Air Fryer Fried Pickles (Keto, Paleo & Whole30)

Craving something crunchy and salty? These Air Fryer Fried Pickles are the perfect healthy snack or appetizer! Dill pickle spears are coated in a blend of almond flour and warm spices, and then "fried" to crispy perfection in an air fryer. This variation of classic bar food also happens to be Keto, Paleo and Whole30-friendly!

 

When deep fried pickles started appearing on menus, they quickly became a dive bar novelty. If you're a fan of pickles and fried food, fried pickles are the comfort food you never knew you needed. Munching on an entire jar of pickles in one sitting is in my nature, so naturally fried pickles speak my language.

While bars and restaurants typically coat fried pickles in gluten-containing ingredients and deep fry them in cheap (highly inflammatory) oil, you can achieve the same great taste from the comfort of your home with gluten-free and significantly healthier ingredients. 

These pickles are aimed to please everyone at your next game day gathering as they're vegetarian, low carb, Keto, Paleo and Whole30 (but believe me when I say, these diet-friendly air fried pickles are just as delicious as their deep-fried counterpart).

Jump to:

• Ingredients for the Best Grain-Free and Dairy-Free Air Fryer Fried Pickle Spears 
• Can I use Pickle Rounds instead of Pickle Spears?
• A Quick Note for the Keto Folks 
• Tips & Tricks for Making Crisp & Juicy Air Fried Pickles 
• Can I Make Fried Pickle Spears in the Oven?
• 📖 Recipe

Ingredients for the Best Grain-Free and Dairy-Free Air Fryer Fried Pickle Spears 

For this recipe, you'll need a jar of dill pickles containing 14 to 15 spears. Be sure to check the ingredients in the pickles to make sure they're compliant with your Keto, Paleo or Whole30 lifestyle! 

You'll also need:

• 2 Eggs
• 2 tablespoons Coconut Cream 
• ½ cup Almond Flour 
• ½ cup Nutritional Yeast 

The warm spices used to flavor the crispy coating are inspired by ingredients typically found in blackening seasoning blends. That being said, if you have a great blackening seasoning on hand, you can use 1 to 2 tablespoons of that instead of the spices listed below: 

• 1 tablespoon Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Salt 
• ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
• ½ teaspoon Cayenne
• ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
• ½ teaspoon Onion Powder

You'll also need a good cooking spray to prevent the spears from sticking. Also, spraying the spears directly with cooking spray helps them become golden brown and crispy! I like using coconut oil spray, but an olive or avocado oil spray also works!

Can I use Pickle Rounds instead of Pickle Spears?

Absolutely. Just be sure to reduce the cooking time by a couple of minutes as rounds will crisp up faster than spears. 

A Quick Note for the Keto Folks 

As is, this dairy-free recipe has about 4 nets carbs and 5 grams of fat per a serving of 3 fried pickles. If dairy is of no concern to you, you can swap out the coconut cream for heavy whipping cream and use finely grated parmesan (the shaker kind) in place of the nutritional yeast. With those Keto-friendly substitutions, there are about 3 net carbs and 11 grams of fat per a serving of 3 spears. 

Tips & Tricks for Making Crisp & Juicy Air Fried Pickles 

• Be sure to preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees before getting started. In the meantime, you can work on preparing the breading mixture and getting the pickle spears nice and coated.

• The bowls used for the egg wash and the almond flour coating should be large enough to fit the entire length of the pickle spears. Be sure to whisk the eggs and the coconut cream together until smooth in one bowl and combine the almond flour, nutritional yeast and spices in another bowl. 

• PAT THOSE PICKLES dry with a paper towel before breading them! It's imperative. The egg wash will slide right off of a damp pickle. 

• DON'T TOSS THAT PICKLE JUICE! It makes for a FANTASTIC meat brine (just ask Chic-Fil-A). Check out my recipes for Spicy Oven Fried Pork Chops and/or Nashville Hot Chicken Wings for inventive ways to utilize leftover pickle juice.

• Coat the air fryer basket as well as the breaded pickles generously with cooking spray. Spraying enough onto the spears so that they are visibly saturated will result in golden brown and super crispy fried pickles! 

• Arrange the pickles in a single-layer in the fryer basket. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to work in batches. DON'T cram them in there. They'll stick to each other and the coating will not brown evenly. 

Can I Make Fried Pickle Spears in the Oven?

No air fryer? No worries. After breading the spears and spraying them with cooking spray, place them in a single-layer on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes!

This low carb air fryer recipe is an awesome appetizer to share during your next gathering, but in my opinion, fried pickles are a great snacking option any time of the day! Served alongside your favorite creamy ranch dressing, this recipe is sure to be a hit! If you give this recipe a whirl, I'd LOVE to hear all about it! Don't be shy! Leave a rating and kind review below and tag me on social media @paleoishkrista with #paleoishkristaeats! 

PIN NOW! DO IT LATER!

Hungry for more air fryer twists on classic pub grub? Say no more.

• Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Air Fryer Onion Rings
• Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
• Paleo Kombucha-Battered Coconut Shrimp
• Homemade Crispy Curly Fries | Air Fryer & Oven Recipe
• Whole30 Nashville Hot Chicken Wings

📖 Recipe

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