, hoppy IPAs are best)
- All-purpose flour. If you enjoy cooking with beer, take a look at my other beer recipes!
- Vegetable or canola oil: 2 inches of oil in a saucepan for frying
- Garlic powder: adds flavor but is optional.
- Paprika: adds flavor, color, and a touch of smoke.
- Salt and pepper: salt helps to bring out the flavor of the batter.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities below.
How to Make Fried Pickles
I prefer to make pickles in a 2-4 qt saucepan and work in batches. This will significantly cut down on the volume of oil needed. If you have plenty of oil, feel free to cook in a larger saucepan or even a wok.
Step 1.
Add 1 cup flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper to a medium-sized bowl. Add beer and whisk until smooth. Let sit for 10 minutes while prepping the pickles. The foam should subside and the batter should be slightly thinner than pancake batter.
Step 2.
Place 1/4 cup of flour in a small bowl. Drain pickles and dry them as best as possible using paper towels. Wet pickles render soggy fried pickles.
Step 3.
Meanwhile, in a medium-sized saucepan, bring roughly 2 inches of oil to 375°F. If you don’t have a candy thermometer or digital thermometer, heat over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until the oil is hot. You can test a single pickle to see how it cooks. It should fry in about 30-45 seconds. Once oil is up to temp, turn the heat down to low to maintain a consistent temperature.
Step 4.
Dredge pickles in flour until lightly coated, and then submerge in the beer batter. Let excess drip off and then immediately transfer to the hot oil.
Step 5.
Fry pickles for 30-45 seconds or until golden.
Step 6.
Remove with a fork, slotted spoon, or metal spider strainer and place pickles on a paper-towel-lined plate to drain for 2-3 minutes before serving. Season all over with salt and serve with dipping sauces.
Expert Tips
- Use a digital thermometer to heat the oil to around 375°F. Once the oil is up to temp, turn the heat down to low to maintain the heat without continuing to heat up the oil. This prevents burning.
- Always dry the pickles out as best you can before dredging. This helps render a crispy exterior.
- If you don’t have a thermometer, test the oil with a single pickle to see if the oil is hot enough. The batter should sizzle and bubble rapidly and turn a light golden color in about 30 seconds. Remember, pickles will continue to brown after they’re removed from the oil.
- A large slotted spoon or Chinese spider strainer works well for removing pickles from the hot oil. Plastic cooking utensils can melt in hot oil so I strongly discourage using them.
Fried Pickle Dipping Sauce
I recommend ranch dressing, homemade spicy ranch dressing, or chipotle mayonnaise for dipping sauces. Anything in that realm of flavors is going to offer the perfect complement to fried pickles. A little sriracha added to ranch dressing is a simple way to add a touch of spice and smoke.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend any beer outside of dark stouts or sour beers. Lagers, pale ales, and IPAs of any style are my favorite.
Dredging the pickles in flour prior to adding them to the batter will help the coating stick. The flour will help soak up excess moisture and help the batter adhere.
As long as you aren’t using sweet pickles any shape of pickle can be used. Pickle spears work well too!
These pickles are not spicy. The paprika adds color and subtle flavor. You can make this without any spices if you prefer. Always season with salt to make the flavor pop.
More Appetizers and Snacks
Enjoy this recipe? If you made this recipe, please leave a ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ star rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments!
Fried Pickles Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounce jar of dill chip pickles**
- 1 1/2 cups IPA, pale ale, lager, or ale of your choice (citrusy, fruity, hoppy IPAs are best)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus 1/4 cup for dredging
- 32 ounces of vegetable or canola oil, 2 inches of oil in a saucepan for frying
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
Dipping Sauce Ideas
- Ranch dressing
- Ranch + sriracha, to taste
- chipotle mayonnaise
- garlic aioli
Instructions
- Add 1 cup flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper to a medium-sized bowl. Add beer and whisk until smooth. Let sit for 10 minutes while prepping the pickles. The foam should subside and the batter should be slightly thinner than pancake batter.
- Place 1/4 cup of flour in a small bowl. Drain pickles and dry them as best as possible using paper towels. Wet pickles render soggy fried pickles.
- Meanwhile, in a medium-sized saucepan, bring roughly 2 inches of oil to 375°F. If you don’t have a candy thermometer or digital thermometer, heat over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until the oil is hot. You can test a single pickle to see how it cooks. It should fry in about 30-45 seconds. Once oil is up to temp, turn the heat down to low to maintain a consistent temperature.
- Dredge pickles in flour until lightly coated, and then submerge in the beer batter. Let excess drip off and then immediately transfer to the hot oil. Fry pickles for 30-45 seconds or until golden.
- Remove with a fork, slotted spoon, or metal spider strainer and place pickles on a paper-towel-lined plate to drain for 2-3 minutes before serving. Season all over with salt and serve with dipping sauces.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just made your deepfried pickles with Claussen halves sliced to 1/4″, dredged in flour, then into your simple, light batter. No added salt was necessary, because – pickles.
Totally the best I’ve ever had. Thx.
Hi there. Love your stuff. So simple, yet so elegant.
My grocery store (what most of the rest of the world calls a supermarket) has barrel pickles both excellent and cheap. So I thought I would pick up a few (they’re rather large) and mandolin slice them to fry, They could also be completely dried before slicing. I’m not sure how thick they should be, though. Any recommendations?
We’re trying to at least pretend like things are kind of normal around here, so I’m trying to make things special when I can. Thanks.
Thank you! I would personally do about a 1/4 inch thick although it doesn’t really matter since we’re only flash cooking the batter. I’ve seen fried pickle spears which are a solid half-inch thick. Good luck!