Joy the Baker

Pickle Fries

by 160 Comments

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I think maybe I can see into my future.  Well, I can see into my future if my future involves me being pregnant.

If I’m ever a pregnant Joy the Baker… oh sweet lordy… God help us all.

I’ll totally be one of those pickles and ice cream women.  I’ll also be a marshmallow and peanut butter woman.  …and maybe a pizza and taffy kind of lady.

It’s the future.  I can feel it.

I hope and pray that pregnant Joy the Baker is also still into kale and quinoa.

Thank goodness that’s all a long way away.

In the meantime… I’ll just turn pickles into fries and pretend the yogurt dipping sauce is actually vanilla bean ice cream.

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This is what a typical pickle shoot looks like.  Totally normal.  Nothing to see here.

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I should tell you now that this is a double battered, fried pickle situation.

First the cornichons are bathed in a beaten egg with mustard and hot sauce.

mmm hmm.

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A dusting of seasoned flour… then back to the egg bath!

The extra egg bath makes the panko bread crumbs stick like glue.Well… delicious glue.

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These darlings are ready for the fryer (and ready for a hot date with an ice cream cone).

Hot from the fryer!  These fried pickles are warm with a hint of spice.  They’re salty, crunchy, and unreasonably comforting.  It’s weird magic.

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I paired these pickle fries with a super simple cumin yogurt dip.  Cumin, yogurt, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.  I dunno… why not fake your way into some health with yogurt dip for your fried indulgence.  mm hmm.  Divine.

I know we’re supposed to be eating cranberries and slice and bake sugar cookies… but I just couldn’t help myself with these fries.

If you’re feeling the spirit, you might consider this Honey Cranberry Cornmeal Quick Bread.

If you’re feeling more pickled, you might consider this amazing Potato Chip and Pickle Sandwich.

Pickle Fries

serves 2

Print this Recipe!

For the Fries:

18-24 small cornichon pickles

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

4 dashes of hot sauce

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

pinch of salt

1 cup panko bread crumbs

pinch of salt

coarse ground black pepper

canola oil for frying

For the Dipping Sauce:

3/4 cup 2% Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

pinch of salt

fresh ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (or more to taste)

a splash of water

First prepare the dipping sauce.  In a small bowl, mix together yogurt, mustard, salt, pepper, cumin and a splash of water.  Set in the fridge until ready to use.

To make the fries, you’ll need three small bowls.  In one bowl beat the egg with Dijon mustard and hot sauce.  In a second small bowl combine flour , pinch of salt, and red pepper flakes.  In a third small bowl, combine panko bread crumbs pinch of salt, and black pepper.

Heat about 1/2-inch oil in a frying pan.  Heat over medium-low flame.  Test the oil heat by tossing in a few bread crumbs to make sure they brown well.  If oil is too hot it will smoke.  You shouldn’t have this problem over a medium/medium-low flame, but if you do, just turn off the heat.

Dip pickles in the egg mixture.  Transfer to the flour mixture to lightly coat.  Transfer back to the egg mixture, then finally to the panko mixture to coat thoroughly.  Transfer coated fries to the fryer, cooking until golden brown on all sides.

Transfer fries to a paper towel to drain and cool slightly before serving with dipping sauce.  Fries are best served warm.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Erica

    My boyfriend and I tried making deep fried pickles a while back and, while still pretty tasty, they didn’t turn out perfectly. We’ll have to try your recipe because it looks downright delicious. Thanks!

    Reply

  2. Brenda

    I have never heard of Fried Pickles, who would of thought they would taste so good, Thank you for awaking my taste buds,
    PS Love your cat.

    Reply

  7. Amy @ Saving with Us

    Oh my gosh! A girl after my own heart! =) Fried Pickles are an accompaniment to every good meal down here in the South. (And if not, they should be in my opinion.) I will definitely be trying this recipe! Thanks Joy!

    Reply

  21. Tatiyana

    I always tell my boyfriend to buy me an ice cream maker when I’m pregnant so I can make pickle ice cream! I think it sounds lovely, although I would probably beat someone up for those pickle fries right now! Yum!

