Crispy Fried Pickles with Southern Comeback Sauce
Whisk mayonnaise, chili sauce, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and salt into a comeback sauce and set it aside. Cut dill pickles into ¼-inch diagonal slices and dry them thoroughly, then stir flour, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and buttermilk into a thick batter. Dip the slices one at a time and fry them in oil at about 375°, turning once they are golden, without overcrowding the pan. Drain on paper towels and serve with the sauce for dipping.
Fried pickles are the great gift of the Southern bar kitchen: tangy dill pickles in a crisp, golden crust, served with a creamy, spiced comeback sauce for dipping. The contrast is the whole point — hot and crunchy meets cool and sour, all softened by a swipe of that addictive sauce. They are salty, tangy, crisp, and completely habit-forming, and they come together fast.
The Comeback Sauce
Comeback sauce is Mississippi's answer to remoulade — a creamy, tangy, gently spicy dip that is so good you'll come back for more. Whisk together a mayonnaise base with chili sauce, a little heat, and plenty of seasoning until it is smooth and punchy, then let it rest so the flavors meld. Making it first means it is ready the moment the pickles come out of the oil, and it only gets better as it sits.
Battering & Frying the Pickles
Dryness is the secret to crisp fried pickles. Pat the pickle slices as dry as you can before they meet the batter, so the coating clings and crisps rather than sliding off in the oil. Dip them in the thick batter, then fry in hot oil until deeply golden and crunchy, working in small batches so the temperature stays high. Drain them on paper towels and serve them straight away, while they are hot and crackling, with the comeback sauce alongside.
Crispy Fried Pickles with Southern Comeback Sauce
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Set aside while you fry the pickles.
- Cut the pickles into ¼-inch thick diagonal slices.
- Lay the slices on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Use more paper towels to dry the pickle slices thoroughly.
- Place the pickles into the fridge while you stir together the sauce.
- Place the flour, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder in a bowl. Stir in the buttermilk. Season with salt and pepper.
- The batter will be thick.
- Heat vegetable oil (to about 375°) in a fryer or deep pot over high heat. You want enough oil to only come up ⅓ of the side of the pan.
- Dip one pickle slice into the batter. Shake off excess and carefully place in the hot oil.
- Repeat with several pickle slices.
- Do not overcrowd the pan.
- Use a slotted spoon to turn the pickle slices over once they are golden on one side, about 1 to 2 minutes total frying time per slice.
- Remove the slices to a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
- Continue until all the pickle slices are fried.
- Serve with sauce for dipping.
The Heart of the Table
There is easy, generous fun in a basket of hot fried pickles and a bowl of good sauce set down to share — the kind of snack that makes a gathering feel relaxed and happy. To fry up something crisp and tangy for friends is unpretentious Southern hospitality, a little indulgence meant to be passed around and dunked and enjoyed with a cold drink in hand.
The Art of the Host
A heavy pot, a thermometer, and paper towels for drying the pickles are the essentials. Pat the pickles bone-dry so the batter grips, keep the oil hot and steady, and fry in small batches so it doesn't cool. Drain on paper towels and salt lightly, and make the comeback sauce ahead so it is ready for dipping the second the pickles are done.
Neighborly Grace
- The Preparation: The comeback sauce is best made ahead, and you can slice and dry the pickles and mix the dry coating in advance, so only the quick fry happens at the last minute. Hold fried pickles crisp on a rack in a low oven if frying for a crowd, and serve with the sauce.
- The Pour: An ice-cold lager or a crisp hard cider is the classic bar-snack match. For a non-alcoholic option, a sweet tea or a tart lemonade balances the salty, tangy pickles.
- The Vibe: This is casual, share-a-basket bar food — pile the hot pickles up with the comeback sauce for dunking and serve them crisp and fast. It is a fun, tangy, crowd-pleasing snack made for a relaxed afternoon and a cold drink.