Cornmeal panko herb crusted dill pickles baked in the oven until golden and crisp with a light buttermilk ranch dip. Have you ever had fried pickles?
Oven “Fried” Pickles with light Herb Buttermilk Ranch Dip
Oven “Fried” Pickles with light Herb Buttermilk Ranch Dip
Fried pickles to a New Yorker is quite uncommon, alien actually! But in the South they are wildly popular. The first time I tried fried pickles was at a restaurant in DC, I found myself trying to decide if I liked them, yet oddly reaching for seconds and thirds.
Since then I have had many requests for a make-over and finally tackled the request.
Baking them worked out great, the crumbs stuck perfectly and with a generous amount of oil sprayed on top, they baked to a golden crisp. You can easily make 1/2 batch (1-16 oz jar) for less people. If you are watching your sodium, you may not want to make them unless you can find low sodium dill pickles.
As a base I started with a version Mary from Mary’s Bites shared with me, which I slightly adapted it to suit my taste. Hope you Southerners and even all you Yankees enjoy!!
Oven "Fried" Pickles with Skinny Herb Buttermilk Ranch Dip
Ingredients
- 2 -16 oz jars, 48 slices sliced oval dill hamburger pickles, I used Vlasic
- 1/2 cup of Panko crumbs
- 1/4 cup of cornmeal
- 1/4 cup of flour
- 1/4 tsp of smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
- 1/4 cup dried parsley
- 1/8 th tsp kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white
- olive oil spray, about 1 tsp
For the Ranch Dip:
- 1/4 cup fat free sour cream
- 1/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp light mayo
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh chives 1/4 tsp salt
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 tsp white balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup 1% low fat buttermilk
Instructions
- Make ranch dip by combining all the dip ingredients and refrigerate until pickles are done.
- Place pickles to drain on paper towels.
- Mix crumbs and flour together along with paprika, parsley, and half the chipotle powder and salt.
- Whisk eggs and egg whites in a bowl and season with remaining chipotle powder.
- Dip pickles in egg mixture and then into the crumb mix, pressing down on the crumbs.
- Heat oven to 450°F along with 2 baking sheets.
- When the oven reaches 450°, remove baking sheets and spray with olive oil spray; place pickles on the baking sheets and spray the tops of the pickles with more oil.
- Bake 8-10 minutes, turn and spray if needed and cook an additional five minutes.
- Remove pickles from cooking sheet and serve hot with dip.
Great recipe. It’s good to see healthy food based on a favorite. Thank you.
Love fried pickles but these missed the mark – both with the pickles and the sauce. Both were very bland. Would not make again.
I would just like to point out after adding the ingredients to the ww calculator the pickles alone come to 2 freestyle smart points for 1 serving. but thank you for the recipe I will be trying it.
Hi Kourtney! The only accurate way to determine any recipe’s SmartPoints® value is to plug the ingredients into the recipe builder on the Weight Watchers website (Click on “My Foods,” select “Recipe,” and click “Create a recipe.”) which does not count fruits and vegetables in recipes in the calculations as they are now 0 points.
The SmartPoints® calculator isn’t meant for recipes and will often give you the wrong points (usually higher) because it’s counting the fruits and vegetables. So if you see a recipe with a SmartPoints® value that’s different from what the calculator tells you, now you know why.
Even doing it in the recipe builder, it came out to be 2 points
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Absolutely wonderful, and so easy to make! I might cut back a bit on the salt put in the flour mix, but everything else was perfect!
What are the smart points for these?
Have you never been up north? There’s fried pickles in New York too
I tried these last night. First, don't blot moisture out of the pickles for too long; mine didn't taste juicy enough after leaving them on paper towels for awhile before battering. I poured oil onto a sheet tray then heated the empty tray in the oven for 10 minutes before layering on my battered pickles. They got super crispy, but I found the corn meal to be too crunchy, and it sort of distracted from the flavor of the pickle. I would do this again, minus the cornmeal, maybe with thicker pickle slices.
I've never heard of these! Thanks for sharing!
Sure, that would work!
Is there a way to use dill pickles? I really don't like sweet hamburger pickles, I assume it would be the same preparation, I'd just have to slice the pickle up myself?
