Air fryer fried pickles are crispy and crunchy munchies packed full of flavor. Sweet , salty and tangy, these healthier fried pickles can be made right at home. They are way better than what you can get at your favorite restaurant.
Fried pickles are an easy snack and delicious appetizer. They are also crowd pleaser game-day food. We often have Spinach Artichoke Dip, Paneer Tacos and Super delicious Nachos as our family favorite game day spread.
What are air fryer fried pickles?
Pickle spears or round chips are dredged in a spiced batter, coated with panko breadcrumbs and cheese. Then they are air fried to crispy, golden perfection. They are absolutely BEST !
Pickles cooked in the air fryer are crispy and have all the tastiness of deep fried pickles served in restaurants as an appetizer or side dish. However, they are your best bet for guilt-free snacking.
Fried Pickles made in the Air Fryer need almost no oil. They get crispy thanks to light panko breadcrumbs coating. Light and airy, low calories and lighter on the waist-line !
They have myriad of different tastes including sweet, tangy and salty, which makes them irresistibly addictive snack.
This healthy Fried Pickles in Air Fryer recipe
- Is eggless.
- Uses almost no oil. So naturally low calorie
- Can be made Gluten-free ( use gluten free flour and breadcrumbs which is what I use)
- Easy to make Vegan. Use plant based milk and parmesan cheese ( or nutritional yeast)
Crispy Air Fryer Snacks
My family loves crispy savory snacks. Now with the Air Fryer, I make an array of different munchies without deep frying.
Air fryer Zucchini Fries, Stuffed Mushrooms and Buffalo Cauliflower Wings are one of our best air fryer appetizer recipes. Stuffed Mini Peppers, Bang Bang Cauliflower Bites and Spicy Roasted Chickpeas are awesome too. You won't believe how exciting it is to eat veggies !
Restaurant Style Appetizer
These air fried pickles are just as crispy and hit the spot when you are craving your favorite appetizer at places like Applebee's or Cabrera. But you don’t have to order out or leave the house to enjoy them.
This is an easy appetizer to make and can be done in under 30 minutes. All ingredients are basic pantry ingredients with a long shelf life. Similar to Air Fryer Pasta Chips, these fried pickles are exellent snack.
Anything with a small assembly line type of cooking also becomes a fun cooking activity. So involve your kids and family and enjoy good bonding time together.
Low Calorie Appetizer / Snack
A few spritzes of oil spray is all you need to get these pickles crispy. You let the circulating hot air of the air fryer do the magic. Since these pickles are not deep fried, they have a fraction of calories and fat. You can feel good serving them to your family.
What Type of Pickles to Use?
I am using " Bread & Butter Pickle Chips" to make this recipe. These pickle slices are nice, big and thick. They hold the coating and their shape well.
You can also use pickle spears or pre- sliced pickles. If using Gherkin or Cornichons variety, you can cut the whole pickles into desired shapes. Just make sure to cut them a bit thicker.
Different Pickle Flavors
Classic Dill pickles, Kosher pickles, sweet pickles or sour pickles also work in this recipe. I love using "bread and butter pickles" which are both sweet and sour. The brine has lots of vinegar and lots of sugar along with mustard seed and celery seed flavors.
Ingredients
Details and measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you need to make this recipe and suggested alternatives. Adding Amazon Affiliate links in case you want to order these products.
- Pickles : As mentioned you can use variety of different pickles to make this recipe. Make sure to dry out the brine.
- Breading Batter : I am using all purpose flour ( gluten free version) along with panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese for breading. For dredging, I like to use buttermilk. You can use regular milk + 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice if you don't have buttermilk.
- Seasoning : You can use all purpose seasoning. Garlic powder + paprika +salt +pepper also works.
- Oil Spray : A few mists of cooking oil spray help bring out good fried taste and golden brown color.
- For serving : Use your favorite dips like Ranch or Buffalo for dipping. Sriracha mayo is another excellent choice and so is Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing.
