Air Fryer Fried Pickles -

Air Fryer Fried Pickles, also called Frickles, are a satisfyingly crunchy snack with an amazing pickle flavor and crispy breading on the outside.

Air fryer fried pickles are easy to make, it takes little time, and most importantly, the ingredients are often available in your pantry. There’s no need to wait until you’re out at a restaurant to order them. It’s just like onion rings for me. I never used to make them at home before I got an air fryer.

I always thought they’d be hard to make at home, and if you were to deep fry them they’d definitely be more so, but they are actually really easy to make in the air fryer. Serve them as an appetizer or snack at parties or make a basket of them for your game day spread.

Ingredients You Need

Sliced dill pickles – Use a thick, ridged pickle slice, if possible.
Flour – This helps to create a nice breading on the pickles.
Fine breadcrumbs – You can use plain breadcrumbs or seasoned (adjust other seasonings accordingly). I don’t prefer to use panko because it doesn’t adhere to the pickles as well.
Eggs – Serves as a binder for the flour and the seasonings.
Seasonings – Garlic powder, Cajun spice, chili powder, salt and pepper
Olive oil cooking spray – Spray is important for helping the pickles get crispy and golden.

How to Make Air Fried Pickles

Thoroughly dry the pickle slices on a paper towel to remove any excess juice. Leave them on the paper towels for at least 15 minutes. You can also press gently on them to release a bit more juice. The dryer the pickles, the better.

To set up your dredging station, mix together the flour, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, and salt in a bowl. Beat the egg in another bowl. Add the breadcrumbs to a 3rd bowl.

Coat each pickle slice in the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, then the breadcrumbs and place it into the air fryer basket. Be sure to space the pickles apart so they aren’t touching in the basket. They need space to get crispy. If you have too many pickles to fit in the basket with space, do them in two batches.

Spray the tops of the pickles with the cooking oil. This is what will make them crispy, so don’t skip this step. If you don’t have oil spray, it will be a bit more difficult to get them crispy. You’ll need to brush on the oil as evenly as possible.

Cook at 375° F for 5 minutes. Turn them over and spray the tops again. Continue cooking for another 4-6 minutes, until crispy and golden.

Helpful Tips

Be sure to dry the pickles before breading to ensure the breading stays on. If the pickles are too wet, it will make the breading soggy.
Use high-quality, thicker-cut pickles. Pickles with ridges will hold the breading better. I used these Pacific Pickle Works Under the Gin Fluence pickles. Other brands to look for are Dietz & Watson Pickle Chips, Mr. Olive Munchies, or Doux South pickle chips.
If the pickles aren’t browning, give them another spray of oil. Usually, they don’t brown because of a lack of oil or too thick of batter.
If you don’t want the pickles to be salty, give them a rinse before drying. Give them a sprinkle of salt if they aren’t salty enough or lack flavor.

Substitutions to Try

Try Cajun spice or cayenne pepper in the flour mixture for a bit of heat.
You could also use buttermilk as a binder in place of eggs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I store air fryer fried pickles?

Air fryer fried pickles are most delicious when served immediately after frying. However, if you want to preserve them, you can store them in an airtight container and leave them in the refrigerator for a maximum of three days.

You can reheat them at 375° F for two to three minutes; you can also add a little oil to make them crispier if necessary.

Why are my fried pickles soggy?

Several things can cause your fried pickles to become soggy, but most of the time, it is because you didn’t let the pickles dry long enough first. If that’s not the issue, you may have placed the pickles too close together in the air fryer. They need room to crisp up.

What kind of pickles should I use?

There are no rules concerning pickles choice except for the thickness. If you can’t find appropriately thick pickles, you can buy whole pickles and slice them yourself. I think it’s fun to try different flavors of pickles. I use Under the Ginfluence pickles or super spicy pickles. Anything goes.

Other Air Fryer Snacks To Try

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