As we welcome summer in just a few days, we also welcome the season of state and county fairs! I loved going to fairs as a kid – going on rides, playing games, and seeing and tasting all the treats these fairs have to offer. Inspiration can come from anywhere, and this recipe’s inspiration is from my days attending the fair. Fried pickles were one of my favorite treats, so I revamped this fair-classic and made it healthier, but just as delicious. Let’s make air fryer pickles! 

Please scroll down to see my How to Use an Air Fryer – What is an Air Fryer Introduction. 

How to make air fryer pickles

In under 30 minutes you can have this savory snack. To make the air fryer pickles, first preheat the air fryer to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. While the air fryer is preheating, slice the pickles into coins (or use pre-sliced pickles) and place them on paper towels to remove excess moisture. From there, prepare three small bowls – one with flour, one with whisked eggs, and one with panko breadcrumbs. Dip and coat both sides of the pickles in each of these bowls, in that order. Place the coated pickles in the air fryer in a single layer. Cook the pickles for about 7 minutes, flipping and cooking for an additional 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Your air fryer pickles will be ready in a snap!

To elevate these air fryer pickles up a notch, serve them with my Avocado Green Goddess Dressing or my Dill Dip! Both of these dips add a nice creaminess and zing that compliment the air fryer pickles perfectly!

I’m in a pickle because I don’t know which pickles to buy!

There are so many brands of pickles on the market. From the classics to the artisanal, the variety is endless! Below are some of my favorite brands of pickles to use for my air fryer pickles recipe!

Some of my favorite brands include:

1. Claussen Dill Pickles
2. Bubbies Pickles
3. Crisp & Co
4. Neighborhood Deli

Health benefits of air fryer pickles

At your state or county fair (or even favorite restaurant) the fried pickles typically have added total fat and saturated fat – about 13 grams and 5 grams, respectively.1 Saturated fat, specifically, is the type of fat that can lead to increased risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.2 However, by making these air fryer pickles at home, you nearly cut out most of the fat! Additionally, because minimal fat is being added to the air fryer pickles, they are also lower in calories when prepared at home. Just be sure to watch the sodium content. Who said you can’t enjoy your fair-favorites at home?

Similar Pages

If you enjoyed these air fryer pickles, be sure to check out my Cheese Crisps, my Cherry Tomato Bruschetta, and my Melon Prosciutto Cup Appetizers!

Resources

1. Calorie King. CalorieKing. https://www.calorieking.com/us/en/foods/f/calories-in-sides-fried-pickles/AZfNkq1yQhWaCGwjkDjx3w. Accessed May 21, 2020.
2. Souza RJD, Mente A, Maroleanu A, et al. Intake of saturated and trans unsaturated fatty acids and risk of all cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. BMJ. August 2015. doi:10.1136/bmj.h3978

Have you heard about the air fryer?

You may have seen commercials advertising air fryers, or you may have seen them lining the aisles of your local Target, Walmart or Bed Bath and Beyond. With different models on the market, you may be asking yourself, “what is an air fryer?” According to the Kitchn, the air fryer works as a convection oven, however, the fan that circulates the air spins quicker.1 The process of air frying differs from traditional frying as in the air fryer, all portions of the food are cooked at the same rate versus needing to turn the food to cook all sides.1 Additionally, air frying usings less oil than traditional frying, which brings me to my next point!

Why use an air fryer?

As I previously mentioned, air frying uses a lot less oil, which reduces calories and saturated fat making whatever we cook healthier, without impacting the taste or texture! When we traditionally deep fry foods, as little as 8 percent or as much as 25 percent of the oil will be absorbed into the foods.2 This is in the form of saturated fat, which also adds 9 calories per gram of oil absorbed. Research has shown that a diet high in saturated fat can lead to heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and death.3 By using the air fryer, you can use an oil high in polyunsaturated fat (i.e. olive oil), and the excess oil will fall to the bottom of the air fryer. In fact, the American Heart Association presidential advisory notes that replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat results in about a 30% reduction of heart disease.4 Cooking in the air fryer allows us to enjoy some of our favorite (now not-so-guilty) guilty pleasures. 

Air Frying Tips

1. Use a light coating of oil (or oil spray) on either the basket and food item to achieve the golden-brown exterior of the food item you are cooking. This also imparts great flavor to the food.
2. Do not over-crowd the air fryer. This can lead to uneven cooking, and/or soggy texture of the food item. 
3. Check the appropriate cooking times and cooking temperatures, as these factors will differ from cooking food items in a standard oven.
4. A rectangular air fryer allows for easier spacing of the food items (and more food cooked at once) compared to the air fryers that are more circular.

My Air Fryer

Looking for the same model air fryer I’m using? Learn more about it and purchase it here.

Resources

1. Franke S. How Does an Air Fryer Work? Kitchn. https://www.thekitchn.com/how-do-air-fryers-work-265185. Published May 1, 2019. Accessed May 9, 2020.
2. Dunford N. Deep Fat Frying Basics for Food Services – Oklahoma State University. Deep Fat Frying Basics for Food Services | Oklahoma State University. https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/deep-fat-frying-basics-for-food-services.html. Accessed May 9, 2020.
3. Souza RJD, Mente A, Maroleanu A, et al. Intake of saturated and trans unsaturated fatty acids and risk of all cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. BMJ. August 2015. doi:10.1136/bmj.h3978
4. Sacks FM, Lichtenstein AH, Wu JH, et al. Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2017;136(3). doi:10.1161/cir.0000000000000510

Air fryer pickles

4.41 from 10 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fried pickles, air fryer, fried pickles, pickles

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 servings

Equipment

• air fryer

Ingredients

• 20 dill pickle slices or cut 10 dill pickle sandwich slices in half
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup panko style bread crumbs

Instructions

• Preheat air fryer to 425 degrees F.
• Place pickles on a paper towel in a single layer.
• In a bowl, combine flour and salt and mix well. In a second bowl, add eggs and beat well. In a third bowl, add bread crumbs.
• Dip pickles in flour mixture to coat both sides, then dip in the egg, then in the bread crumbs.
• Place pickles in a single layer into air fryer basket and cook for 7-8 minutes. Turn the pickles over and cook for another 2-3 minutes depending on your preferred level of golden brown and crispiness.
• Optional: serve with your favorite creamy dressing, like my Green Goddess or Tzatziki.

Video