Fried Pickles

Fried Pickles with garlic powder and Italian seasoning are crisp and satisfying. These bite-sized pickles are battered and then fried for an easy-to-grab appetizer ready for holidays or the big game.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 172kcal

Author John Kanell

Equipment

Large Pot
Paper towels
Slotted spoons

Ingredients

Vegetable oil for frying
½ cup all-purpose flour (60g)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup water (120mL)
1 (16-ounce/473mL) jar dill pickle slices drained and patted dry (see Notes)

Instructions

In a large pot, heat 2 inches of oil to 375°F. Line a large plate with paper towels.
While the oil is warming, in a medium bowl, stir together the flour, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the water until smooth.
Working in batches, place several pickles in the batter and coat. Remove with a slotted spoon, shake off excess batter, and place in the hot oil. Fry until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a clean slotted spoon or spider strainer and drain on the paper towels. Serve hot with ranch dressing.

Notes

Drain and pat the pickles dry. Drain the brine off the pickle slices and place the well-drained pickles in a single layer on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Place more paper towels on top of the pickles and press down to absorb the juice. You want the pickles to be very dry so the coating adheres to them and remains crisp after frying.
Use a slotted spoon or two forks to transfer the pickles from the batter to the oil. Working in batches, place several pickles in the batter to coat. Remove them using a slotted spoon or two forks, shaking off the excess batter, and transfer them immediately to the hot oil to fry.
Maintain a consistent oil temperature by adjusting the heat. Adjust the heat as needed to keep the oil around 375°F. You may have to wait a minute or so between batches for the oil to come back up to temperature.
Adjust the water for a thinner batter. This is a thicker batter, so you get more of the flavored coating on each pickle. Increase the water to ⅔ cup if you prefer a thinner batter. The frying time will be the same, but the pickles will have less coating.
Coat and fry in batches. Coat only as many pickles as you are able to fry at one time. Once that batch has cooked to a golden brown color and been removed from the oil, start coating the next batch in the batter.
Alternate cooking option. If you have a stand-alone deep fryer, you can use it to make this recipe. Set the oil to 375 degrees F and wait for it to reach the frying temperature. Fry the pickles in batches and then transfer them to the prepared paper-towel-lined plate to cool.
Seasoning variations. Vary the seasonings used to your liking. Try using Cayenne pepper, chili powder, onion powder, sage, or rosemary. Or use 1 tablespoon of ranch dressing seasoning in place of the garlic and Italian seasoning.
Use extra batter to fry okra, onions, or other pickled vegetables. If you have a smaller jar of pickles, you can use the extra fried pickles batter to coat and fry sliced okra or onions. Or, try this recipe with other varieties of pickled vegetables, such as green beans, bell peppers, or squash.

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