    Reply

  22. Anne

    I love your nail polish color..such a perfect red! The last bottle I got was way too dark and the one before was too light- they need to make little test strips with actual polish for stores.
    …oh and the fried pickles are pretty great too, the panko breading looks suitably crunchy delicious.

    Reply

  34. Becca

    Marshmallow and peanut butter is actually a very addicting flavor combination. Ever had a fluffinutter? Yeah, there you go, haha. Anyways, pickles remind me of how my aunt’s family hides a pickle in their Christmas tree and they hunt for it. The idea of them finding a deepfried pickle in the tree makes me die laughing :D

    Reply

  35. Jennifer L.

    mmm… fried pickles. These look like a particularly tasty version.

    On a side note, when I lived in St. Andrews, one of the fry shops served a chocolate pizza… not one of those strange gloppy concoctions you find over here, but an actual cheese pizza with some kind of chocolate-toffee pieces melted on in places… it was so bizarre and wonderful.

    Reply

  36. Jessie

    Can you come move into my house for oh say…the next 9 months bc I am pregnant and sick…not much cooking going on in these parts. Ok..sending the hubs to make that milkshake from yesterday.

    Reply

  39. Julie @BananasForBourbon

    Shut up. Just shut up, Joy. What are you doing to me! I saw this post on Facebook and thought “Oh, Joy friend pickles, no biggie. I’ll bet they’re delicious. Fried pickles are good.” But now I see you didn’t fry pickles. You bread cornichons in panko and fried THAT. So. Not. The. Same. Only because it is SO much better! Pickle fries, not fried pickles. I get it now. And I’m positively salivating, yet face the prospect of a home with no cornichons. No pickle fries. Sad face.

    Oh, and props for that stout in the background! Looks creamy and dreamy. That I can have when I get home. Silver lining!

    Reply

  40. judith

    Well… you said that you wanted to fry something. This is the perfect thing to fry. I LOVE fried pickles! Never had these little gems. I’ll have to try them.

    Reply

  43. Pam D

    For when you’re pregnant, dill pickles dipped in Hershey’s syrup. A neighbor of my parent’s ate this when she was pregnant and got all us kids eating it too!

    Reply

  44. Mavis

    Holy fried pickles! These are one of my new favorite bar foods, and making them with cornichons is genius! I love the double batter dip :) Who’s counting calories? It’s the holidays!

    Reply

  45. lynsimarie

    OH my goodness. Joy, I love you. I’m pregnant, and these look absolutely DELICIOUS!!! This is important to me, because I have terrible morning sickness (24/7 sickness, actually), and I hate food right now… I’m putting these on my wish list of scrumptious recipes for hubby to make for me while I lay on the couch!

    Reply

  46. Bek

    Ohhhh dear.

    I used to despise pickles. Now I’m pregnant and I was sure that I wouldn’t one of those ‘pickle cravers’.
    Until a few weeks ago I found myself in the pickle section of the supermarket- licking my lips.
    This recipe has sealed the deal for me and pickles. We’re friends now.

    Thanks Joy, can’t wait to fry them up!

    Reply

  48. soo

    GAH! you are beyond adorable and i love your blog! if you have a store you should expand it to new york =P…srlsy expand it to new york
    i made most of the baked goods recipe from your blog and every time i bring it to school for taste my peers love em! and they came out better than i expected!

    Reply

  50. Briel K.

    Joy, those look YUMMY!

    It was great to meet you on Sunday. I had a lot of fun in the class and everyone at work LOVED the cake! Hopefully I’ll be able to take the next one in the spring! :)

    Reply

  52. nicole {sweet peony}

    um i hope you saved some of those for me! i loooove fried pickles but i’ve only had them as pickle chips. you pickle fries look unbelievable! i totally love you for posting this in december amidst all of the festive baking! xoxo

    Reply

  54. LB

    Be still my heart…I’m pretty sure theres nothing I love more than a fried pickle. I make them at home all the time and order them whenever they are on a menu! Ranch dressing on the side and I’m in heaven. I use dill chips but will have to experiment with these little guys! Yum!

