This crispy and delicious deep-fried pickle recipe, inspired by Alton Brown, is the ultimate snack or side! Hot, crunchy, and tangy, these golden bites come together in minutes with just a few simple ingredients. Serve them with your favorite dip for an irresistible treat—perfect for game nights, parties, or a quick craving fix!
Recipe Ingredients:
- Peanut oil
- 1 quart dill pickles
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups plain cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more, if desired
How To Make Deep-Fried Pickles?
- Heat the oil: Fill a 5-quart (4.7L) Dutch oven halfway with peanut oil and heat over medium-high until it reaches 200°C / 390–400°F.
- Prep the pickles: Remove the pickles from their brine and slice them lengthwise into quarters to make spears. Lay them on a tray lined with paper towels and pat them dry to remove excess moisture.
- Coat the pickles: Pour the buttermilk into a shallow dish. In a separate dish, mix the cornmeal and salt. Dip each pickle spear into the buttermilk, then into the cornmeal, and repeat for a double coating.
- Fry to perfection: Carefully place 3–4 pickles at a time into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Adjust the heat if needed to keep the oil temperature steady.
- Cool & season: Transfer the fried pickles to a cooling rack set over a tray and let them rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with extra salt if desired, then serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce!
Recipe Tips:
- Use the right oil temperature : Keep the oil at 200°C / 390–400°F. If it’s too cool, the pickles will be greasy; too hot, and they’ll burn before crisping up.
- Pat the pickles dry : Removing excess moisture helps the coating stick better and prevents oil splatters while frying.
- Double-coat for extra crunch : Dipping the pickles in buttermilk and cornmeal twice creates a crispier, thicker coating.
- Fry in small batches : Adding too many pickles at once lowers the oil temperature, making them soggy instead of crispy.
- Let them rest before eating : Allow fried pickles to cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack to keep them crispy and prevent burning your mouth!
How To Store Leftovers?
- Let the leftover deep-fried pickles cool to room temperature. Store them in an airtight container lined with paper towels to absorb excess moisture. Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 91
- Total Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 172 mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 9 g
- Dietary Fiber: 1 g
- Sugars: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
Check out More Recipes:
Alton Brown Deep-Fried Pickles
Description
This crispy and delicious deep-fried pickle recipe, inspired by Alton Brown, is the ultimate snack or side! Hot, crunchy, and tangy, these golden bites come together in minutes with just a few simple ingredients. Serve them with your favorite dip for an irresistible treat—perfect for game nights, parties, or a quick craving fix!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat the oil: Fill a 5-quart (4.7L) Dutch oven halfway with peanut oil and heat over medium-high until it reaches 200°C / 390–400°F.
- Prep the pickles: Remove the pickles from their brine and slice them lengthwise into quarters to make spears. Lay them on a tray lined with paper towels and pat them dry to remove excess moisture.
- Coat the pickles: Pour the buttermilk into a shallow dish. In a separate dish, mix the cornmeal and salt. Dip each pickle spear into the buttermilk, then into the cornmeal, and repeat for a double coating.
- Fry to perfection: Carefully place 3–4 pickles at a time into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Adjust the heat if needed to keep the oil temperature steady.
- Cool & season: Transfer the fried pickles to a cooling rack set over a tray and let them rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with extra salt if desired, then serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce!
Notes
- Use the right oil temperature : Keep the oil at 200°C / 390–400°F. If it’s too cool, the pickles will be greasy; too hot, and they’ll burn before crisping up.
- Pat the pickles dry : Removing excess moisture helps the coating stick better and prevents oil splatters while frying.
- Double-coat for extra crunch : Dipping the pickles in buttermilk and cornmeal twice creates a crispier, thicker coating.
- Fry in small batches : Adding too many pickles at once lowers the oil temperature, making them soggy instead of crispy.
- Let them rest before eating : Allow fried pickles to cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack to keep them crispy and prevent burning your mouth!
Alton Brown Deep-Fried Pickles
