Paula Deen Deep-Fried Pickles

Paula Deen deep-fried pickles take 13 minutes and just bread and butter pickles, cornmeal and eggs to make a crunchy, tangy Southern appetizer. This easy fried pickle appetizer with honey mustard dip fits game day, cookout and potluck spreads, and one batch feeds 6 hungry guests.

Dredge the pickles in the order flour, egg, then cornmeal, and keep the oil at 350°F while you fry. If the oil runs cooler, the coating soaks it up and turns greasy instead of crisp.

Paula uses sweet bread and butter pickles and a cornmeal coating, so you get a gritty crunch with a little sweetness behind the tang. She also serves them with a quick honey mustard sauce that you stir together in one small bowl.

Paula Deen Deep-Fried Pickles

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Course: AppetizerCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

3

minutes

Calories

330

kcal

A cornmeal crust fries up golden and crunchy around each tangy pickle slice. The sauce stays cool and creamy, so every bite has a bit of contrast.

Ingredients

• Deep-Fried Pickles:
  

• Vegetable oil, for frying
  

• 1 cup all purpose flour
  

• 4 large eggs, beaten
  

• 1 cup cornmeal
  

• 1 (16-oz) jar bread and butter pickles
  

• Honey Mustard Sauce:
  

• 1/4 cup Sour cream
  

• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  

• 2 tablespoons honey
  

Directions

• Heat the oil: Pour vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed pot until it is 2 inches deep, then heat it to 350°F. Check it with a thermometer so the pickles fry evenly.
• Set up the dredging bowls: Put 1 cup all purpose flour with a dash of salt and pepper in a small bowl, and the 4 beaten large eggs in another. Then mix 1 cup cornmeal with a dash of salt and pepper in a third bowl.
• Bread the pickles: Dredge each pickle from the 16-oz jar of bread and butter pickles in the flour, then the egg, and then the cornmeal. Set the coated pickles on a plate while the oil finishes heating.
• Fry in batches: Carefully lower the pickles into the oil in batches and fry for 3 minutes. Then lift them out with a slotted spoon onto paper towels to drain.
• Make the honey mustard sauce: Stir together 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 2 tablespoons honey in a small bowl. Keep stirring until the sauce is smooth.
• Serve: Transfer the fried pickles to a serving platter while they are still hot. Then set the honey mustard sauce alongside for dipping.

Tools for this recipe

• Lodge 6-quart enameled Dutch oven, ThermoPro instant-read thermometer, OXO stainless slotted spoon, Hellmann's real mayonnaise, 30 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use dill pickles instead of bread and butter pickles?

Yes, dill pickle chips work and give you a sharper, saltier bite. Pat them dry first, since extra moisture keeps the coating from sticking.

Why is my coating falling off the pickles?

Wet pickles are the usual cause, so blot the slices on paper towels before the flour. Press the cornmeal on firmly and avoid crowding the pot, because pickles bumping together knock the crust off.

Can I make deep-fried pickles ahead of time?

They are best straight out of the oil, because the crust softens as it sits. You can set up the three dredging bowls and mix the sauce ahead, then fry just before serving.

Can I make these in an air fryer?

An air fryer will crisp the coating with much less oil, though the crust turns out drier than deep frying. Spray the breaded pickles lightly with oil first so the cornmeal browns.

How do I know the oil is hot enough?

Use a thermometer and hold the oil at 350°F. Without one, drop in a pinch of cornmeal, and if it sizzles right away the oil is ready.