For The Easiest Fried Pickles, Trust The Shake And Bake Method

Do you wish there were an easy, foolproof way to make fried pickles at home that didn't involve a tedious, multi-step recipe? Truth be told, most fried pickle recipes require you to not only dredge individual pickle slices in flour, raw egg, and seasoned panko breadcrumbs, but also to fry them in oil on your stove. However, you can simplify this popular appetizer by using a mess-free, shake-and-bake dredging method as well as baking your pickles in an oven instead of a frying pan.

To avoid dirtying every dish in your kitchen — or worse, spending too much money at fast food chains that serve fried pickles — make your own batch of oven-fried pickles using this shake-and-bake method. It reduces your time in the kitchen and even better, minimizes cleanup. To start, simply soak your pickle slices in egg whites that have been whisked until foamy. Then, add your egg-dipped pickles to a resealable plastic bag filled with cornmeal, flour, and your choice of seasonings. To avoid introducing excess moisture to your bag of dry ingredients, use a slotted spoon when transferring your pickles from one step to the next. Once you seal the bag and shake your pickles to ensure they're adequately covered, line them on a baking sheet and bake them until they turn perfectly crisp.

For starters, among the many tips you can follow for the crispiest fried pickles of your life, make sure to blot your pickle chips with paper towels to remove any excess moisture before dipping them in raw egg whites. This helps to avoid diluting your egg whites, which can prevent your dry bread crumb mixture from sticking properly to each pickle slice. Also, make sure to use more cornmeal than flour in your bag of dry ingredients. Using more cornmeal than flour ensures each pickle slice has an extra satisfying crunch.

Next, when you're ready to bake your pickles, place them on a wire rack situated on top of a lined baking sheet. This way, the heat from your oven is able to circulate around your pickles more evenly so they won't get soggy underneath. If you don't have a wire rack, bake your pickles directly on your baking sheet and flip them halfway through cooking. Either way, for the best texture, make sure your pickle slices are evenly spaced to avoid overcrowding. Then, cover them in a good spritz of oil before baking.

Another way to guarantee crispy, oven-fried pickle chips is to bake them at a high temperature like 425 degrees Fahrenheit. The high heat browns your bread crumbs quickly and prevents your pickles from turning soggy. For a similar cooking method, you can also air-fry pickles at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for an equally crunchy end result.