How to Reheat Frozen Fried Pickles – Step By Step!

I know how addictive pickles are. They are the perfect side dish to absolutely any meal. Following the series of “How to reheat certain food”. I am going to share with you how to reheat fried pickles in four different ways that vary in the time and effort required.

Reheating Fried Pickles:

Well, I am here to tell you that there is no need to throw away these heavenly crispy sticks anymore. I got all the perfect methods of reheating the uniquely delicious fried pickles back to life exactly like the freshly made ones. Each method has its pros and cons. But, I guarantee you the more time and effort you give to whichever method you choose the better the outcome.

Now, you won’t have to waste any leftovers. All you got to do is put them in the fridge, and follow the detailed steps of reheating!

How to Reheat Fried Pickles:

Here I am going to show step by step how to efficiently reheat fried pickles using four different methods so that you will have the final choice to make according to your preference:

1- Using a pan fry

Easy, quick, and has an excellent outcome. This pretty much sums up the idea of using frying as a way to reheat your stale fried pickles. All in all, it is successful. What is the downfall you might ask?
Well, only ‘Cleaning the mess’ part, but, surely you can overlook that once you see how perfect and crispy the reheated fried pickles are!

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

1. Start by letting your oil heat on the pan for a few minutes on a medium – high heat flame.
2. Add in the fried pickles one by one in the oil once it starts sizzling. Be careful when adding them so that you won’t get burnt. Try not to overcrowd the pan.
3. If the oil is hot enough, the pickles should take about 2-3 minutes to gain an initial color. Flip them for another 1-2 minutes.
4. Take them off the oil once they are golden brown and place them on a wire rack to drain.
5. Before they cool off, sprinkle some salt and pepper to taste and let them cool for 4-5 minutes to crisp up more.
6. Enjoy the crispy, delicious mess!

It is also pretty convenient. You can use whatever type of oil you want and any type of pan as well. But if you ask me about the best ones, I would tell you to go for the cast iron as it has a good distribution of heat and the canola or vegetable oils as they are the most perfect for any type of deep-frying!

2- Deep frying:

This is without a doubt the best reheating method of fried pickles. It has slightly better results than the pan frying, yet it is almost the same concept. So if you don’t have a deep fryer, go for the pan method. However, if you do, then you won’t regret the top-notch reheated fried pickles.

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

1. Add the pickles one by one carefully and as close as possible to the oil that is preheated in the fryer at 350 °F.
2. Let the pickles fry for 3 – 5 minutes till they gain that appetizing golden brown color, same as the pan frying method.
3. Take them off the oil once they are golden brown and place them on a wire rack to drain.
4. Before they cool off, sprinkle some salt and pepper to taste and let them cool for 4-5 minutes to crisp up more.
5. Enjoy!

3- Using the microwave:

I don’t highly recommend this method to be honest. I mean, sure, it is fast, definitely the quickest way where you can reheat your fried pickles, and sure, doesn’t take too much trouble. However, when it comes to the outcome?
It is not good at all. The microwave tends to moisten up whatever is being reheated in it. So, yea the fried pickles will be warm, and maybe tasty, yet they won’t be that crispy.

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

1. Align your fried pickles on a microwavable plate that is lined with a paper towel. Make sure to leave enough space between each pickle.
2. Before heating them in the microwave, line another paper towel but this time, it will be on top of the pickles. This simple trick should result in a slightly better outcome, as the paper towels will absorb some of the extra moisture produced from the pickles.
3. Let the pickles reheat at “50 %” power for 30 seconds. This is another simple trick that decreases the amount of released steam, hence the moisture inside the microwave.
4. Once the alarm dings, remove the pickles from the microwave, uncover the paper towel, and let it crisp up in the air for a minute.
5. Serve and enjoy.

I prefer to resort to this method, only when I have no time to reheat my leftover fried pickles in any other way. The simple tricks I shared with you earlier should enhance the outcome a bit, but don’t get your hopes up when you reheat the fried pickles using this method.

4- Using the oven:

This is considered the easiest and simplest way of reheating fried pickles other than the microwave of course. However, the outcome is way better than the microwave. Plus, of course, the minimum mess it causes, making this my most favorite method just because I usually don’t need to clean up much after it.

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

1. Spread some oil on a non-stick baking tray before you begin aligning the pickles on it. There are other options besides the non-stick pan. Either use an oiled aluminum foil or a well-oiled regular baking tray. It is better to place a wired rack on your tray so that the hot air can circulate the fried pickles on the rack rendering it more crispy and fresh.
2. Start aligning your fried pickles on the tray or the wire rack, making sure there are enough spaces between each pickle.
3. Let them bake for ten minutes in a preheated toaster oven or regular oven at 400°F.
4. When the 10 minutes are done, flip the pickles in the tray, then transfer them back to the oven for another 10-15 minutes. During this time the pickles should start browning and the oil on the surface will sizzle. This is a sign of crisping up.
5. Take them off the oven. Sprinkle some salt and pepper to taste, and let them cool for at least 5 minutes. The cooling of the pickles is important for them to crisp up even more.

This method guarantees crunchy, salty, and amazing fried pickles that really is no different from the freshly made ones!

Frequently asked questions:

What are the ways to heat up leftover fried pickles?

You are free to choose whatever suits you best from all the best ways that I mentioned before to reheat fried pickles, with oven as the most common method.

How to prevent sogging of the reheated fried pickles?

Well, your safest way is to just avoid the microwave method. It is a guarantee of sogginess for sure. Any of the other methods will result in perfect crispy pickles. Also, broiling the fried pickles in the oven for a few minutes is not a bad choice.

How long can the fried pickles stay in the fridge?

Well, if they were immediately refrigerated once they cooled off, then they can stay for up to a year retaining their quality.

Can fried pickles be frozen?

Yes, they can be frozen easily by flash freezing a single layer of fried pickle slices placed on a baking tray, lined with parchment paper for 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes, transfer the pickle slices to a freezer bag and store them.

How can you retain the crispiness of any food?

By letting all the excess oil drain off on a cooling rack once they are taken off the oil, then place the cooling rack under a broiler in the oven set at “low” to keep them warm and crispy.

How to retain the warmness of the food prepared for a party?

This method is suitable for any type of fried food that you are trying to keep warm. Just let the fried food drain the excess oil on a cooling rack first, then loosely wrap the food in aluminum foil to keep it warm.

How to retain the crispiness of the baked food?

You have two options, either let them stay in the oven until serving time, that way they won’t become soggy. Or you can take them off the oven, then return them back to warm up right before serving.

How to fry frozen fried pickles in an air fryer?

When it comes to frying frozen pickles, then the Air fryer is your go-to. Set your Air fryer to 400 degrees F, then place the rack with the pickles in the fryer for 8 minutes with occasional flipping after 4 minutes. The dehydrated pickles from the air fryer are actually pretty good.

How long does it take to deep fry pickles?

It usually takes 2-2.5 minutes to deep fry pickles

How to crunch up your homemade pickles?

Crunchy homemade pickles make up the best fried pickles. That’s why using small and firm cucumbers are important. In addition to ice bathing them, right after their picking, for a couple of hours and jarring them with some tannins really improves the pickles’ outcome.

Is frying your pickles considered unhealthy?

Enjoying such a meal every once in a while is not a major concern. However, you have to always consider the high sodium content of the pickles and the fact that they are usually deep-fried, making up 267 calories per serving.