How many points would just the pickles be?
Finally a baked pickle recipe with nutrition info! I've been searching for this for a while! Making this today…football food!!!
These were great! I had six of the huge slices (which may have elevated the calorie count a bit) but they were filling. I didn't have chipotle powder, but I used a bit of cayenne pepper which was delicious and spicy. I'll definitely be making this more often.
what kind of cornmeal (yellow or white) and what kind of flour (all-purpose or self-rising)? What is Panko? I d like to try those. Let me know please. Thanks, Margo.
This was absolutely AMAZING! These turned out so good and they totally satisfied my salty craving without sacrificing calories. THANKS SO MUCH! This website is the perfect resource for a gal like me 🙂
I am a vegetarian that doesn't eat eggs. Is there an alternative I can use there?
Thanks and can't wait to try these!!!
I made these just like the recipe and everyone thought they were fantastic. I want to make again for a party but will need to make them ahead of time. Any thoughts on how to reheat?
fried pickles with herbs makes an awesome combination to crack my tastebuds.lovely must try it.
I'm staring suspiciously at a pile of these things. They are terrible… They taste like dried out pickles and flour. Avoid them like the plague!
Crispy and flavorful; easy to make. Great recipe.
Made these last night and they were a hit with the whole family! YUM. Super easy will make again!
Thanks
Is it really 1/4 cup dried parsley? Did you dry your own? I'm trying to figure out where to get that much! Can't wait to try these out!
Is there a way to reheat these? I know they'd get soggy in the microwave…maybe in the oven for a couple minutes?
Made these last night. YUM!
How many points if the dip is not used?
I calculated 2 points plus per serving without the dip.
These were surprisingly good. Just be sure to use pickles you actually like by themselves. I made the mistake of buying cheap pickles, only to find I didn't like them out of the jar. They were actually good after baking them, but they would have been much better with a better quality pickle.
making them now!
making these right now!
I only did enough for myself seeing as my husband doesn't eat pickles are they were good, but I could tell the difference in ones that are actually fried.. which I suppose is expected. But they were still good =)
These were crisp, tasty and fun. I love the idea of baking them instead of frying and it worked so well!
I love fried pickles, but rarely make them since I try to stay away from fried foods… OH MY GOSH! I have to make these this weekend for the football games!!!
I never thought about baking them.
Thank you for this recipe!!!
These are delicious! A very, very good substitute for the deep-fried version!
The recipe calls for corn meal, but wasn't in the instructions. I assume it went with the panko/flour mixture. These were good, but the breading & eggs only were enough to do one jar of oval pickles. I counted, and there were approx 36 pickles in the one jar. It made a LOT of ranch too, which I wasn't thrilled with. They were good without the dip. You have to love pickles for this recipe. It's a little on the salty side for me. I love your recipes, but this one just wasn't for me. 🙁
My husband absolutely LOVES pickles so we had to try these. We both thought the pickles and dip were awesome!
These were absolutely AMAZING!!! I couldn't believe how healthy they were because they sure taste bad for me – which of course means they tasted incredible 🙂
I love fried tomatoes. What would the calories look like if I substitute tomatoes instead?
What would the pts be if you didn't use the dip?
OMG these are WONDERFUL!!! This is the PERFECT not-so-guilty indulgence to satisfy my oh-so-unhealthy pregnancy cravings!! Looks like I'll be buying several jars of pickles over the next 9 months! Thank you so much for posting!
I made these last night and they were a BIG HIT!! Hubby even said that they were better than our local sub place's (They're usually drenched in oil from being deep fried) but THESE! These were great! Thanks for the recipe, I've got to go out and buy more pickles now!
looks good
Made these for my husband for Father's Day, and he LOVED them!! I will be using this recipe often. 🙂
Just made these for the hubby to go with his steak for Father's Day. He told me I could work at Hooters…. I'm assuming that means that the food was good lol. I just used what I had on hand… so no cornmeal, Emeril's Bayou Blast seasoning, and Sweet Baby Ray's Ranch Dip. Yummy yummy yummy. Thank you!!!
this sounds amazing. i am obsessed with fried pickles, but i really dont love the thought of eating fried stuff. so this is perfect.
my husband and i are currently trying to transition to veganism, and i was wondering if anyone knew if egg substitute would work for this recipe? or if there were any other non-animal based products that would work for this recipe instead of the eggs. :). thanks!
