The exact cook time can vary. Read below for our tips!
Craving a delicious appetizer without the hassle of the deep fryer? Then you should try air fryer pickles!
Made with freshly cut pickle spears, these breaded pickles are a great dippable appetizer or snack for a party, the big game, or just a Friday night.
Serve them with your favorite creamy dressing (such as Ranch or Caesar dressing) for the full experience!
Ingredients
- Dill pickles – Use dill pickles of your choice, but they should be on the firmer end. Larger pickles are easier to cut into spears.
- Flour – All-purpose flour for the breading.
- Eggs – For the breading. We used 2 large eggs.
- Breadcrumbs – Breadcrumbs of your choice. We used unseasoned breadcrumbs, but you can also use seasoned (e.g. Italian-style) or Panko if you prefer.
- Salt – To season the breading; adjust to taste.
- Garlic Powder – Or granulated garlic; to add extra flavor.
- Black Pepper – For a hint of spice.
- Paprika – Optional, but adds extra flavor.
- Cayenne Pepper – Optional; adds a hint of spice. Adjust the amount to taste.
- Oil Spray – Makes the breaded pickles crispier during air frying. We use avocado oil in a spray bottle, but you can use an oil of your choice.
Recipe Tips
- Dry off the pickle spears once you are done cutting them. Excess moisture can make the breading steps more difficult.
- If you bought dill pickles with a specific flavor (e.g. garlic), feel free to reduce/adjust the spices in the breading accordingly.
- The spices we put in our breadcrumbs are simple but tasty. If you want more of a spicy kick, you can add more cayenne pepper to the mix.
- Spraying the pickles with oil spray will help them get crispier in the air fryer but this step isn’t mandatory.
- If you’re not feeling like breading pickles, you can also make frozen fried pickles in the air fryer – they worked great, too!
Step by Step Instructions
If you’re wondering how to make fried pickles in the air fryer, you can follow the step by step process photos in this section below.
In case you just want to see the recipe card without visuals, you can scroll down to the bottom of this post!
First, cut the pickles into half lengthwise, then cut them again lengthwise so that you have four pickle spears per pickle (see photo above for reference).
Next, pat the pickle spears dry really well.
Now prepare the “breading station”. Grab three clean and dry plates – place flour on one plate, the cracked and whisked eggs on another, and breadcrumbs on the last plate.
Add the spices – salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper – to the breadcrumbs and mix until the spices are well combined in the breadcrumbs.
Grab one pickle spear and dip it into the flour. Rotate the pickle until it is fully coated.
Next, dip the pickle into the whisked egg mixture and roll it around until the flour layer is fully coated in the egg.
Lift the pickle spear, let the excess egg drip off, and then place it on the plate with the breadcrumbs. Roll the pickle around in the breadcrumbs until it is fully coated.
Lastly, place the coated pickle spear onto a clean plate and repeat all these steps until all pickle spears are breaded.
Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit. While still on the plate, spray half of the pickles with avocado oil spray.
When the air fryer is hot, add the first batch of the breaded pickles. There should be some space between them so they can cook evenly and get crispy.
If you have a very large air fryer, you might be able to cook all pickles at once – otherwise, just cook them in two batches.
Cook the pickles for 6 minutes, then flip them over. You can add more oil spray if you want them to be extra crispy. Cook for another 3-4 minutes (so 9-10 minutes total). Every air fryer is different, so the exact cooking time can vary slightly.
Remove the done pickles from the air fryer. Then spray the second batch of the pickles with oil and place them into the air fryer to cook.
Serve the crispy pickles with a dipping sauce like ranch. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
These fried dill pickles are best enjoyed hot and fresh out of the air fryer. This way, the breading is still crispy.
If you have leftovers, allow them to cook and store them in a sealed container in the fridge. Consume within 2 to 3 days.
Over time, the moisture from the pickles will soften the breading and they don’t reheat as well as their fresh form, so don’t plan for having leftovers!
Related Recipes
For more tasty air fryer appetizers, check out these recipes:
- Air Fryer Breaded Avocado Fries
- Air Fried Zucchini Fries
- Air Fried Loaded Nachos
- Mac and Cheese Balls in the Air Fryer (Homemade)
- Baked Brie in the Air Fryer
Air Fryer Pickles
Ingredients
- 4 dill pickles
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup breadcrumbs, unseasoned
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more to taste
- avocado oil spray
Instructions
- Cut the pickles into quarters lengthwise. Then pat them dry.4 dill pickles
- Prepare the breading station: Place flour on one plate, the cracked and whisked eggs on another, and breadcrumbs on the last plate.1/4 cup flour, 2 large eggs, 2/3 cup breadcrumbs
- Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper to the breadcrumbs and mix well.1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Grab one pickle spear and dip it into the flour. Rotate the pickle until it is fully coated. Next, dip the pickle into the whisked egg mixture and roll it around until the flour layer is fully coated in the egg. Lift the pickle spear, let the excess egg drip off, and then place it on the plate with the breadcrumbs. Roll the pickle around in the breadcrumbs until it is fully coated. Lastly, place the coated pickle spear onto a clean plate and repeat all these steps until all pickle spears are breaded.
- Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit.
- While still on the plate, spray half of the pickles with oil spray.avocado oil spray
- When the air fryer is hot, add the first batch of the breaded pickles. There should be some space between them they can cook evenly and get crispy. If you have a really big air fryer, you might be able to cook all pickles at once – otherwise, cook them in two batches.
- Cook the pickles for 6 minutes, then flip them over. You can add more oil spray if you want them to be extra crispy. Cook for another 3-4 minutes (so 9-10 minutes total). Since every air fryer is different, the exact cooking time can vary slightly.
- Remove the crispy pickles from the air fryer and serve them with a dipping sauce like ranch!
Notes
- Dry off the pickle spears once you are done cutting them. Excess moisture can make the breading steps more difficult.
- If you bought dill pickles with a specific flavor (e.g. garlic), feel free to reduce/adjust the spices in the breading accordingly.
- Spraying the pickles with oil spray will help them get crispier in the air fryer but this step isn’t mandatory.
- We use unseasoned breadcrumbs, but you can also use panko if you prefer.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
