Face-off Fried Pickles Recipe

Drain 24 dill pickle slices from the jar into a bowl, reserving 60 ml of the pickling liquid. Pat the pickle slices dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture — this helps the batter adhere.

Optional quick brine boost: toss the drained pickle slices with 1 tablespoon of the reserved pickling liquid and let sit 5 minutes, then blot dry again.

Make the dry mix

In a shallow bowl or medium mixing bowl combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, 0.25 cup cornstarch, 0.25 cup yellow cornmeal, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp kosher salt, 0.5 tsp black pepper, 0.5 tsp smoked paprika and 0.25 tsp cayenne. Whisk to evenly distribute.

Make the wet batter

In a separate bowl lightly beat 1 large egg. Add 160 ml cold club soda (or seltzer) and 60 ml reserved pickling liquid. Whisk briefly — the batter should be thin but coat the back of a spoon. Keep it cold (set bowl over another bowl with ice if your kitchen is warm).

Prepare the breadcrumb dredge

In a third shallow bowl combine 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, 0.25 cup grated Parmesan (optional) and 0.5 tsp dried oregano. Mix and set next to the batter and dry mix.

Set up an assembly line: dry seasoned flour mix, wet batter, then panko dredge. This triple-step gives peak crispness and pickup.

Whisk together 0.5 cup mayonnaise, 0.25 cup sour cream, 1 tsp hot sauce, 1 tsp honey, 0.25 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp lemon juice and 0.25 tsp black pepper until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. Chill in refrigerator while you fry; sprinkle 0.25 tsp paprika on top before serving.

Heat 1 to 1.25 cups neutral oil in a heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat to reach 180°C (350°F). If you don't have a thermometer, test with a small drop of batter — it should sizzle and rise to the surface immediately without burning.

Working in small batches (4–6 slices at a time), dredge each pickle slice first in the dry seasoned flour mix, shaking off excess, then dip into the wet batter letting excess drip off, and finally press into the panko mixture to coat both sides. For a lighter crust you may skip the panko step and fry battered-only pickles.

Carefully lower the coated pickles into the hot oil in a single layer. Fry 2–3 minutes per side, turning once, until golden brown and crisp. Keep an eye on oil temperature and reduce heat slightly if browning too quickly.

Use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer fried pickles to a wire rack set over a baking sheet (or paper towels) to drain. Sprinkle lightly with a pinch of kosher salt while hot. Repeat frying remaining batches, giving the oil a minute to come back to temperature between batches.

Let pickles rest 2 minutes to crisp, then serve warm with the prepared dipping sauce.