Gina, would you by chance know the seriving size and points.. (Im on ww points plus program) for just the skinny herb buttermilk ranch dip? Im going to make it for the pickles but it sounds like it would be a great raw veggie dip! I adore your website! Thanks for all you do 🙂
Oh man, this looks like an awesome treat!!
I just made these and they turned out really yummy. Word of warning though, don't coat them TOO much with the breading mixture. Mine turned out a little to crumbly (but still delicious). Also, use a fine ground corn meal. Not medium or coarse ground. I used medium ground and the pickles were too crunchy, and not in a scrumptious fried food sort of way. 🙂 Thanks Gina! I really did love the recipe, I just did a few things wrong! 😀
Are these good reheated? If so, what's the best way to do so? I know I love fried pickles, but I may be the only one in the house that will like them (I live with two EXTREMELY picky eaters!)Thank you!
I want to make these right now, but I don't have any corn meal. Is there anything I might be able to substitute in it's place? How about breadcrumbs??
made these tonight…absolutely delish!! I put the info into the points plus calculator though and it came up as 2 points, not 3. even better!
Made these tonight- soooo good!! They are crunchy and delish- just like fried. I don't love ranch dip so I made a low fat chipotle aioli dipping sauce. Amazing!
I made these!! Wow!!! Fantastic! Better than fried! Husband went crazy- love the dip too!
OMG I made these last Friday and they were so fantastic. I didn't need the flour in the mix the panko and cornmeal stuck to the egg coating and they were super crispy. I didn't have the ingredients on hand for the the dip except FF Greek Yogurt and FF mayo so combined this with some Franks Red Hot Sweet with Heat Sauce…What a great combo with the tangy/spicy pickles! Love all your recipes!!
Made these tonight along with the zucchini burgers! I liked the pickles, my husband thought my breading was too thick. The flour did clump, so maybe next time I sift it? Either way, a much enjoyed side dish!
To me, fried pickles have always looked incredibly unhealthy. These look SO good – piled with herbs and a dip. Sounds like a great appetizer for this weekend.
One of my Southern friends got me addicted to fried pickles in college! Every so often, I get a craving and it's one of the few things I don't mind frying up! Will definitely give baking them a try 😀
Gina, you just made my year! I love pickles of pretty much any variety but fried dill pickles are one of my all time FAVORITE appetizers, and I can't resist them any time I see them on a menu. It will be nice to have a healthy version I can make at home! Speaking of pickles, grilled dill pickles are pretty delicious too, (something about them being hot just makes them taste better) but like I said, I'm a pickle person ;p
At first bite I loved them, but then the sodium was overwhelming. Could it be from the Panko or can I attribute all the salt to the pickles? Wondering if the Mt. Olive pickles instead of Claussen would really make a difference in the sodium count.
Love this site, and this is the first recipe that I'm having trouble with. Also wondering if it could be because I used regular paprika and omitted the chipotle. Would those two ingredients make a difference in the saltiness?
Omg! These turned out great, better then the real fried ones I've tried! I didn't have chipotle spice so just used a sweet and spicy spice instead. I loved how the breading turned out also, so I'm going to try it as an onion ring batter…can't wait:) thanks!!
I love fried pickles. I tried making them once, but they didn't come out too good.
I wonder if this would work to make fried zucchini as well?!
My guys and I really loved these. Next time, I'll skip the dip, since I'm the only one who eats it. My 11-year-old even helped with the egg and breading step. We'll definitely have these again. Thanks so much!
Made these this afternoon and they were so good! I love fried pickles so I was excited to try them. The chipotle adds a nice punch to them, too.
These were delicious!!!! I decided to use eggbeaters instead of the eggs and I didn't have any chipotle so I used crushed red peppers instead. I highly recommend these if you want a low point, super yummy, and filling snack. Oh I almost forgot I just used light ranch and that was good.
What should we do with the Cornmeal? It is listed in the ingredients but not in the directions. Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Any way to make these egg free??? My boys are allergic, but love pickles.
I imagine you could use chia gel.
