Are you tired of soggy, limp Fried Pickles?
If so, then this is the recipe for you! The secret here is twofold. First is our secret ingredient: Masa Harina. If you’ve never heard of it before don’t worry it’s readily available in almost any supermarket. Masa Harina is corn flour made from nixtamalized corn, which means it was soaked in lime water or ash water before being ground. This process allows the corn flour to absorb water and form a dough. It’s also one of my favorite things to use in any type of fried food batter as I love the crispy, crunchy texture it brings to the table along with a pleasant, mild corn flavor. The second part of creating crispy fried pickles is the double batter technique. Yes that’s right, we dip them not once, but twice! I find this process really helps the dough stick and build a thick layer. There’s nothing worse than taking your food out of the fryer, only to have your beautifully prepared batter fall off! This double batter technique ensures good adhesion to the food and builds a wonderfully thick and crunchy crust.
So what are we waiting for!? Let’s get cooking!
Not so fast! Let’s go over a few things things we’ll need before we dive in. Outside of the ingredients listed below you’ll need a few things before we make a giant batch of crispy buttermilk fried pickles. Most importantly you’ll need something to fry them in. If you don’t have a fryolator that’s ok but you’ll need a frying pan with a nice steep wall on it. I prefer my trusty cast iron skillet for frying as it has nice tall sides and it has some weight to it so I know I’m not going to slosh searing hot oil all over myself. A small dutch oven or a saucier pan are both good options as well. You’ll also need at least three medium sized bowls to work with to hold all of the ingredients for battering as well as good sized plate or platter. After battering I like to put my pickles on the platter before putting them into the fryer, this allows any excess dry batter to fall onto the platter instead of my oil. Last but not least is a good kitchen thermometer. This will help you test how hot the oil is so you can keep it at an even temperature.
Ok let’s get to cooking some crispy buttermilk fried pickles.
Some tips and tricks to make the best crispy buttermilk fried pickles
- Read all the instructions and get everything you need before you start.
- Make sure your oil is HOT enough. It should be between 325° and 350°F. If it’s too cold you’ll have soggy, oily pickles, too hot and you’ll burn the batter.
- Transfer the pickles to a plate or platter after you batter them. This will let any loose dry batter fall off onto the platter instead of into your fry oil, keeping your oil fresher for longer.
- DON’T JUST USE ANY OLD PICKLE! You want a quality dill pickle with a nice CRUNCH. Try out a few different brand until you find one you like. Personally I use Grillo’s Pickles Classic Dill Chips. They’re always fresh crunchy.
I hope you master this recipe and impress everyone at your next party. These are always a crowd pleaser. I usually can’t stop eating them while they are in front of me. They’re so good I don’t even put any sauce or dip on them. Plain is the way to go.
Crispy Buttermilk Fried Pickles
Description
Full Ingredients
Instructions
-
Prep
Combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together. Pour the buttermilk into a separate bowl. Remove all pickles from the jar and place into another bowl.
-
Preheat
If you're using a fryolator now is the time to turn that puppy on and get it heating up. If you're using a pan add the avocado or other oil to your pan and turn it on medium. You may need more or less oil depending on the size of your pan. You want about 1/2" (13mm) of oil in the bottom of the pan.
-
Batter
Take a pickle and place it in the dry mix. Flip it around and make sure there's a nice even coating on the outside. Remove from dry mix and dunk it in the buttermilk. Let it sit for a few seconds to absorb the milk. Remove from milk and place back in dry mix. Using a fork, scoop dry batter over the pickle and press down creating a nice thick coat of batter. Remove and place on platter. Repeat until all pickles are battered.
-
Fry
Batch pickles 6-8 at a time into the frying pan. Cook until batter is golden brown and crunchy flipping once. Remove and place on cooling rack over tinfoil or onto a paper towel lined plate. Let cool slightly and enjoy!