    Reply

  55. annie

    I’m going to make these tonight because they look SO GOOD, and my husband is going to be terrified because he’ll see what I’ve done & immediately think that I’m pregnant again. Your fault!

    Reply

  57. NerdyBaker

    Joy, I didn’t know we were pickle soulmates. Why did it take you so long? I have made that potato chip and pickle sandwich twice already, by the way, and O Man was that Awesome! Anyways, I have been wanting to eat fried pickles so I guess making my own is as just as good as any. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  60. Kat

    I am rubbish at deep frying, do you think you could bake these in the oven using normal bread crumbs? Gret recipes by the way, I love the chocolate avo cake, I live in South Africa where avos are dirt cheap and oh so lush! x

    Reply

  61. dana

    We eat deep fried pickles all the time in the south…probably shouldn’t. But yep, they’re good. I’ve never had them with a cumin yogurt dip though.

    Reply

  62. jenny

    joy, I just talked to santa and he’s requested a plate of these instead of the traditional christmas cookies. I told him it was only right. one question, though: what temp should the oil be (for those of us neurotic enough to use thermometers when deep-frying)? santa and I thank you.

    Reply

  63. Amanda

    This just made my day…I have been craving pickles (i am not pregnant, but I would be in the future eating licorice ice cream & egg rolls together in wierd combos since I don’t eat things like that now). YUM YUM YUM!

    Reply

  64. Amanda V

    My dad and sisters love the fried pickles at Cheeseburger in Paradise.. I have so far declined to try them.. These don’t necessarily look any better, but maybe I trust your taste judgment more than my family.. Is that bad? :)

    Reply

  66. Anna

    Joy.

    I love your style.

    I love that you run by the beat of your own drum.

    Please never change. Always write pickle recipes in december.

    Love, Anna

    Reply

  67. Hannah at Fleurdelicious

    These are genius. Going on the new years menu! Also marshmallows and peanut butter are totally normal and non pregnant, right? Hoping so.

    Reply

  68. Moira

    I envy your Californian sunlight!! My Vancouver winter is leaving me in the dark (and usually in the rain!) by 4pm… sigh… Lovely pics, as always! :)

    Reply

  70. Heather

    What if you don’t own a deep-frier? Would a deep pan do? I have been considering the purchase of a small counter-top deep fryer but think that would just make my jeans a little tighter than they already are.

    Reply

  71. moesha in mn

    I grew up in the south and love almost anything fried, especially pickles. So naturally when I was pregnant last year, I LOVED pickles. But then I had to stop eating them because they made my ankles swell up so big that I couldn’t put on my shoes. And flip flops in a minnesota winter just doesn’t work well.

    Reply

  78. bunny

    oh goodness me! i thought pickle fries were strictly reserved for bar eats with a nice pint, and now you tell me i can make them at home?! dangerous!

    Reply

  80. Jessica Fowler

    Oh my goodness. I may have to call up my mama so I can slap her because I bet those are delicious! I can’t wait to try them. This weekend, perhaps? Yes, this weekend! Thanks for the recipe! :)

    Reply

  82. Chrissy @MyFareFoodie

    I totally made fried pickles (and blogged about it) right after Thanksgiving. I figured why stop at stuffing and pie? Fried pickle party! Good call with the panko!

    Reply

  83. Lindsay @ The Live-In Kitchen

    Oh Joy the Baker, get out of my life! These look amazing. I always hated pickles growing up but since having babies I love them. Weird. And now I want to fry them. Double weird. I’m always intimidated by frying things, but this looks super easy since I don’t need to measure the temperature of the oil.

    Reply

  84. Bernadette

    *hihi* I’m pregnant right now and I’m way too sick all the time to even think about any kind of food. It’s sad really because I would love to have some kind of craving for “crazy” foods.
    When you’re pregnant in the future I wish you all the best that you won’t be sick all the time and can enjoy pickles with vanilla ice cream!
    greetings from Austria,
    Bernadette

    Reply

  88. tj

    …You’re awesome. ‘Nuff said. ;o)

    …And you pregnant?! [squeal!] THAT my dear would be the frosting on the proverbial cake! Uh, baked by you no less.