Just as a tip for buying pickles- Vlasic fills their jars with 50% pickles and 50% brine, but Mt. Olive fills theirs with 60% pickles and 40% brine! If you're looking at cost, you can squeeze a few more pickles from Mt. Olive, and they have a 40% reduced sodium version 🙂
Can you tell I'm working for Mt. Olive? LOL
I love Mt Olive brand but I couldn't find any Dill slices at the store so I went with Vlasic.
Wow!! I cannot wait to make these this weekend!!!
Do you think this would go well with mushrooms?
I love fried pickles but my husband doesn't… maybe i can make him a beleive yet!
I just made these, and they are SO good! Without all the grease weighing them down the pickle flavor really comes out. Thanks for your wonderful site: everything I've tried has been delicious!
Wow! I'm a NYer and the first time I tried fried pickles was a few weeks ago when we had lunch at Southern Hospitality. They were amazing! I'm definately giving these a try 🙂 Thanks
Not sure how I feel about fried pickles, but I LOVE fried zucchini and this looks like it would work well on zucchini, I'll have to try it out!
I LOVEEE fried pickles! Thanks so much for the skinny version!
I was just talking about fried pickles with my co-workers, and I saw this recipe…yay!!! My mouth is watering!
I think it's hard to get the real points, I haven't made these yet, but do you actually use up all of the egg and breadcrumb mixture? I bet there is leftovers in each dipping bowl and therefore those extra calories will not be consumed. I'm sure the points are low for just the pickles without the dip, but can't seem to figure out just how low.
OMG! I first had these when I lived in Key West, and I've been hooked ever since! I can't wait to make these, as it pains me to spend almost 5.00 on inferior Frickles here. YUM.
Every Friday, I share my favorite food finds in a series called Food Fetish Friday. I love this post so much I'm featuring it as part of the roundup (with a link-back and attribution) and I hope you have no objections. It's a pleasure following your creations…
Thanks!!
I made these tonight for my husband and two friends. None of us had ever tried fried pickles and we all loved them as our appetizer! My 6 month old daughter even loved playing with the bread crumb container while I put it all together. Thanks, I love your recipes and pass them on to my friends daily!
Love it, thank you!!
I made these today and they were GREAT! I had to bake them a bit longer than it said. That was the only adjustment I had to make.
Yes, all ovens will vary.
Oh my goodness! YUM!!
I tried these lastnite and they turned out great!!! @ Chris I used Pam olive oil spray
When you say olive oil spray, is the Pam olive oil okay to use? Or are you talking about olive oil from a spritzer?
WOW how amazing. Just started following your site found you on Pinterest. I also have a healthy eating Blog it is http://abpetite.blogspot.com/ and I can take some great tips from you your Blog looks great what an inspiration!
Amanda- I entered the info for just the pickles and it came out to 2+ for one serving (if there are 8 servings) Hope this helps!
Thank you – it does!
Do you think the same recipe could be used for fried green tomatoes?
Sure!
I have a corn allergy in my family and can't use the cornmeal. Can you suggest a substitute? Is the cornmeal for flavor or for texture? Thanks!
You can skip it and use more panko and crumbs.
I wish you people would actually review the recipe instead of saying, "I can't wait to try this!" I keep scrolling hoping for someone to try them already. Geez!! Only TWO people in all of these comments actually made them(sorry, Gina, just had to get it out of me! I see this on every recipe you post!).
Ugh… I so agree!
Me too!!
All it says under the recipe is "Comments". It does not say "Reviews" As Gina just posted the recipe, not too many people may have had the opportunity to make them yet. What's wrong with people commenting that they are looking forward to making the recipe?
Anyway, I love fried pickles and cannot wait to try this recipe!!
well then why don't you make them and then review instead of commenting!!
AGREED!
Doesn't my review count? If it's not good, I never post.
I was just thinking EXACTLY the same thing. I want to see if a bunch of people love how they came out.
Gina, I'm sure you love them, otherwise you wouldn't post. But everyone knows palates are different. I think it's helpful to see how people describe them in their own way. I also appreciate when comments reflect changes or adaptations.
