Air Fryer Pickle Spears

Name: Air Fryer Pickle Spears
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 sleeve Ritz crackers; 1/2 tablespoon dill weed; 5-6 dashes cayenne pepper; 1 cup flour; 1 large egg; 9-10 pickle spears (I used spicy Claussen pickle spears); cooking spray

These Air Fryer Pickle Spears are a way to enjoy a dill-icious snack without the fat and guilt of deep-fried versions.

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Want fried pickle spears without a heaping side of guilt? Deep-fried pickles are no doubt an amazing snack, but if you’d like to indulge in a lower-fat alternative, these Air Fryer Pickle Spears are the golden ticket. You can subtract the greasiness and the guilt without sacrificing that crisp exterior.

Air Fryer Pickle Spears — Cracker-coated air-fried dill pickle spears

Granted this next suggestion adds calories, but I highly recommend pairing these air-fried dill pickle spears with a Chipotle Ranch sauce. Just two ingredients - whatever Ranch you have on hand and chipotle en adobo peppers + sauce - makes one creamy, bold, and slightly fiery condiment.

Ingredients needed for Air Fried Pickles

This Air Fryer Pickle Spear recipe calls for just a few ingredients to achieve crispy perfection:

INGREDIENTS

Ritz crackers
Dill weed
Cayenne pepper
Flour
Egg
Pickle spears (I used spicy Claussen pickle spears)
Cooking spray

See recipe card for ingredient amounts.

How to make Air Fried Pickle Spears

Crack a large egg into a bowl and whisk.

Add roughly 1 cup of flour to a plate.

Add Riz crackers, dill weed, and cayenne pepper to a food processor and pulse until you achieve fine crumbs.

Lay the pickle spears out on paper towels to remove excess moisture.

Coat a pickle spear in flour, making sure to cover the entire surface.

Then dip the flour-coated pickle spear in egg wash, making sure to cover all of the flour.

Roll the egg-washed pickle spear in the seasoned Ritz cracker crumbs.

Add the pickle spear to the air fryer. Repeat these steps with the remaining pickle spears. You will have enough ingredients to make 9-10.

Once all of the pickle spears have been coated, spray them all with a light coat of cooking spray.

Air fry the pickle spears at 370 degrees Fahrenheit for 13-15 minutes, until nice and crisp. No need to flip halfway through.

Serve with Chipotle Ranch sauce.

What to Serve Air Fried Pickles With

Of course, Air Fried pickles are amazing on their own, but they are even better when paired with the perfect sauce! Try:

OR try the super quick Chipotle Ranch Sauce below!

Quick Chipotle Ranch Sauce

If you have these two ingredients you can easily whip up some Chipotle Ranch sauce while these pickle spears air fry:

½ cup ranch dressing (I used Hidden Valley Ranch)
1 chipotle en adobo pepper plus 1 tablespoon chipotle en adobo sauce

Add both ingredients to a food processor and process for 20-30 seconds, until well combined. It’s okay if there are a few smaller chunks.

Note: If you’d like a completely smooth sauce, just add 2 tablespoons of chipotle en adobo sauce instead, leaving the pepper out.

Tips for Air Frying Pickles

Lay the pickles out on paper towels to remove excess moisture; this helps the coating stick.
Spray the cracker-coated pickles with cooking spray for a crispier coating. Do this just before putting them in the air fryer.
Don’t overcrowd your pickles. Arrange them in a single layer, leaving space between each as they cook. The air in the air fryer needs to be able to circulate all around the pickles so they cook evenly and get crispy.

Equipment - A Note on Air Frying

I have tried this recipe using two different air fryer setups:

1) an Air Fryer Lid that is compatible with my Instant Pot, and

2) a Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 Smart XL Air Fry Oven. The air fryer lid does not require preheating, but the Ninja Foodi does have an automatic preheat.

This recipe also works with basket style air fryers.

Variation and substitutions

Crackers - Try Club or Saltines, or pretty much whatever neutral-flavored cracker you wish.
Seasonings - Onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, etc., would make great additions to the cracker crumb coating.
Pickles - I insist they be dill pickle spears for this recipe; I like Clausen but use your preferred brand.

Can I "fry" pickles in the air fryer?

Absolutely! This is why you are here :). When you go to a restaurant (or a fair/carnival) and order fried pickles, you are getting deep-fried pickle-y goodness, the pickles having taken a bath in hot oil to cook and get all crispy. The air fryer uses hot air as opposed to hot oil to cook food; think of it like a mini turbo convection oven. The results won't be exactly the same as those restaurant deep-fried pickles, but you can expect the results to be crisp! I like to hit the exteriors of these Air Fryer Pickle Spears with an oil spray before cooking to impart a hint of traditional deep frying to the final result.

How long should I air fry pickle spears?

Using Clausen pickle spears, I found that air frying at 370 degrees Fahrenheit for between 13-15 minutes yielded the crispy results I craved. For the best results, use pickle spears that are uniform in size so they all cook evenly.

What should I serve air fried pickles with?

SO many great options come to mind, but definitely you should try pairing them with Smoky Chipotle Sloppy Joes and Instant Pot Pork Butt (aka Pulled Pork).

What else can I make in my air fryer?

Try these other tasty air-fried recipes: