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Home » Recipes » Appetizers

Air Fryer Pickle Spears

Published: Mar 30, 2021 · Modified: Sep 10, 2024 by Christina Koncker · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

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

Want fried pickle spears without a heaping side of guilt? Deep-fried pickles are undoubtedly an amazing snack, but if you’d like to indulge in a lower-fat alternative, these air fried pickles are the golden ticket. You can subtract the greasiness and the guilt without sacrificing that crisp exterior. 

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.

Air Fryer Pickles served standing up in a jar and paired with a bowl of chipotle ranch sauce for dipping.

If you like pickle spear recipes, you must try these Elote-Style Pickle Spears.

Jump to:
  • Why You'll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Variations
  • How to Make Air Fried Pickles - Directions
  • Quick Chipotle Ranch Sauce
  • Equipment & A Note on Air Fryers
  • Top Tips for the BEST Pickle Spears in the Air Fryer
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Other recipes on Midwexican I think you'll enjoy
  • Air Fryer Pickle Spears

Why You'll Love This Recipe

  • No deep frying! I love deep-fried foods, but I don't love the lingering deep-fried smell. These air-fried pickles avoid the hassle of deep frying; the air fryer tags in here and does the cooking without all the oil.
  • The results are crispy! Crushed crackers give the exterior of these pickle spears a crispy crunch!
  • It's a great appetizer! Who doesn't love a fried pickle? I mean pickle haters I suppose, but if you're here, you love pickles! Probably. These air-fried pickles make such a great appetizer, especially for serving smaller groups.

Ingredients

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

  • Ritz crackers - In my opinion a cracker coating is critical for crispy perfection. I like to use Ritz, but you could also go with Saltine or Club crackers.
  • Dill weed - This gets added to the cracker coating to enhance the dill pickle flavor even further.
  • Cayenne pepper - I can't resist sneaking some heat into the cracker coating. If you're not a fan, you can leave the cayenne pepper out.
  • Flour - You will want to dredge these pickle spears in flour for best results and to help the cracker coating stick.
  • Egg - An egg dredge is necessary to help that crushed cracker coating really stick. You want to make sure the coating adheres well.
  • Pickle spears - I used spicy Claussen spears because I love 'em! Use whatever pickle trips your trigger.
  • Cooking spray - A little spritzed on the cracker-coated pickle exterior helps encourage crispness and browning.

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below - keep scrolling!

Air Fried Pickle Spears in a serving container paired with a side of ranch sauce for dipping.

Variations

The cracker coating is the perfect spot to incorporate different flavors. If you're up for a twist, add Ranch seasoning or Nashville Hot seasoning.

  • Ranch Air Fried Dill Pickle Spears - Add a tablespoon of Ranch seasoning to your crushed crackers to add even more flavor to the crispy coating 🙂
  • Nashville Hot Air Fried Dill Pickle Spears - Add a tablespoon of this Nashville Hot Chicken seasoning to the crushed cracker mix for Nashville Hot Pickles.

How to Make Air Fried Pickles - Directions

  1. Crack a large egg into a bowl and whisk.
  2. Add roughly 1 cup of flour to a plate.
  3. Add Riz crackers, dill weed, and cayenne pepper to a food processor and pulse until you achieve fine crumbs. 
  4. Lay the pickle spears out on paper towels to remove excess moisture. 
  5. Coat a pickle spear in flour, making sure to cover the entire surface. 
  6. Then dip the flour-coated pickle spear in egg wash, making sure to cover all of the flour.
  7. Roll the egg-washed pickle spear in the seasoned Ritz cracker crumbs.
  8. 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. 
  9. Once all of the pickle spears have been coated, spray them all with a light coat of cooking spray.
  10. Air fry the pickle spears at 370 degrees Fahrenheit for 13-15 minutes, until nice and crisp. No need to flip halfway through.
  11. Serve with Chipotle Ranch sauce (see instructions below).
Air Fried Pickle Spears with cracker coating served alongside homemade chipotle ranch.

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. 

Equipment & A Note on Air Fryers

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.

Air Fried Pickle Spears, freshly cooked, served with a side of chipotle ranch for dipping.

Top Tips for the BEST Pickle Spears in the Air Fryer

Tip 1. Remove excess moisture to encourage the coating to stay in place. Lay the pickles out on paper towels to remove excess moisture; this helps the coating stick.

Tip 2. A spritz of cooking spray for crispy results. Spray the cracker-coated pickles with cooking spray for a crispier coating. Do this just before putting them in the air fryer.

Tip 3. 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.

Wondering what to do with leftover pickle juice? You can use it to make salad dressings, meat marinades, and so much more.

Recipe FAQs

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 pickles 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 pickles 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). And if you've already got the air fryer going, why not make Mini Naan Pizzas?

Of course, air fried pickles are amazing on their own, but they are even better when paired with the perfect sauce! Try one of these homemade sauces:
No Mayo Spinach Dip
Zesty Green Onion Sauce
Chipotle Mayo Sauce

Other recipes on Midwexican I think you'll enjoy

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    Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowl
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    Pulled Pork Tostadas
  • Chipotle sloppy joes with a side of potato chips and sliced pickles.
    Chipotle Sloppy Joes (No Ketchup)

If you tried this Air Fryer Pickle recipe (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!

Air Fryer Pickle Spears

Air Fryer Pickle Spears

Christina Koncker
These cracker coated pickle spears crisp up beautifully in the air fryer and are a great way to enjoy a dill-icious snack without the fat and guilt of deep-fried versions.
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 5 people
Calories 110 kcal

Equipment

  • Air Fryer

Ingredients
  

  • 1 sleeve Ritz crackers
  • ½ 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

Instructions
 

  • 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 13-15minutes, until nice and crisp. No need to flip halfway through.
  • Serve with Chipotle Ranch sauce.

Notes

*Nutrition information is approximate and was calculated using an online nutrition calculator. 
The cracker coating is the perfect spot to incorporate different flavors. Try one of these variations!
  • Ranch Air Fried Dill Pickle Spears - Add a tablespoon of Ranch seasoning to your crushed crackers to add even more flavor to the crispy coating 🙂
  • Nashville Hot Air Fried Pickle Spears - Add a tablespoon of this Nashville Hot Chicken seasoning to the crushed cracker mix for Nashville Hot Pickles.

Nutrition

Calories: 110kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 31mgPotassium: 63mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 476IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 1mg
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Comments

    5 from 4 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. spiceoflife

    March 31, 2022 at 5:44 am

    An excellent resource for a foodie like me. I love exploring new cultures, making new recipes, trying out new cuisine.
    Now more than ever while stuck at home, I am appreciating this helpful list so much more. Thanks.

    Reply
  2. Krista Anderson

    March 30, 2021 at 11:46 am

    These look so delicious! Making them tonight!

    Reply

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Christina from Midwexican

About Christina

I'm a Minnesota native who can't get enough of south-of-the-border flavors. My recipes combine comforting Midwestern eats with bold Mexican and Tex-Mex flavors. If you love comforting food, bold flavors, and - most importantly - tacos! then you'll love what I'm cooking!

Learn more about me

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