I really agree with this comment also and think about this constantly. I think for people that really do cook and try recipes it can be frustrating to scroll through endless comments that are really just commenting on food eye candy. It is wonderful to see comments that are actually substantive and ask questions, have tried the recipe, etc. I generally try not to comment unless I have a question or have actually tried the recipe but felt compelled to voice my agreement with this commenter.
I am also a Long Islander who has never had this dish until one day when I was visiting Memphis. Like you Gina, as I was eating them, I first thought, this is kind of strange, this tastes a little odd, and then found myself loving them and wanting more. I couldn't stop eating them. lol. Thanks for the healthier version. Can't wait to try them.
LOL, even my husband thought they were strange yet couldn't stop eating them. I bet they would be a great add-on to a sandwich!
Thanks so muvh for posting this recipe I am excited to try it because fried pickles are one of my favorite snacks and I have been wanting to eat some lately
This makes me so happy! I can't wait to try these!
Gotta love fried pickles. Your crust on this looks amazing. I'll definitely check these out the next time I get the itch!
OMG,I LOVE THIS!!!! I need to try that out asap!! 🙂
How is this possible?! LOVE
This dish is very odd. i never heard of pickles fry. Any dish which is fried in oil is very tasteful. They provide different taste to it. It is nice to taste.
Massimos pizza
It's very very popular in Oklahoma! Some fast food places even sell it here!
Oh my! I loooooove fried pickles! They're fairly common here (Toronto area). There's a wing chain here that makes friend pickles, but they cut the pickles into spears.
I think I'll have to make half a batch since the bf doesn't like pickles and I could easily eat the entire batch!
Love this! There are a handful of places in Boston that serve fried pickles, but always in spears – slices make so much more sense!
No way, spears are where it's at. Pickle slices taste weird fried, like these did.
OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! I will be making these as soon as humanly possible! I love everything I have tried off of your blog and am so excited to try these! Fried pickles are my favorite! Thank you so much for making these!
I love fried pickles – but I eat them plain. How many points do you think this would be if I didn't use the ranch dip?
Hi Gina, where can I find the smoked paprika and chipotle powder? My local supermarket doesn't seem to have it here on Long Island. Thank you!!
I like Penzey's for mail order spices – good prices and great taste!
I had to laugh because you sound so proper! When you're making such a yummy southern dish, you have to use words like "y'all"!
Allow me to reword your last line: Hope you Southerner's and even all you Yankee's enjoy!! to…
"Hope all y'all Southerners and even all y'all Yanks enjoy!"
Now, that's better.
I was so excited to see this yesterday – HAD to make them last night, and they were awesome! Thank you!!
Wow, I can't believe how many fried pickle lovers there are!!! Enjoy, I always say I cater to all of you so I am happy to provide you all with what you want!!
I just made these and the breading was nice and crisp however the taste was off. Im not sure how to explain it.
I just need to say Thank You. Really, I feel like you channeled my food hopes and dreams. My first thought was "Oh, I need plan a cookout!" My second thought was "No, these are meant for meee and me only!"
Thank you for sharing your wonderful blog. It is my go to cook book!
were can I find smoked paprika/ all i find is the regular one
Um, yes ma'am!! I LOVE fried pickles and cannot wait to try this recipe. Thank you thank you thank you!
So excited to try these!!! Love the deep fried version. Thanks for this recipe and the other amazing ones you post.
Oh. My. Gosh! I, too, am a Yankee, however we've been transported to the south, and have lived here for over 15 years. I used to think fried pickles were weird…until I tried them! As tasty as they were, they're SO BAD for you. Now I have an easy (and HEALTHY!) way to make them!!! THANK YOU!
Is it weird that I have never had fried pickles before? My kids just made me buy a jar of pickles yesterday, maybe it was fate? Looks tasty!
I never had fried pickles, I hate dill pickles. I do however like sweet pickles and bread and butter. Will this recipe work for them.
I think my husband could get on board with these!
Where do I find Chipotle powder? I've heard of chipotle peppers but not a powder.
And thanks for the skinny version! YUM!
I need to get on this!! Love it!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I commented I had wanted this as a skinny recipe! You are the BEST!
ooh…the tangy/creamy combo has my mouth watering!
So are you supposed to mix the cornmeal with the panko? I don't see it in the directions.
