Air Fryer Fried Pickles
Dill pickle chips in a crunchy cornmeal and panko coating, air fried golden and served with a spicy ranch dipping sauce.
Ingredients
Ingredients for servings
Enter a number of at least ½, in steps of ½.
Original recipe serves 4. Ingredient amounts adjust automatically. Cooking times and pan size may need adjusting separately.
- 2 cups dill pickle chips, crinkle cut, about 16 oz jar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp pickle juice
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- cooking spray
Spicy ranch
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing
- 1 tbsp hot sauce
Steps
Step 1: Drain the pickles and lay them on paper towels. Pat the tops dry too. The drier they are, the better the coating sticks.
Step 2: Set up three bowls: flour; eggs beaten with pickle juice; panko, cornmeal, garlic powder, paprika and cayenne mixed together.
Step 3: Toss the pickles in flour, dip in egg, then press into the crumb mix. Lay on a plate.
Step 4: Spray the air fryer basket. Arrange the pickles in a single layer without overlapping and spray the tops.
Step 5: Air fry at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway and spraying again, until golden and crunchy.
Step 6: Mix the ranch and hot sauce. Serve the pickles hot with the dip.
Swaps
- Spears: Use pickle spears and add 2 to 3 minutes.
- Dip: Comeback sauce or a mix of mayo, ketchup and horseradish.
- No cornmeal: Use all panko.
Tips
- Crinkle-cut chips hold breading better than flat slices.
- Serve them right away; they lose their crunch as they cool.
The story
HAM Cooking. Let’s fire it up.
Fried pickles sound like something somebody invented on a dare. And maybe they did. But the combination of salty, sour pickle and hot, crunchy breading is so good it’s become a bar-food classic across the South.
The trick is fighting moisture. Pickles are soaked in brine, and water is the enemy of crunch. Drying them really well with paper towels helps the flour stick, which helps the egg stick, which holds onto the crumbs. Cornmeal mixed with panko gives the coating a sandy, extra crunchy texture and a little Southern flavor.
In the air fryer, a quick spray of oil on top helps the crumbs brown and crisp without a pot of hot grease. Dunk them in spicy ranch and watch them vanish. Make a double batch, because one batch never survives the walk to the table.
HAM out.
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