Description
Learn how to make perfectly crispy, golden fried pickles at home. This recipe includes instructions for classic deep-fried Southern Fried Pickles and a lighter Air Fryer Fried Pickles version. Serve these tangy pickle chips with a zesty dipping sauce for the best game day appetizer.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 jar (16 ounces) dill pickle chips or slices, drained well
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (for extra crispiness)
- Vegetable oil, for deep frying (or cooking spray for air fryer)
- For Dipping Sauce: 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon hot sauce, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Prepare the pickles: Lay the drained pickle slices on several layers of paper towels and pat them completely dry. This step is key for crispy fried pickles.
- Set up the dredging stations: In one shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper. In a second bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. In a third bowl, place the panko breadcrumbs.
- Coat the pickles: Dredge each dry pickle slice first in the flour mixture, shaking off excess. Dip it into the egg mixture, letting excess drip off. Finally, press firmly into the panko breadcrumbs to coat completely. Place coated pickles on a clean baking sheet.
- Prepare the dipping sauce: Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, hot sauce, lemon juice, and onion powder in a small bowl. Chill until serving.
- For Deep Frying: Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer to 375°F (190°C). Carefully add pickles in small batches, ensuring not to overcrowd the pot. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack lined with paper towels.
- For Air Frying: Preheat your air fryer to 390°F (199°C). Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Arrange the coated pickles in a single layer (work in batches). Lightly spray the tops of the pickles with cooking spray. Air fry for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crunchy.
- Serve immediately with the chilled dipping sauce.
Notes
- For a Texas Roadhouse Copycat flavor, increase the paprika slightly and ensure your dill pickles are very crisp before breading.
- To achieve maximum crunch, make sure your breading stations are set up correctly and press the panko firmly onto the pickles.
- If you are making a large batch, keep the finished deep-fried pickles warm on a wire rack set over a baking sheet in a low oven (200°F or 93°C).
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Deep Frying / Air Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 850
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Unsaturated Fat: 18
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 8
- Cholesterol: 75