You are a woman after my own heart!! HAHA! I absolutely love fried pickles and could devour an entire batch myself. I think I'll have to halve this recipe to restrain myself 🙂 Thank you soooo much for this recipe!
Oh I can't wait to make these!!! Thanks!
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I've been craving fried pickles and wondered how to make them at home!
i've never had fried pickles before but these look absolutely delish!
xo julesinflats.blogspot.com
i've never had fried pickles but i hear they are delicous! these look reallyyyy good!
Love, Love, Love Fried pickles! I am more than EXCITED that you have re created these. I am making them tonight!!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!!
I tried these tonight—excellent! I omitted the flour, and used the stacker style slices of pickle (more surface=less work). I didn't make the dip. Thanks for the recipe.
I have never had a fried pickle, but looking at this recipe makes me want to try one.
Thanks for sharing!
How many points for just the pickles?
im utterly addicted to fried pickles, so im excited to try this skinny version. i recommend trying it with the sweet slices too — unexpectedly yummy!
Holy yum! This is the most exciting recipe I've seen on here in a long time (even though I love everything I make from here:) )!
This. Is. Awesome. I love fried pickles and have been dying for a skinny version. I can't wait to try this! Thank you so much!!!
I'm so excited to try these. Now… to find a reason to put them on our menu!
You just made a horrible day become a GREAT day! I absolutely love fried pickles and cannot wait to try your skinny version. Thank you for posting this!!!
my family is a HUGE fried pickles fan!! TY TY TY got to try! wish I had the recipe for this past weekend!
i am so excited to try this! thanks for the recipe!
Looks so good, I HAVE to try this!
I CAN'T wait to go to the store to get the ingredients for this! I've been hoping you'd have one soon!
I love fried pickles, and jalapenos. Yummmmmm!!! I have another "Skinny" version I've used…. I'm looking forward to trying yours!
I'm like the above Anonymous when it comes to pickles. I'd buy the whole ones and slice them. Slices are much better than spears. You could also buy the sliced Claussen that are cut lengthwise.
Hi Gina,
Do you think I could make these gluten free by omitting the Panko bread crumbs and using gluten free flour instead of regular flour? I have been dying for "fried" pickles, and can't have them at restaurants ever since I found out I have a gluten allergy.
Maybe using Mary's Gone Cracker's Gluten Free Crumbs along with the corn meal. I bet they would be good!
Panko bread crumbs are light and flakey, that's how they get criser than regular bread crumbs so Idk what to sub thats gluten free.
I'm going to try subbing the flour our (was thinking even cornstarch as it works well for coatings), but the Panko can be subbed with Glutino's brand of Panko bread crumbs that iirc are made with corn flour that is also sprayed in a similar way to traditional Panko.
And thank you GINA for testing out the oven baking part!! I'm dying for some but no one ever serves gluten free fried pickles lol!
hands down my favorite treat is fried pickles– glad to have a skinny version now!!
I live in Canada and these have been cropping up in restaurants and pubs all over the last couple years. I find them incredibly addictive. I prefer the quartered spear versions myself. I think I'll have to give this a try sometime soon!
I really only like refrigerated pickles, like Claussen, but they don't make the chip kind. Do you think this would work with spears? Or would they be soggy. I could always buy whole ones & slice them myself. What do you think?
Claussen makes sandwich slices
I have had fried pickle spears and they work, but, in my opinion, are not as good as the chips. I would just slice whole pickles!
I would buy them whole and slice them.
I've been eating fried pickles since I was a baby! I'll def. try your baked version. Being a Carolina girl, I will have to use Mt.Olive dill hamburger chips.
Mt. Olive pics are great!
I am so excited about this!! I adore fried pickles and can't wait to try this skinny version! Thank you!!
My son keeps seeing a certain Vlasic commercial on the food network and keeps asking for pickles. Maybe I'll make him these. <3
They're super popular in the Midwest too – one of my favorite snacks to get! Thank you so much for doing this version. I can't wait to make them this weekend!
Who knew!
Yum – I need to make these! I've made a ton of recipes from your site and have loved every one of them!
Oh my, this looks good! My son has been begging for fried pickles, we'll try these!
This just made my day!! I live in the North and I LOVE fried pickles!!! Thank you 🙂