“Fried” Dill Pickles – only without the frying

I’m going to let you all in on a secret – I’ve got a serious pickle problem. That’s not really a big secret if you’ve actually met me, but it will explain the plethora of pickle jars that exist in my house. And my annual search for the best homemade pickle recipe for canning. I’ve got refrigerator pickles down, but canned ones… But I digress.

Last night, I saw a pic on Instagram of someone eating fried pickles (I can’t find it in my feed anymore, or I’d post it!) and I got a serious hankering for some of the crispy, warm goodness. So I got out a recipe I’d made a while ago and decided to use up the pickles in the fridge.

Its a pretty easy recipe. I recommend two large resealable bags for the flour and breading, because its a lot easier than using your fingers and a bowl.

You can use up pickles for this, or buy a special jar. That’s entirely up to you. I used half a jar of kosher hamburger dill slices and then sliced up the four remaining kosher baby dills from the jar. Only about two actually made it to the batter. Someone ate them. No idea who that could be.

First, drain your pickles in a colander, and then let them sit there while you prep everything else. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees, and line a baking tray with foil. Put a baking rack on top of it. The foil is really just there for easy clean up.

In one of the baggies, you’ll need about one cup of rice flour. You can use regular all purpose, but I happen to think that rice flour just makes it a little crispier, and it sticks better. BUT, if you’re making this on the fly, or you’ll never use rice flour again, don’t make a special trip, okay? (Though I also dredge chicken fingers in it when making Cap’n Crunch Chicken for the same reason, among other things.)

Add pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to the flour. You can add salt, but I don’t. You’re going to put season salt in the breadcrumbs, and you’re breading pickles, and they’re salty already. If you do decide to add some, just add a big pinch. Reseal the bag, toss it around a little, and then its good to go.

In the other bag, pour your bread crumbs, season salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper in, and mix that up.  it may sound redundant to add the same seasonings, but it makes a difference, I promise!

In your bowl, you want to beat one egg with a couple tablespoons of water.

Now that everything is prepped, you’re ready to get to it!

Pour your pickle slices on a large dish towel and pat them dry. They don’t need to be perfect – just not soaking wet anymore.

Now, dump them into your bag of flour it. Seal it (don’t forget this step. Trust me.) and toss them around a bit. I scoop them out with a hand and shake off the excess, or you can use a slotted spoon or a spider. Put them in the egg mixture, and then into the breading. Toss again to coat, and use the slotted spoon (or your hand) to put them in a single layer on the baking rack you’ve prepped.

Now, we are baking these, not frying. If you want more “golden brown” on the breading, then lightly spritz the pickles with oil or baking spray.

Put in the oven, and bake at 450 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. You may need a little longer, depending on how dark you want it.

Serve them with a little bit of ranch and enjoy! Trust me, make a little more than you think you should. These disappear faster than you think they will.

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"Fried" Dill Pickles - only without the frying

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

Course: Appetizer

Servings: 2 people

Author: cookwcharacter

Ingredients

• 2 cups rice flour
• 2 1/2 cups bread crumbs, unseasoned
• 2 tsp garlic powder, divided
• 2 tsp onion powder, divided
• 2 tsp season salt
• 2 tsp ground black pepper, divided
• 1 jar sliced dill pickles
• 2 tbsp water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a baking rack in the pan.
2. Drain your dill pickles and spread on a paper towel or dish cloth. Pat dry.
3. In a gallon size resealable bag, combine 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp pepper, and the rice flour, mixing well.
4. Do the same with the remaining spices in another gallon bag with the bread crumbs.
5. In a shallow dish, beat the egg with 2 tbsp of water.
6. Pour the pickles into the flour and toss to coat. Using your hand or a slotted spoon, transfer the pickle slices to the egg mixture and then into the bread crumbs. Toss again.
7. Remove with hands or slotted spoon and spread onto a baking rack on a baking sheet. Cook for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. If you want to get a more even golden brown color, spritz the slices with cooking spray or oil.
8. Serve with ranch dressing and enjoy.