Cajun Fried Pickles with Garlic Blue Cheese Dip

Dill pickle chips are bathed in a Cajun buttermilk batter, fried until crispy, then dipped in a homemade blue cheese sauce… the ultimate fried pickles!

Fried pickles are the perfect appetizer or game day food! This Cajun version is no exception… super light and crispy, packed full of flavor, and ready to be dipped in a mouthwatering garlic blue cheese dip!

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Now that Fall is officially in swing, we can start talking about one of my favorite types of noms… game day foods!! There is something so innately satisfying about sitting down to watch the game with a big plate of snacks. Not that fried pickles have to be saved for game day… oh no. We like to have these fried pickles as an appetizer, or even a side dish to a nice juicy burger!

We don’t go out to dinner all that often, since the kids usually pick THAT time to act like possessed children… but when we DO go out, we love this little place down the road called Toots. They have traditional American/bar foods, including a FREE kids hot dog meal (guess what the kids eat every time we go there?), and the most amazing fried pickles. Even the kids love them!

I’ve been a huge fan of fried pickles for as long as I can remember. The classically flavorful dill pickle chip and the insanely crispy yet light breading just combine for one of the greatest food frying inventions around! Until recently, I hadn’t made them at home… probably because I know full well how dangerous it could be (fried pickles every day anyone?), but I finally decided to throw caution to the wind and test a few recipes out.

One of the downsides of the restaurant fried pickles I’d had, was that the breading just really didn’t have any flavor going on. I love my food to be positively bursting with flavor, so right away I knew I’d have to jazz up the breading. And what better way than with Cajun spices? For some extra heat, make these with spicy dill pickle chips… it’s amazing!! Probably not so great for the kiddos though.

To cool down from the heat from the fried pickles, I love to serve these with a BIG pitcher of my favorite iced tea… Lipton Iced Tea! The Lipton Cold Brew is my go-to… no boiling water needed 🙂 For 2 quarts, just pour 8 cups COOL water over 2 Lipton Cold Brew tea bags. Let brew for 5 minutes, dunking and stirring frequently, then remove tea bags, sweeten to taste and serve over ice!

I love how bright the flavor is, and Lipton makes any gathering fun!

Don’t be intimidated by frying, it’s really not difficult. Here’s the breakdown.

Easy Frying Instructions:

Grab a large enameled cast iron pot

Heat over MED to MED-HIGH heat until it’s a little bit over 375 degrees F (use a thermometer

Coat your dried pickles with the batter, then gently drop (drop them away from you to avoid splashing yourself) 5-6 pickles in the oil.

Fry for 1-3 minutes per side, until golden brown.

Carefully remove pickles with a slotted spoon (or a spider

You can totally do this! No need for a fancy deep fryer, just a pot and some oil!

To me, no order of fried pickles is complete without the dip… so I made a quick and easy, 5 minute garlic blue cheese and chive sauce. It’s so simple, just zip it up in your blender or food processor! Of course, if you’d prefer another sauce, or even no sauce… have at it 🙂 These are your fried pickles, not mine.

Give these Cajun fried pickles a try soon, and don’t forget the pitcher of delicious Lipton Cold Brew!!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Lipton. The opinions and text are all mine.

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Cajun Fried Pickles with Garlic Blue Cheese Dip Dill pickle chips are bathed in a Cajun buttermilk batter, fried until crispy, then dipped in a homemade blue cheese sauce... the ultimate fried pickles! 5 from 1 vote Print Recipe Pin Recipe Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 15 mins Total Time 30 mins Servings 4 servings Ingredients 1x 2x 3x PICKLES:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning

3/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp hot sauce

1 cup buttermilk

16 oz dill pickle chips - drained and dried on paper towels (don't forget this part!)

- GARLIC BLUE CHEESE SAUCE:

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1 Tbsp lemon juice (fresh - if possible)

- 1/4 tsp hot sauce

1 clove garlic - minced

- 1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves

2 Tbsp fresh chives - roughly chopped

- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese Instructions GARLIC BLUE CHEESE SAUCE:

Add all ingredients, except for blue cheese, to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

Add blue cheese and pulse until mixed together, but still slightly chunky.

If sauce is too thin for your liking, add a bit more sour cream and mayo (or blue cheese), and blend until incorporated.

Pour into an airtight container and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.



PICKLES:

Drain pickle juice from jar and lay pickle chips out on paper towels to dry.

Line a baking sheet with several paper towels. Place a cooling rack over the top of the baking sheet and set aside.

Heat 2 inches of oil in a big heavy bottomed pot (like an enameled cast iron dutch oven) over MED to MED-HIGH heat until oil is about 385 degrees F.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, hot sauce and buttermilk and whisk to combine well. Mixture should be smooth. Mixture should be a thick pancake batter consistency. If too dry, add water a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches desired consistency.

Use a paper towel to blot the tops of the pickle chips to remove any excess moisture on the top.

Place 5-6 pickle chips into the batter, turning to coat all sides. Shake off excess batter, then gently place into the hot oil (place the pickle chips by dropping them about 1 inch from the oil, while moving your hand AWAY from yourself to avoid splashing yourself with hot oil).

Fry pickles about 1-3 minutes per side, until golden brown on both sides.

Carefully remove pickles from oil (I use a spider to do this), and place them on the cooling rack.

This allows the excess oil to drain, while still allowing the pickles to stay crisp.

Repeat with remaining pickles.

Serve with garlic blue cheese sauce. Author The Chunky Chef Tried this recipe? Mention @the_chunky_chef or tag #thechunkychef