Southern Fried Pickles

These Southern Fried Pickles are unique and delicious…and really addicting!

I had no idea until recently that fried pickles are a Southern thing.  I grew up all over the Southeast, and fried pickles were a staple on bar and casual restaurant menus everywhere.  My wife and I have been living in upstate New York for a couple of years now, and the other day it hit me…I haven’t seen fried pickles very often up here!  (And when I have, they’re very different than the basket of fried goodness that I’m used to from down South.)  I know there’s the stereotype about how all food in the South is fried.  But you know what?  Some of that fried food is really, really good!  I’m not into the whole fried Oreos and deep fried beer that make regular appearances at state fairs.  But fried pickles are somewhat similar to french fries.  And they’re delicious.  I find these Southern Fried Pickles to be rather tasty just by themselves, but serve them with this easy dipping sauce for a whole new level of addicting!

Do you have any crazy plans for watching the Super Bowl this year?  Do you watch for the game or for the commercials?  My wife and I are having a couple of friends over for the game…and I’m a sports nut, so I’ll be watching the actual game.  But I also love the commercials…which makes it really difficult to decide when to go grab another drink or refill my appetizer plate!  Heck, maybe this year I’ll just ditch the plate and carry the whole darned basket of Southern Fried Pickles over to the couch with me.  Don’t judge!

I don’t fry food around my house very often.  Sure, it’s delicious and I enjoy eating it, but for the sake of health, I often skip the fried part.  But the Super Bowl is a special occasion…so I allow myself to have a little fun with the appetizers.  (Since I’ll be getting up at 5:00am the next day to go to the gym, I’m going to enjoy my appetizers!)  If you’re like me and don’t fry food much at home, don’t be afraid to give it a shot.  Just use canola or vegetable oil (not olive oil!) and be careful.  Oh, and make sure the dog and the kids are taking a nap or playing outside…the last thing you need is a pup trying to bring you his favorite ball while you are making these pickles!

For some other fun dip & appetizer ideas for your Super Bowl snack table, check out these recent posts: 

► Pepperoni Pizza Dip     ► Black Bean Dip     ►Beer Cheese Dip

Southern Fried Pickles

These Southern Fried Pickles are unique and delicious...and really addicting!

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 492kcal

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Ingredients

For the Dipping Sauce

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tsp ketchup
• 2 tsp horseradish
• ½ tsp paprika
• pinch cayenne pepper

For the Pickles

• 2-3 cups canola or vegetable oil for frying
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ½ Tbsp hot sauce I used Frank’s Red Hot
• ½ Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cornmeal
• ½ Tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 32 oz jar dill pickles, cut into 1/2" slices (crinkle cut are ideal, but straight cut work, too)
• kosher salt to taste

Instructions

• Combine all of the ingredients for the Dipping Sauce and whisk together until well combined. Set aside.
• Pour oil into a deep fry pan until it is about 1” deep. Using a deep-fry thermometer, heat oil over medium-high heat until temperature reaches 375°F. Meanwhile, prepare a tray with 2 layers of paper towels; set aside. (Tip: If you don’t have a deep fry thermometer, then you can drop a pinch of flour into the oil. If it browns and bubbles immediately, then the oil is ready to go!)
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and eggs until well combined. Place pickle slices in the buttermilk mixture and set aside.
• In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, Cajun seasoning, and chili powder.
• Transfer about 8-10 pickles from the buttermilk mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir until pickles are well coated. Shake any extra flour off of the pickles; carefully place pickles into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, approximately 2-3 minutes. Remove pickles with a slotted metal spoon and place on tray of paper towels to dry.
• Allow oil to return to 375°F and repeat process with remaining pickles.
• Serve hot with the Dipping Sauce.