Oven Fried Pickles With Low Fat Buttermilk Ranch Dressing For Dipping

When it comes to eating out, nothing is a better appetizer or even side dish like fried pickles. Especially when they are dipped into a yummy ranch dressing. Our mouths are watering just thinking about it!

Oven Fried Pickles With Low Fat Buttermilk Ranch Dressing For Dipping

However, deep-fried pickles are not exactly the best option for eating. While they taste absolutely delicious, fueling your body with grease and oil is not going to have you showing six-pack abs any time soon. 

In this article, we show you a healthier alternative! Oven-fried pickles with low-fat buttermilk ranch dressing is a much healthier option and it is going to blow your mind. 

Let’s get into it!

What Is Oven Frying?

With a little grease and occasionally a coating, food is cooked in the oven using the oven-frying process until it resembles fried food. Yes, it is possible to cook food until it is golden and crispy. 

For oven-fried pickles, egg white, and cornmeal are both used to make a crisp coating that adheres without being fussy and bakes up into a crunchy crust that breaks when you bite into it.

Tips For Crispy Oven-Fried Pickles

Dry The Pickles 

Both fried and oven-fried pickles suffer from the coating coming off either midway through cooking or mid-bite. The simplest defense against this is to make sure your pickles are thoroughly dried.

Pickles should be drained of all liquid, laid out in a single layer, and dried with paper towels.

Shake And Bake

Making oven-fried pickles should be simple. In a bag with cornmeal, flour, and Creole spice, add the dried pickles and shake to coat. No individual pickles are dipped here!

Don’t Be Scared Of Oil

Use a lot of oil on the baking sheet since it will help the pickles brown while baking and make them taste more like fried pickles.

Whip The Egg White 

Here, a single egg white serves as both a binding agent and a crunch-producing agent. The egg white’s proteins are denatured during the process of whisking, which makes the egg white highly sticky.

It helps to preserve the cornmeal coating and promotes crisp baking in the oven.

How To Make Oven-Fried Pickles 

When you are served fried pickles in a restaurant, you can’t help up but wonder just how they get them so crispy. Well, we are going to show you how. And without the use of a deep-fat fryer or a heaping tonne of oil. 

Ingredients For Pickles

  • 1 (16-ounce) jar dill pickle slices
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

Ingredients For Dipping Sauce

  • 3/4 cup fat free sour cream
  • 3/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt
  • 1/3 cup Hellman’s light mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tsp salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1-2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
  • 2 cups 1% low-fat buttermilk

Steps 

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F with a tray lined with a baking sheet inside. Tray should be placed on the middle rack of the oven. 
  2. Drain and dry the pickles. 
  3. Whisk the egg whistles until foamy and soft peaks begin to form. 
  4. Coat the pickles in the egg white until covered. 
  5. In a sizable zip-top bag, combine the flour, cornmeal, and Creole spice. To blend, gently shake the bag after sealing it. The pickles should be moved to the bag using a slotted spoon. To ensure that the pickles are equally coated, reseal the bag and shake it.
  6. Place the coated pickles onto the preheated tray in a single layer and cook for 10 minutes. 
  7. Mix the ingredients for the sauce together and stir until smooth. 
  8. Serve pickles with the dip. 

Air Fry Vs Oven Fry 

Oven Fried Pickles With Low Fat Buttermilk Ranch Dressing For Dipping

For many cooks, the oven can be scary. From making a pizza to cooking an entire chicken, the oven is confusing and honestly, really difficult to get a grasp off. So, when the creation of the air fryer hit the market, it was like everyone’s prayers were being answered!

You can make your tasty fried pickles in the air fryer if the oven is too confusing. Simply follow the same steps above but rather than placing them in the oven, place them in the air fryer. 

Once your pickles have been frying for around 5 minutes, release the tray and flip your pickles over. Place them back in and cook for another 4-6 minutes until they are golden and crispy. 

Simple!

Ingredient Substitutes 

Like any recipe, there are plenty of ways to make it your own. Depending on your dietary requirements, taste preferences or simply what you have on hand, you can make simple alterations to create delicious crispy fried pickles!

Type Of Pickles 

The recipe above uses dill pickles, and truthfully they are the best pickles to use for frying and any other type of cooking. But if you don’t like dill or you can’t find them in the store there are plenty of other types of pickles you can use:

  • Pickle Spears: These are bursting with flavor and are super juicy. 
  • Sliced Pickles: These give a wonderful crunch and will make your life easier when it comes to prep time. 
  • Pickle Chips/ Rounds: These are great for snacking or the creation of your own appetizer selection. 

Really any pickle will do, it is simply personal preference and what you can get your hands on. 

Breadcrumbs 

In this recipe we use a mixture of Creole seasoning, all-purpose flour and yellow cornmeal to replace breadcrumbs. We find that this gives that mouthwatering crunch with every bite and you can customize the flavor. 

However, you can also use Panko Breadcrumbs. These are great for getting that noisy crunch. Pair with almond flour and crushed pork rind for that perfect crunch every time. 

If you are wanting to be really health-conscious and adventurous, you can also try blended rice cakes or crushed cornflakes for that wonderful coating. 

Coating Binder 

The most common binding agent used when it comes to coating foods such as chicken, beef, and pickles is eggs. We have made a slightly healthier alternative by using the egg white alone. 

Although, if you have an allergy or don’t enjoy the result you can also use milk or heavy cream. Heavy cream does add some extra fat to the recipe but it gives a truly delicious result. 

Dressing 

The main component of the silky smooth dipping sauce is buttermilk and a great alternative is milk and lemon juice. While it may not be exactly the same, it is a pretty close second. 

Final Thoughts 

When you are making changes to live a healthier lifestyle, missing out on your favorite foods is not something you have to experience. With just a few healthy swaps you can create your favorite foods that taste just as delicious!

Above is a truly exceptional recipe for making Oven Fried Pickles with a Low Fat Buttermilk Ranch Dressing. Dunk those crispy pieces of heaven into the creamy, flavorsome dipping sauce for a perfect bite every time. 

Or check out some alternatives! Never miss out on the flavors of life with this easy recipe!

Kaitlyn James
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