
Ingredients
For the batter:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- One 12-ounce bottle lager beer
For the fried pickles:
- 3 cups corn oil
- 1 cup sliced pickles, drained and patted dry
- Kosher salt for seasoning
- Ketchup for serving
Directions
To make the batter:
To make the fried pickles:
Excerpted from Smoke and Pickles by Edward Lee (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2013. Photographs by Grant Cornett.
Fried Pickles Recipe
One of the great food debates is what shape makes a better fried pickle: spears or chips. I am sympathetic to the arguments of both parties. The spear gives you a higher hot-pickle-juice-to-batter ratio, making each bite a juicy, briny mess, but the batter tends to fall off the pickle before you get to the end.
The chips have more surface area to grip the batter, but too much batter can lead to dipping into too much ketchup, which can overpower the pickle inside. Either way, fried pickles are delicious. I’ve made all sorts of fancy condiments to accompany fried pickles, but, as it turns out, there’s nothing better than straight-up Heinz ketchup. You can use the Quick Caraway Pickles or good-quality artisan pickles.
Serve the pickles hot on newspapers with ketchup and lots of napkins, and pair with large bottles of Sofie from Goose Island Beer Company.
More from Smoke and Pickles:
- Okra Tempura Recipe
- Pork Cracklin’ Recipe
- Curried Corn Griddle Cakes Recipe with Sorghum-Lime Drizzle

In Smoke and Pickles: Recipes and Stories from a New Southern Kitchen, Edward Lee delivers Southern cooking with an Asian twist! These recipes take a bold approach on traditional American cooking, resulting in exquisite dishes packed with amazing flavors. Readers of any culinary skill level can create flavorsome meals such as miso-smothered chicken, Kentucky-fried quail, and so much more! The following excerpt is from chapter 8, “Bourbon and Bar Snacks.”