Small slices of pickles are battered and then coated in crunchy breadcrumbs. This recipe is easy to make and so fun for summer. Instead of deep frying these are air fried!

My original plan was to make deep fried pickles but if I am being honest… I got lazy and air frying is easier. If this is your first time to the blog then you may not know how obsessed I am with air frying. I love it, I can’t get enough of it. While it isn’t 100 percent like deep frying it gives you that super crispy outer coating without having to deep fry. I have nothing against deep fried foods, there is a time and place for them, but I don’t have to babysit this and then my whole house doesn’t smell like oil.

I use an air fryer from Ninja, it has a double basket and it is pretty fancy but any air fryer is great. They all work the same and there are so many good brands out there. If you are using a single basket you may just need to air fry these in batches. The pickles have so much flavor that I actually didn’t really need to add any seasoning into the batter or breadcrumbs because the pickles take care of that. You can use any pickle you like, I would suggest something like these ones. I personally wouldn’t use ones that are sweet for this recipe, but again it all comes down to personal preference.

Tips for Best Air Frying Results

Space out the items in the air fryer. Do not pile them on top of each other, let them have room to get crispy.
Generously spray with oil. Since we aren’t deep frying these the spray oil helps them to get crispy and get some of the greasy goodness as if were were deep frying.
Don’t open the trays. I know it is tempting, peek once if you need to halfway through but don’t open it too much or else you will let too much heat out.

Dipping Sauce

While the air fried pickles are delicious on their own this sriracha aioli truly enhanced this dish. It is easy to make and tastes so good, I want to put it on everything. It just combines vegan mayo with sriracha, garlic power, and lemon juice. I also think these would be great dipped in vegan ranch, buffalo sauce, or even a vegan honey mustard. There are so many options but the sriracha aioli is nice because it isn’t too spicy.

FAQ

Can I make this gluten free? Of course, just gluten free breadcrumbs.
Can I deep fry these? Yes, just freeze for 30 minutes prior to deep frying.
Can I bake these? I haven’t tried. It should work okay. If you do please let us all know how it goes!
Can I freeze these? Yes! You can either freeze before air frying or after. Just make sure they are laid flat on a baking sheet and frozen individually before storing in a container.

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