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Vegan fried pickles take a quick dip in a simple, flavorful, three-ingredient batter before frying up crisp and golden-brown in a mere 90 seconds. They make a great appetizer or snack for game day or any day.
Why we love this recipe
I’ll start with this: I really, really like pickles just the way they are. Pickles, you are enough. Yet there’s something about occasionally slipping into a crisp, slightly spicy, festive coating that’s a party in itself. And who doesn’t need that every once in a while? Vegan fried pickles are:
- Tangy and briny
- Crisp and crunchy
- Extremely poppable
- Great alone, but also great for dipping
Plus, they’re highly amenable to your most imaginative seasoning whims.
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the short list of ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- First things first. It’s MUCH more typical to use crinkle-cut dill pickle slices for this recipe, and you should do that if you want to mimic the state fair or sports bar food you’ve encountered in the past. I’m in love with the traditional, lactofermented full-sour pickles that we get at our local farmers’ market during the summer, and which I’ve started ordering online during the rest of the year.
- Good old all-purpose flour makes a nice batter. See the additional details below for instructions on subbing in some cornmeal for an even crisper coating.
- Water is the simplest choice for liquid ingredients, but you can substitute seltzer (I love doing this) or a vegan beer. See more details below.
- I’ve used Old Bay because it plays nicely with pickles, but I can’t emphasize enough that the only limit on seasoning is your imagination. We’ve got plenty of suggestions below.
- Safflower oil is my high-heat, neutral-tasting vegetable oil of choice. You can use that or sunflower, canola, peanut, vegetable oil blend, or any other refined oil with a neutral taste and very high smoke point.
How to make them
Here’s what you’ll do to make a great batch of vegan fried pickles. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- First you’ll slice the pickles 1/4-inch thick (if you haven’t bought them presliced) and place the slices between several layers of paper towels. Pat well and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Slices should be tacky, not wet, before proceeding.
- Then you’ll mix up the very simple batter. Stir together the flour and Old Bay until the seasoning is evenly distributed. Then stir in the water to make a batter.
- Dip the pickle slices into the batter, pulling them out one at a time and shaking off excess. A nice thin coating yields the crispest result.
- Fry for about 90 seconds, flipping once. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.
Expert tips and FAQs
It’s up to you — any slices/chips will work. I love full-sours, but crinkle-cut dill slices are what you’ll find at most fairs and restaurants. Regardless, the key is to dry them well before coating.
You can make them with plain water. Or you an substitute seltzer for a lighter batter or your favorite vegan beer for both flavor and light texture. They’re great with any of these options.
(1) First, make sure your pickle slices are dry enough before dipping in the batter. They should be slightly tacky to the touch, not wet. (2) Next, use a nice, thin coating of batter. Make sure to let the excess drip off before frying. (3) If you like, for both flavor and crispness, you can swap in 1/4 cup of finely ground yellow cornmeal for half the flour. It’s a great variation. (4) Finally, make sure your oil starts as close to 375°F as possible, and fry in small enough batches that it stays approximately that temperature the whole time. The batter should be golden and crisp right around the 90 second mark.
The only limit here is your imagination. A wide variety of pre-made seasoning blends, or your own creations, can work well. Think Cajun, Italian, ranch, lemon pepper, taco, pure ground chili (in small amounts), and much more. Just consider whether your seasoning blend already includes salt like Old Bay does, and if not, add a little bit. Pickles are, of course, already salty, but the same principle applies here as everywhere in cooking: season in layers for the best result.
I love to use either spicy ketchup (just mix some of your favorite hot sauce into ketchup in whatever proportion you like) or homemade ranch dip. But any creamy dip or dressing that you enjoy would work well, as would plain ketchup or mustard.
Fried foods don’t keep so well, so serve these right away and only fry about as many as you think you’ll eat. If you do have leftovers, store them tightly sealed in the fridge for up to a few days, and re-crisp them in the oven or toaster oven before serving.
More favorite vegan game-day treats
- Guacamole
- Vegan queso
- Soft pretzels and vegan cheese sauce
- Buffalo cauliflower & chickpeas
- Salt and vinegar potatoes
- Vegan Philly cheesesteak
- Vegan burgers and fries
- Pinto bean or Instant Pot chili
- Epic fruit platter (sub coconut or cashew cream for the dairy in the chocolate sauce)
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(Vegan) Fried Pickles
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340 grams) full-sour pickles
- Safflower oil, for frying
- ½ cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
- ½ cup (118 ml) water
Instructions
- Cut the pickles into 1/4-inch-thick rounds.
- Arrange between several layers of paper towels, pat well, and leave to dry for 15 to 20 minutes. Slices should be slightly tacky, not wet, before proceeding.
- In a deep, medium-sized Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat one inch of oil to 375°F.
- While the oil heats, prepare the batter. In a wide, shallow bowl, mix together the flour and Old Bay seasoning. Pour in the water and stir to combine well.
- A few at a time, dip pickle slices in batter and coat. Let excess batter drip off — a thin coating makes the crispest fried pickles.
- One at a time, carefully drop coated pickle slices into the cooking oil. You can fry about 8 to 10 slices at a time without compromising the oil temperature.
- After about 90 seconds, slices should be golden brown. Remove with a spider strainer to drain on paper towels.
- Serve immediately with spicy ketchup or ranch dip.
Notes
- I absolutely adore my favorite full-sour fermented pickles, but regular dill pickle slices are the traditional choice for this recipe. You can buy pickles whole and slice them yourself, or buy them pre-sliced.
- Thin pickle slices (max 1/4 inch) make for the best fried pickles. I usually snack on the end slices and only fry the ones with two flat sides.
- Safflower oil is my high-heat, neutral-tasting vegetable oil of choice. You can use that or sunflower, canola, peanut, vegetable oil blend, or any other refined oil with a neutral taste and very high smoke point.
- Use a deep-fry/candy thermometer with a clip to maintain temperature throughout the frying process.
- To lighten up the batter and/or add flavor, you can use seltzer or your favorite vegan beer instead of water.
- To make the pickles even crisper, substitute 1/4 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal for half the flour.
- Old Bay seasoning is a great match for pickles, but you can use other favorite spice blends, too. Cajun seasoning is traditional, and Italian seasoning, ranch, and many more would work well, too.
- Chopsticks are a great tool to stir the batter, dredge the pickle slices, and drop them into the oil.
- Use a fairly thin coating of batter for the crispest result.
- Fried foods don’t keep so well, so serve these right away and only fry about as many as you think you’ll eat. If you do have leftovers, store them tightly sealed in the fridge for up to a few days, and re-crisp them in the oven or toaster oven before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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