INSTRUCTIONS
Dry the pickle chips / slices with paper towels.
You need to set up a small assembly line. Use four shallow bowls or deep plates.
In the first bowl combine flour, all purpose seasoning, smoked paprika, black pepper and salt.
Second bowl use for buttermilk (or milk and vinegar/lemon juice)
Use the third bowl for panko breadcrumbs. And a fourth bowl for parmesan cheese.
Dredge the pickle chips in the flour mixture, drop them in the buttermilk and then dredge them in the panko bread crumbs and finally in parmesan cheese until coated evenly.
Place breaded pickle chips in a single layer in the Air Fryer basket.
Cook at 400°F until golden brown and crispy, about 8-10 minutes. Spray with some cooking oil after about 6 minutes for a more golden finish. Repeat with remaining pickle chips.
Carefully lift out the fried pickles with a cookie spatula, tongs, or a fork and serve immediately. Enjoy
You can also bake the pickle chips for 20 minutes @ 400°F or until golden brown.
How to serve Air Fryer Fried Pickles?
These crispy homemade fried pickles are a great snack or appetizer if you are entertaining people for dinner. Serve them immediately after making with your favorite dipping sauce. Fried pickles don't stay crispy for too long so storing them for extended time is not recommended.
If you want to serve it for large quantity, keep the prepared pickles in the oven on warm setting until ready to serve.
How thick to slice the Pickles?
For this recipe, we cut the pickles into about ½ inch thick pieces. If you make them much bigger, they may not cook through during the frying process. But if you make them too thin, they don't hold the batter and their shape well. about ½ inch is perfect thickness.
Pro tips
- Place the battered chips in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Make sure to leave some room in between so they don’t touch each other. ( helps with proper air circulation and perfect crispness)
- Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the air fryer so the pickle rings cook evenly.
- Different brands of air fryers have different capacities, so it may take more than two batches, especially if you're doubling the recipe.
- Serve each batch when it's ready or keep them warm in the oven until ready to serve.
- Divide the panko breadcrumb mixture in two. The battered rings will make the mixture sticky, so it’s best to half it so you can switch to the second part of the dry mixture after the first mix is starting to get sticky.
- Half way through cooking, spritz the pickles with cooking oil spray. It helps to make them even crispier and perfect golden brown color.
- You don’t need to turn the fried pickle chips during the cooking process if using the airfryer. The wire basket will help them cook evenly without flipping.
♥ Follow us on PINTEREST and like our FACEBOOK page. We love creating delicious, plant based recipes from around the world. DO JOIN US ♥
We would love to hear your feedback!! Use the PIN button in the recipe card or image below to pin this recipe !
★ If you make this Fried Pickles in Air Fryer Recipe , do let us know how you like it by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Air fryer Fried Pickles
Ingredients
- 1 16 fl. oz bottled pickle chips about 30 pieces
- 1 cup all purpose flour I used gluten free version
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder or All purpose seasoning
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- salt and black pepper to taste
- Oil Spray
Instructions
- Dry the pickle chips / slices with paper towels.
- You need to set up a small assembly line. Use four shallow bowls or deep plates.
- In the first bowl combine flour, all purpose seasoning, paprika, black pepper and salt. Second bowl use for buttermilk (or milk and vinegar/lemon juice) Use the third bowl for panko breadcrumbs. And a fourth bowl for parmesan cheese.
- Dredge the pickle chips in the flour mixture, drop them in the buttermilk and then dredge them in the panko bread crumbs and finally in parmesan cheese until coated evenly.
- Place breaded pickle chips in a single layer in the Air Fryer basket.
- Cook at 400°F until golden brown and crispy, about 8-10 minutes. Spray with some cooking oil after about 6 minutes for a more golden finish.
- Repeat with remaining pickle chips.
- Carefully lift out the fried pickles with a cookie spatula, tongs, or a fork and serve immediately. Enjoy
Oven Instructions :
- You can also bake the pickle chips for 20 minutes @ 400°F or until golden brown.
Leave a Reply