Fried Pickles + Homemade Buttermilk Ranch

Ever since trying fried pickles at a Texas Roadhouse with my sister and her husband two years ago, my daughter has been begging me to make fried pickles.  I hate frying things, and plus, it's so bad for you, so I never complied, until just recently.  I know I'm bad, but I re-used the oil from Navajo Tacos to fry these babies.  It worked out perfectly, and these were really good!  (I made these a while ago; I didn't wait that long to re-use the oil!)  I found a great recipe from Homesick Texan.  I did not have any saltines on hand, so I used Panko bread crumbs.  I also used pre-sliced pickles to save time.... but slicing a few pickles would have been the least of my concerns, time-wise, with this recipe!

My daughter started her own cute little blog and has made quite a few recipes on her own.  She made a Buttermilk Ranch a while ago that I thought would go just perfect with these, so I asked her to make it again to use for dipping.  The combo was great!  And now, I'm done frying things for a really long time.  ;)  I saw a recipe for oven-fried pickle chips yesterday.... but the dredging of these little guys was so time-consuming!

Fried Pickles

adapted from Homesick Texan

3-6 Servings

2 cups dill pickle chips

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups Panko bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste!)
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

1.  In a large, shallow bowl, mix together the flour, salt and black pepper. Dredge the pickle chips in the mixture until they are well coated.

2.  Mix together the eggs with the buttermilk. Place the Panko crumbs on a plate and mix in the cayenne and dill weed. In batches, dip the flour-coated pickles into the eggs and then lightly dredge in the Panko. Place Panko-coated pickles on a large baking sheet. Repeat until all the pickles are coated.

2.  In a large, heavy skillet, heat 1/2 inch of oil on medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees. Fry the pickles for one minute or until golden brown, turning once. You will have to do this in several batches-do not crowd the pan. Drain on paper towels.  Serve immediately with Ranch dressing (recipe below).

My Daughter's Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

adapted from A Little Side Dish

1 cup buttermilk

6 tablespoons mayo
2 teaspoons lemon juice
sprinkle paprika
1 teaspoon fresh or dried dill, snipped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, snipped
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1.  Mix all ingredients together and store in a covered container in the fridge. 

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