Crispy Fried Dill Pickles with Comeback Sauce

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Shatteringly crisp cornmeal crust with a tangy, juicy pickle center.
• Quick to make—on the table in about 35 minutes with simple pantry spices.
• Two dipping options: cool herby ranch or a zesty Creole-spiked comeback sauce.
• Works with chips or spears, and fries beautifully in a Dutch oven or countertop fryer.

Grocery List

• Produce: Lemon (optional for serving), fresh dill or parsley (garnish, optional)
• Dairy: Buttermilk, sour cream (for ranch)
• Pantry: Dill pickle chips or spears (24–32 oz jar), fine yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, mayonnaise, ketchup, hot sauce, Creole seasoning, Worcestershire, chili sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, kosher salt, black pepper, neutral frying oil

Full Ingredients

Fried Dill Pickles

• 4 cups dill pickle chips (or 16–24 spears), well-drained and patted dry
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tbsp dill pickle brine (reserved from the jar)
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 3/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp paprika (sweet or smoked)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2–3 tbsp buttermilk (to lightly moisten the cornmeal batter)
• 2 quarts neutral oil (canola, peanut, or vegetable), for frying
• Kosher salt, for finishing
• Lemon wedges and chopped dill or parsley, optional for serving

Quick Herby Ranch (optional)

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2–3 tbsp buttermilk (to thin)
• 1 tsp dried dill (or 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Creole-Spiked Comeback Sauce (optional)

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp chili sauce (bottled)
• 1 tsp Creole seasoning
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Pinch of sugar (optional)
• Black pepper to taste

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Drain and dry the pickles

Pour the pickles into a colander and drain very well. Lay them out on a double layer of paper towels and pat thoroughly dry on both sides. This is the number one key to a crisp crust. Reserve 1 tablespoon of pickle brine for the batter.

Step 2: Mix sauces and chill

For ranch, whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until smooth. For comeback sauce, whisk all listed ingredients until creamy and sunset-orange in color. Cover and refrigerate both sauces; cold dips make the hot pickles pop.

Step 3: Set up the buttermilk dip and seasoned cornmeal batter

In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup buttermilk, the reserved 1 tablespoon brine, and 1 teaspoon hot sauce. In a separate shallow dish, whisk cornmeal, flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne. Drizzle 2–3 tablespoons buttermilk over the dry mix and toss with fingers to create tiny clumps—this makes a loose, craggy cornmeal batter that fries up extra crackly.

Step 4: Heat the oil

Pour 2 inches of oil into a heavy Dutch oven or deep skillet. Clip on a thermometer and heat to 350°F over medium-high heat. Place a wire rack over a rimmed sheet pan beside the stove for draining.

Step 5: Dredge and fry in batches

Working in small batches, lift pickles from the buttermilk, letting excess drip off. Press into the cornmeal batter, coating all sides and shaking off loose excess. Carefully lower into 350°F oil and fry 2–3 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and crisp. For spears, fry 3–4 minutes. Maintain the oil at 340–355°F; let it reheat between batches.

Step 6: Drain, season, and serve hot

Transfer fried pickles to the rack and immediately sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt. Serve right away with chilled ranch and/or Creole-spiked comeback sauce, plus lemon wedges and a sprinkle of fresh dill or parsley if you like.

Pro Tips

• Dry is everything. Any surface moisture steams the crust—pat the pickles aggressively dry.
• Clumpy coating = craggier crunch. That tiny splash of buttermilk into the dry mix creates those crisp nubs.
• Use a thermometer. Keep oil between 340–355°F; too cool yields greasy pickles, too hot burns the crust.
• Hold crisp in the oven. If needed, keep fried batches on a rack in a 250°F oven for up to 20 minutes.
• Add brine for flavor. A tablespoon of pickle brine in the buttermilk adds bright tang without watering it down.

Variations

• Gluten-free: Replace all-purpose flour with fine white rice flour; keep cornmeal and cornstarch the same.
• Air-fryer: Spray coated pickles with oil and cook at 400°F for 7–9 minutes, turning halfway, until crisp and golden.
• Nashville hot twist: After frying, dust lightly with extra cayenne and a pinch of brown sugar; serve with pickles and white bread.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Fried pickles are best fresh. If you must store, refrigerate leftovers in a paper towel–lined container for up to 1 day. Recrisp in a 400°F oven for 8–10 minutes (or air-fryer at 375°F for 5–6 minutes). Make-ahead prep: mix the seasoned cornmeal batter up to 3 days in advance (keep dry); sauces can be made up to 3 days ahead. Drain and pat pickles dry up to 2 hours ahead and keep chilled, uncovered, on paper towels.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate (with sauces): 310 calories; 21 g fat; 28 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein; 980 mg sodium. Values will vary with oil absorption and chosen dip.