My family is a little obsessed with these air fryer pickles recipe. It’s a 2-ingredient recipe that’s taking the world by storm. The instructions couldn’t be easier, and you’ll have perfect finger food in less than 10 minutes!
One of the main reasons I love this recipe is it uses a store-bought Shake ‘n Bake Chicken seasoned coating mix!
You don’t even have to spend the time to make your own. I was shocked at how easy, delicious, and fast this was to whip up and it didn’t sacrifice an ounce on flavor.
🥒 Ingredients
You literally only need two ingredients plus some olive oil spray to make these. They are just as great as when you buy them at a restaurant, too; only you don’t even have to leave the house or spend the money.
Pickles – We used Bread and Butter pickle chips to make this tasty appetizer. You could use regular dill chips if you wanted, it’s excellent either way, so be creative.
If you wanted to go wild, use a spicy or sweet pickle chip instead. The options are endless!
Shake and Bake – Use the extra crispy Shake ‘n Bake so your pickles have a crunchy exterior and a soft interior.
Shake ‘n Bake has been around forever and I love adding it into my recipes because it has so much flavor and is easy to work with.
Dipping Sauce – You can use any dipping sauce that you like, but I have included my homemade tangy recipe for you below. Print it out and use it for other recipes as well.
It’s made of Miracle Whip, ketchup, dill, sugar, lemon juice, garlic salt, and a dash of Tabasco sauce. You can’t help but love it.
🍽️ Instructions
You don’t have to worry about deep frying these (and all the calories that come with that), and there is virtually no work on your end. Take a look at how easy it is:
Step 1: Place a few of the bread and butter pickle chips into the Shake ‘n Bake coating. I used a quart sized Ziploc bag, as you won’t use all of the seasoning.
Add a pickle to the bag and shake to completely cover it. Place the sliced pickles in the air fryer.
NOTE: Extra crispy Shake ‘n Bake comes with two coating pouches per box. I used just a little bit of the seasoned coating at a time and saved the rest for another meal.
Use a little bit of olive oil and spray the pickles. This will keep the coating from coming off during cooking. Turn the temperature to the air fryer to 400 degrees. Cook for 9 minutes, turning them over half way through.
Step 2: While the pickles are cooking, prepare the dipping sauce. Use a small bowl and mix the Miracle Whip, ketchup, dill, sugar, garlic salt, Tabasco, and lemon juice.
Stir until the ingredients are mixed well. Serve the fried pickles along with the dipping sauce and enjoy!
🍴 Meal Prep Instructions
Cook these up to 2-3 days ahead of time.
Then let them cool and place them in the fridge in a container with a snug-fitting lid. When you are ready to serve, put them in the air fryer again to heat up. It takes about 5-7 minutes until they are hot all the way through.
‼️ Freezer Friendly Instructions
Cook the air fryer pickles as directed. Place them on a large baking sheet, so they aren’t touching.
Put the pan in the freezer for 2-3 hours and then place them in a Ziploc bag. Store them in the freezer for up to three months.
Warm them up in the air fryer when you are ready to serve. They don’t have to be thawed.
Just skip the microwave, or they will end up soggy.
📌 Expert Tips
I’ve had so much fun making (and eating!) these, and I’ve learned a few things along the way. Here are my best tips to make sure your air fryer pickles are perfectly crispy and delicious every time:
- Drain the pickles! Before you start, take your pickle chips out of the jar and let them drain on a paper towel. Getting rid of that extra moisture is the number one secret to helping the dry Shake ‘n Bake coating stick perfectly while avoiding sogginess.
- Don’t crowd the basket. I know it’s tempting to fill the air fryer up, but these pickles need their space! Cook them in a single layer with a little room in between each one. This allows the hot air to circulate and ensures every single pickle gets wonderfully crispy instead of steamy.
- Go easy on the coating. You don’t need to use the whole pouch of Shake ‘n Bake at once. I like to pour just a little bit into my Ziploc bag, shake a few pickles, and then add more coating as needed. It prevents waste and keeps the rest of the mix fresh for another meal!
- The dipping sauce makes the meal. That tangy dipping sauce is what really takes these over the top! I recommend mixing it up while the pickles are in the air fryer so the flavors have a few minutes to meld together before serving.
🥣 Variations
It’s next to impossible to have enough fried pickles because they are just that good. I always keep going back for more, and I am sure you will do the same. Here are a few variations you may enjoy.
- Sweet pickles – I love sweet pickles! Why not bread and air fry some to add extra zip to the flavor.
- Bread and butter pickles – They usually have just enough spiciness to them. Try it and see.
- Dill pickle spears – These will have a nice tangy taste that will go really well with the dipping sauce.
👩🍳 Recipe FAQs
Wet batters should not be used in the air fryer. That is why I created this battered pickle that uses a dry coating and won’t drip and burn up.
If you don’t eat all your pickles right away, store in the fridge until you are ready to eat. Place them back in the air fryer at 375 for a couple of minutes to heat them up. It will provide a crispier texture compared to microwave.
You can use aluminum foil in the air fryer. Don’t cover the whole basket as it will prevent air flow. If you have trays, you can put foil on the bottom to catch any drips, or opt for bread to soak up the drippings without smoking.
Keeping fried pickles from going soggy is a difficult task. You will want to serve your pickles fresh from the air fryer. Reheat them in the air fryer instead of the microwave.
Related Recipes
Air Fryer Pickles with Homemade Dipping Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 jar Bread and Butter Pickle Chips or regular Dill Chips
- 1 package Extra Crispy Shake and Bake Coating chicken seasoning flavor
- Spray Olive Oil
Tangy Dipping Sauce
- 1 cup Miracle Whip
- ¼ cup Ketchup
- ¼ tsp Dill
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Garlic Salt
- Tabasco Sauce couple of shakes
Instructions
Air Fryer Pickles
- Add one packet of Shake /n Bake into a quart sized Ziploc bag.
- Take a few of the pickle chips from the jar and place them in the bag.
- Shake the pickles in the coating mix to completely coat them. Use a fork to turn the pickles over, if you find that easier.
- Lay the pickle slices in the Air Fryer tray or basket. Spray the them with a dash of Spray Olive Oil.
- Turn the temperature to 400 degrees, and set the time for nine minutes. Turn the pickles over at the halfway point.
Tangy Sauce
- In a small bowl, add the Miracle Whip, Ketchup, dill, sugar, lemon juice, garlic salt, and Tabasco. Stir until all ingredients are well mixed. Serve the fried pickles with dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Hi!
Ginny Collins is a passionate foodie and recipe creator of Savor and Savvy and Kitchenlaughter. Indoors she focuses on easy, quick recipes for busy families and kitchen basics. Outdoors, she focuses on backyard grilling and smoking to bring family and friends together. She is a lifelong learner who is always taking cooking classes on her travels overseas and stateside. Her work has been featured on MSN, Parade, Fox News, Yahoo, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and many local news outlets. She lives in Florida where you will find her outside on the water in her kayak, riding her bike on trails, and planning her next overseas adventure.
amazing! reminds me of the kind of pickles you find at county fairs