How To Reheat Fried Pickles

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Have you ever wondered if there was a way to reheat fried pickles without them getting all soggy? Believe it or not, you have options. Crispy, crunchy reheated fried pickles are not impossible.

How do you reheat fried pickles? There are 4 ways to reheat fried pickles. The microwave is the fastest and easiest, but if you want crispy fried pickles, you should use the oven, stovetop, or re-deep fryer. Re-frying them is the best option.

Reheating fried things, like salty delicious fried pickles, and getting them back to their original crispy glory does not happen in the microwave. Read on to find out the other better ways to reheat fried pickles.

Reheating Fried Pickles

We’ve all been there. You ordered too much fried food and you end up taking home leftovers.

Sometimes these leftovers were fried, and you only took them home to not be wasteful, but you hesitated to pack them up at the restaurant because you knew they wouldn’t be the same in the morning.

Whether it be fried okra, chicken, avocados, or pickles, it can be a daunting process to bring your favorite food back to life the next day. But did you know that there are actually three ways to do this?

Depending on how much effort you want to put in, and what kitchen stuff you have access to, it is in fact possible to reheat fried pickles (and other fried things) using methods that will return them to their original crispy and crunchy state.

Just like they were at the restaurant. Maybe even better!

In this article, we will give you directions on how to reheat them in the microwave, just in case you are in a rush or you need to reheat them at work and there is no kitchen.

But we will also give step-by-step directions for using the other methods, the ones we strongly recommend.

We will also answer some other common questions related to fried pickles, including their shelf-life and the best way to store them in the fridge.

Fried pickles must be stored in the fridge because of the oil and sometimes the ingredients in the batter.

Reheating fried pickles is one of those tasks where taking a few extra minutes can really change how much you enjoy your leftovers. The greater the effort, the greater the reward.

There are technically four ways to reheat fried pickles. These four options have varying degrees of difficulty and involvement. Some will require more prep, take longer, and involve more clean-up than others.

1. Using the Microwave

If you are in a hurry, or do not have access to a full kitchen, you can reheat your fried pickles in the microwave.

There are two small steps you can take to make them come out a little better than if you just hit that automatic 30-second button.

Here’s how to use the microwave to reheat fried pickles:

Place a paper towel on a microwave-safe plate.
Lay the fried pickles flat on the paper towel. Leave as much space between them as possible.
Add another paper towel on top. The paper towels are meant to absorb moisture, increasing the chances your fried pickles will get kind of crispy.
Reheat the pickles for 30 seconds but change the power setting to 50%. This will help reduce the amount of steam that is built up.
Remove the top paper towel and wait about thirty seconds before digging in, not only to avoid burning your mouth, but also to let the batter reharden a little.

You will not achieve perfectly crispy pickles, but if you prefer leftover fried pickles warm than the microwave will do the trick.

2. Using the Oven

This method will take the longest but is the easiest (other than the microwave method) and doesn’t involve as much cleanup.

They may dry up a little in the oven. You can reduce this by using a pan spray or paper towel to put a light coating of oil on the baking sheet you will be using.

Here’s how to reheat fried pickles in the oven:

Preheat the toaster oven to 400°F. (You can also use your conventional oven, but it will be quicker if you have access to a toaster oven with a bake setting.)
Oil a non-stick baking sheet. You can use aluminum foil if you do not have non-stick bakeware. If you have a wire rack insert for your baking sheet, we highly recommend using it. The little bit of air that the wire rack will allow under the pillow will increase the crispiness.
Lay your fried pickles out on the tray or wire rack. Allow as much space as possible.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet and flip the pickles.
Bake for another 10-15 minutes. Keep an eye on the pickles. Look for a little browning but mostly look for grease sizzling on the surface of the pickles.
Remove pickles and allow to cool for about 5-10 minutes. This will increase the crispiness. If you want to add some salt and pepper to your fried pickles, add it right when you remove them from the oven.

You will end up with reheated fried pickles almost as crispy as they were at the restaurant.

3. Pan Frying

Reheating your fried pickles in a frying pan is a little harder than using the oven and will involve a little more cleanup. However, it will be faster than the oven and will result in the crispiest reheated fried pickle (other than deep frying).

Here’s how to reheat fried pickles by pan frying:

Place your frying pan on medium-high heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom. Allow the oil to heat up until it starts to run.
Place your fried pickles in the pan as quickly and safely as you can. Try to leave as much space between them as possible.
Cook for 2-3 minutes, flip, then cook another 1-2 minutes. You are looking for a golden brown color.
Remove the pickles to a paper towel or wire cooling rack. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and allow to cool for 4-5 minutes. The added time will increase their crunch.

You can use any type of frying pan and pretty much any type of oil, but the best would be to use a cast iron pan and vegetable or canola oil. Cast iron pans have great conductivity and vegetable oil has the best flashpoint for deep frying.

4. Deep Frying

Reheating your fried pickles in a deep fryer is by far the best method, resulting in a product as crispy as they were at the restaurant.

Unless you have an actual deep fryer, then just use the pan fry method above. Deep frying in a pot is not the same and you will just waste a lot of oil.

If you happen to have a deep fryer with oil in it already, then we recommend using this method to reheat your fried pickles.

Here is how to reheat fried pickles in the deep fryer:

Heat the fryer to 350°F.
Carefully place the pickles in the fryer. If you do not have a basket then drop one at a time with your hands. Remember, the closer you get to the oil before dropping anything into it, the less likely you will be to get burnt by splashing oil.
Fry the pickles for 3-5 minutes. You are looking for a golden brown color.
Remove the pickles and place them on a paper towel or a wire cooling rack. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and then allow them to cool for a few minutes. Giving them time to cool allows them to get crispier.

Deep frying may not be the healthiest option available to you, but it will give you fantastically crispy results!

How To Reheat Fried Pickles – The Best Way

Reheating Fried Pickles