If you’ve never nibbled your way through a plate of hot, extra crispy fried pickles alongside a sassy dipping sauce, you need to stop what you’re doing right now and make this recipe! Fried pickles are a Southern favorite for appetizers and snacks because they combine so many favorite noshing flavors in one bite: salty, sour, and fried.
This recipe, inspired by My Latina Table, is sure to become a favorite from the moment you bite into a tender slice of crispy-battered dill pickle deliciously dunked into a creamy Cajun-kissed dipping sauce.
We love quick-to-the-table dipping sauces that don’t come out of a jar. Our homemade Cajun dipping sauce is a simple creamy combination of mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, Cajun seasoning and minced red onion.
Why is this crispy fried pickles recipe the best, you ask? Because it’s fast and nearly foolproof. You can have these abundantly flavorful and extra-crispy snacks on your table in minutes. Just batter them up and cook until perfectly fried.
ALSO TRY: Jalapeno popper dip
Get your pickles and sauce to the table! It’s time to eat.
Warning: These extra crispy fried pickles are shamelessly addictive. Make a big batch, because they will go fast, and are hard to share.
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Mix ingredients together for Cajun dipping sauce
For the Cajun sauce, just whisk the ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate until you’re ready to go dip-crazy with your crispy fried pickles.
Slice pickles for some of the best extra crispy fried pickles
Slice evenly so that pickles cook at the same rate in the oil.
Pat pickle slices dry with paper towel
Getting the pickles dry will help the batter to adhere better.
Whisk flour, paprika, baking powder and salt together
The best fried pickles start with a well-seasoned batter that successfully sticks to the pickles as they sizzle to crispy perfection in the hot oil. Make sure your seasonings are fresh for the most flavor.
Coat pickle slices in flour mixture
Battering is a three-step process: First, coat your pickle slices with a dusting of seasoned flour. (Make sure your pickles are patted dry before you begin.)
Place coated pickle slices on baking sheet
Keep separated so that pickles remain thoroughly coated in flour mixture.
Add milk and egg to remaining flour mixture to create batter
Whisk together thoroughly to remove any lumps.
Coat pickles slices in batter for the best extra crispy fried pickles with Cajun dipping sauce
Second, dredge the pickles into the wet batter, allowing extra batter to drip off.
Dip battered pickles into breadcrumbs
Third, coat the battered pickles in the breadcrumbs. The flour helps the wet batter stick, and the wet batter gives the breadcrumbs something to hold on to. Your pickles are now fit to be fried!
Return coated pickles to baking sheet
Again, keep separated so as not to remove any of the batter.
Fry pickle slices in preheated oil until golden brown
Use a deep pot and pour in about three inches of oil. Bring the oil to 350F; this is the ideal temperature for frying. Gently lower battered pickles into the hot oil. Fry just until the batter crisps up and becomes a golden brown.
Place the best extra crispy fried pickles with Cajun dipping sauce on paper towels
Use a heat-safe slotted spoon or a spider to transfer the fried pickles to a stack of paper towels to allow any excess fat to drain off. Sprinkle with a little salt while they are still hot to complete the seasoning.
Deliciously crisp and tangy!
How delicious do these fried pickles look!
Crunchy, salty and sour combine for an amazing flavor burst
The ultra-crunchy batter with the tangy pickle and creamy Cajun sauce is a match made in culinary heaven.
So delicious and easy to make!
If you weren’t craving these before, you will be now!
The best extra crispy fried pickles with Cajun dipping sauce
Yield 8-10 servings
Ingredients
Cajun dipping sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1/4 red onion, minced
Fried pickles
- 1 jar whole dill pickles
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- Salt, to taste
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 to 1 cup finely ground bread crumbs
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
Cajun dipping sauce
- In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, Cajun spice and red onion together.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Fried pickles
- Drain the pickles and slice 1/4 -inch thick.
- Pat pickles dry with paper towels and allow to air dry until ready to fry.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Coat each pickle in the flour mixture and set aside.
- Into the remaining flour mixture, add the milk, egg and a pinch of salt to make a batter. Mix until no lumps remain.
- Place breadcrumbs in a small bowl.
- Coat each pickle in the batter and shake away the excess.
- Dip each pickle in the breadcrumbs.
- In a deep pot, heat about three inches of vegetable oil to 350F.
- Fry the pickles in batches until brown and crispy.
- Remove fried pickles from the oil with a slotted heat-safe spoon or a spider and set them on paper towels to soak up excess oil.
- Serve fried pickles hot with the Cajun dipping sauce.
Courses Appetizer
