Fried Pickles with Tangy Dipping Sauce

Fried pickles

To celebrate Frybruary, we need a classic bar food… Fried pickles. And on the side, a tangy dipping sauce! Of course, I’m going to make these in a small batch, because if I made a larger serving, I’d eat them all without shame. If you want to make more, double or even triple the recipe.

Also, this recipe calls for a shallow fry. When shallow frying, you use a wide pan like a cast iron frying pan, fill it with less than an inch of oil, and turn the food you’re frying to cook on each side. When shallow frying, watch for the central hot spot where the pan sits on the burner. The center will be much hotter than the sides of the pan, despite cast iron’s ability to distribute heat.

The better the pickles you start with, the better your fried pickles will be. I used a storebought pickle this time in my video, but if you have access to homemade at your local farmers market, use those.

You have the option of soaking the pickles in seasoned buttermilk before dredging if you want, but I’m going to be lazy and cut that step out of my recipe. My dipping sauce contains mayo and sour cream, so I don’t see the need for adding buttermilk.

Speaking of my dipping sauce, the recipe below contains the amount of ingredients that I use. If you want it spicier, add more hot sauce or a dash of cayenne pepper. If you hate garlic, omit it (also, if you hate garlic, we can’t be friends). You don’t have to follow my recipe exactly, but I did work hard to ensure a balance of flavors when I developed it.

So now that we’ve gone over notes, let’s dive into the recipe!

Ingredients:

Dipping sauce-
¼ c. mayonnaise
¼ c. sour cream
1 tbsp. pickle juice
1 tbsp. hot sauce
1 tsp. minced garlic
½ tsp. bay seasoning
¼ tsp. dry dill (or ½ tsp. fresh dill)
Salt
Pepper

Fried pickles-
Dill pickle chips
½ c. gluten-free cornmeal
¼ c. gluten-free 1-to-1 flour blend (with xanthan gum)
Salt
Pepper
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. celery salt
½ tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl, combine all dipping sauce ingredients. Mix well. Remove to small serving bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to chill.
Pour oil into large cast iron pan and set burner on medium heat (5/10) to preheat the oil and pan.
Remove desired amount of pickles from jar and place in strainer in the sink. Allow excess brine to strain off while preparing the dredge.
To prepare the dredge, mix cornmeal and flour with spices.
When dredge is ready, use wet-hand, dry-hand method to coat pickles in dredge and set aside.
Once all pickles are coated, move to the frying station at the stove. Increase heat of pan to 6/10. Drop pickles in batches, spreading the chips evenly through the oil to prevent sticking. Cook on each side 2-3 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown. If pickles cook too quickly, reduce heat.
Remove pickles with slotted spoon or spider and place on a cooling rack or plate lined with paper towels.
Serve warm pickles with dipping sauce and a delicious beverage. Pairs well with Jameson or a gluten-free beer.

So that’s how you make gluten-free fried pickles! I used a 1-to-1 flour blend with xanthan because I omitted the buttermilk. The xanthan gum helped bind my dredge to my naked pickles since I didn’t have the viscosity that buttermilk would have lent. If you aren’t a fan of xanthan, you may want to add a quick dip in buttermilk before dredging your pickles.

I hope you enjoy making this classic bar recipe at home! Fried pickles are a delicious treat to enjoy with company for movie or game night. Please leave your thoughts in a comment below, or get in touch with me directly by filling out the form on the contact page.

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Fried Pickles with Tangy Dipping Sauce

Jamie

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