When it comes to American cuisine, there are few dishes as beloved as spicy fried pickles. This tangy, salty, and crunchy appetizer is perfect for satisfying your cravings for all of the good things in life: salt, crunch, fat.
Fried pickles are a popular dish in the United States, especially in the southern states. The dish is made by deep frying pickles in a batter or breading. The origins of fried pickles are unknown, but the dish is thought to have originated in the southern United States.
While there are many recipes for fried pickles out there, this one is a bit different in we make marinate the pickles in our Chicago Hot Sauce first, to make the recipe spicier. Not only does this give the pickles a nice crispy coating, but it also helps to make their flavor more intense.
Why do we use The Chicago Hot Sauce to marinate our spicy pickles?
The Chicago Hot Sauce is actually inspired by the famous hot dog in Chicago, the Chicago Red Hot. As a result, we included ingredients that would be perfectly at home on a hot dog: dill, mustard seed, jalapeño peppers. Think almost of a spicy relish, made with peppers grown in community gardens of course. So when you marinate the cut pickles in The Chicago Hot Sauce, you get the spicy dill flavor added onto the sour pickle! Its a flavor double down!
Spicy Fried Pickles Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 (16 ounce) jar sliced dill pickles, drained
oil for frying
lemon wedges (optional)hot sauce (optional)
Spicy Fried Pickles Instructions:
- Chop pickles into thin slices, about as thick as a quarter. Leave to marinate in a ziplock bag with The Chicago Hot Sauce.
- In a shallow dish, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper.
- In another shallow dish or bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg.
- Pour the cornstarch into a small bowl.
- Dip each pickle slice into the flour mixture, then the buttermilk mixture, then the cornstarch.
- Place the pickles on a wire rack to let the coating dry slightly, about 15 minutes.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 inch of oil until hot.
- Add the pickles and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes per side.
- Serve with lemon wedges and, of course, more The Chicago Hot Sauce.
When it comes to classic American appetizers, few things can top a basket of fried pickles. The tangy dill pickles are perfectly crispy when fried, and the salty, savory breading provides the perfect contrast to their flavor. Whether you enjoy them as an appetizer or as a main dish, there’s no denying that fried pickles are downright delicious.