    …I am so going to make these. Just last night we were having burgers with homemade fries for dinner and I had sweet pickles on the table and ‘bj’ (husband) asks, “nobody eats sweet pickles” just as I was munching down one of ’em, I quickly gave him the look that sends fear into the soul of all men and said, “do I look like a nobody?!”… I put the end on that conversation, hmmph. *giggle* ;o)

    …Thank you for the recipe Miss Joy!

    …Blessings :o)

    Reply

  90. Jessica @ Hungrygems

    A golden brown coat of salty crispness encasing a hidden glorious green acidic center? As soon as I get home, I will glare at my unfried pickles in my fridge with contempt. For shame, unfried pickles….for shame…

    Reply

  91. Sally @ Spontaneous Hausfrau

    I had fried pickles once. I thought I had died. The fried gherkins, all miniature and therefore tasting 10 times better than anything normal sized – I’m just not sure my excited heart can handle that. Not that it would keep me from trying.

    Reply

  93. Shushmi

    I am a little heartbroken right now. feeling kinda blue and thought I’d just put it out there. hearts bounce back – i know they do. just need a little time – right? i have been curled on the sofa with chocolate biscuits – but these look like they’d be pretty good at dealing with heartbreak too. :)

    Reply

  94. Lindsay

    I made the Honey Cranberry Cornmeal Bread for my graduate committee meeting yesterday. They all loved it and the meeting went really well. Nothing like good food to keep people happy!

    Reply

  95. katie @KatieDid

    Love how cute these are! And amongst all the peppermint, mocha, cranberry, and orange zesty recipes going on right now I actually really appreciate a little hiatus for your pickles haha!

    Reply

  96. Amy

    I am so going to make these! They look so delicious. I’ve had “frickles” at resturants, which are so good….but now I can make my own at home! Thanks Joy…

    Reply

  98. Jill in Atlanta

    I was too nauseous during my pregnancies to eat anything fun. If I had any craving, it was for celery, which has a bitterness that could cut through the nausea sometimes. Enjoy fried pickles now instead!

    Reply

  104. Sara

    Ohhhhh. These are going on the menu for this weekend. This has indulgence written all over it! Love that you used the baby pickles and hot sauce!! There is a brand out there that makes the cornichons already spiced with Franks hot sauce, those would be awesome in this instance!

    Reply

  112. martina

    When you will be pregnant… you will not know what will happen to you!!! For real… I thought I will be into so much more chocolate (than before) and now that I’m pregnant… I don’t like it anymore. Peanut butter tastes awful, coffee smells wrong, really wrong… Garlic and onion? Forget that. Remember me of rotten vegetables. I dream cauliflower soup and fish (and pickled onion… no bad smell there!). Do you think it’s just me? Enjoy your cat in the meantime (and this fried pickle).
    Martina

    Reply

  117. Jess

    Is that a glass of dark porter I spy in the background of the first picture? Is that one of the Joy the Brewer (c) ales? And, if it is poured into a glass, does that mean that they turned out beautifully and not like monkey butt? I have been in suspense to hear about these beers for months!
    Alas, beautiful pickle fries, I know I can never make you, because I would eat you ALL.

    Reply

  118. courtneylaurel

    Frickles. Your sauce looks yummy; I’ll give it a whirl! I usually eat my frickles with a horseradish aioli. Yum!

    Reply

  123. Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga

    These look amazing!

    And when I was pregnant I was far too sick to have ever contemplated anything remotely close to this. Saltines made me sick. So you may be safe. Enjoy them while you’re not pregnant is what I say. lol

    And the “Cumin, yogurt, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper” = that sounds perfect too!

    Reply

  124. Lynne @ 365 Days of Baking

    Oh.my.goodness. I SO have to try these!!!
    I have heard about fried pickles, but have never tried them. Joy, these look oh so much better!!!
    When I was pregnant, from the time they came out the beginning of January to my due date/delivery date on April 3rd, I ate one of those large Cadbury creme eggs EVERY day. I’m surprised I didn’t have gestational diabetes. It may explain why my eldest is the way she is. Haha. I’m kidding. She’s ok, no side effects, but she sure does LOVE those creme eggs! ;-)

    Reply

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