Once you make your own refrigerator dill pickle chips you will never go back to store bought. These homemade dill pickles are tangy, garlicky, crunchy, and packed with fresh dill flavor from a simple brine made with whole spices right on your stovetop. No canning equipment, no water bath, and no special skills required.
Just a handful of simple ingredients, a wide mouth mason jar, and a couple of days of patience while the cucumbers soak up all that delicious brine.
What I love most about this recipe is how completely customizable and safe it is for anyone with celiac disease. The brine is made with white distilled vinegar which is confirmed gluten free even when made from gluten containing grains.
Every spice in this recipe is a whole spice with no hidden additives or blends to worry about.
These pickle chips are so much better than anything you can buy at the store.
If you are looking for more pickle recipes try my Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles, my Easy Refrigerator Pickled Cauliflower or my Gluten Free High Protein Dill Pickle Pasta Salad.
You can find all of my side dish recipes here: Gluten Free Side Dishes
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- Ingredients
- Instructions
- Supplies
- More Recipes You Might Enjoy
- Refrigerator Dill Pickle Chips
- A note on vinegar for celiac disease:
- Storage Instructions
- Top Tip
- Didn't find the answer you're looking for?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What Makes a Crispy Refrigerator Pickle
- About the Spice Blend
- Serving Suggestions
- Variations
Instructions
Slice the mini cucumbers into quarter inch rounds. Pack the cucumber slices snugly into a 16 ounce wide mouth jar. Set aside.
In a small saucepan over medium heat add the water, white vinegar, salt, peppercorns, celery seeds, and mustard seeds. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil then remove from heat.
Add the roughly chopped garlic and finely chopped fresh dill to the jar on top of the cucumber slices.
Carefully pour the hot vinegar mixture over the cucumbers, garlic, and dill. Make sure the cucumbers are fully submerged in the brine. If needed press them down gently with a spoon.
Let the jar cool on the counter for 30 minutes. Place the lid on the jar and refrigerate.
These refrigerator dill pickle chips are best after two to three days in the refrigerator when the cucumbers have had time to fully absorb the brine and develop their flavor. Store in the refrigerator for up to four weeks.
Note: These are refrigerator pickles and are not shelf stable. They must be stored in the refrigerator at all times and are not suitable for canning or pantry storage.
Supplies
More Recipes You Might Enjoy
I get a lot of my ingredients from Thrive Market. Thrive Market has been a game changer for me eating gluten free. They have so many options I can't get at my rural grocery stores! Use this link to get 40% off your first order!
Refrigerator Dill Pickle Chips
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Easy refrigerator dill pickle chips made with mini cucumbers, fresh dill, garlic, and whole spices in a simple white vinegar brine. No canning required and no special equipment needed. Ready to eat in two to three days and store in the refrigerator for up to four weeks. Completely gluten free and safe for celiac disease.
Ingredients
- 5-6 Mini Cucumbers, sliced into rounds
- 1 cup Water
- 1 cup White Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Salt
- 2 tsp Whole Black Peppercorns
- 2 tsp Whole Yellow Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp Celery Seeds
- 3 Garlic Cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 large Fresh Dill Sprigs, finely chopped
Instructions
Slice the mini cucumbers into quarter inch rounds. Pack the cucumber slices snugly into a 16 ounce wide mouth jar. Set aside.
In a small saucepan over medium heat add the water, white vinegar, salt, peppercorns, celery seeds, and mustard seeds. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil then remove from heat.
Add the roughly chopped garlic and finely chopped fresh dill to the jar on top of the cucumber slices.
Carefully pour the hot vinegar mixture over the cucumbers, garlic, and dill. Make sure the cucumbers are fully submerged in the brine. If needed press them down gently with a spoon.
Let the jar cool on the counter for 30 minutes. Place the lid on the jar and refrigerate.
These refrigerator dill pickle chips are best after two to three days in the refrigerator when the cucumbers have had time to fully absorb the brine and develop their flavor. Store in the refrigerator for up to four weeks.
Note: These are refrigerator pickles and are not shelf stable. They must be stored in the refrigerator at all times and are not suitable for canning or pantry storage.
If you made this recipe please leave a star rating and comment below. It helps other readers find this recipe and means so much to me.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Side Dish, Snack
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
If you make these Refrigerator Dill Pickle Chips I would love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below and let me know how they turned out or tag me on Instagram so I can see your jar.
Once you make homemade pickles you will never want to go back to store bought so save this recipe to your favorite Pinterest board so you always have it ready when your cucumber supply is overflowing!
A note on vinegar for celiac disease:
This recipe calls for white distilled vinegar which is safe for celiac disease. The distillation process removes all gluten proteins making it completely safe even when it is made from gluten containing grains. The one vinegar to avoid if you have celiac disease is malt vinegar which is fermented rather than distilled and contains barley. As long as you use white distilled vinegar you are good to go.
Storage Instructions
Store your refrigerator dill pickle chips in the sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to four weeks. Make sure the cucumber slices stay fully submerged in the brine at all times for the best texture and flavor. These pickles are not shelf stable and must be kept refrigerated. They are not suitable for canning or pantry storage.
Top Tip
Wait the full two to three days before opening the jar. It is incredibly tempting to try them after just one day and they will taste good after 24 hours but they will not taste like the real thing yet.
After two to three days in the refrigerator the cucumbers have fully absorbed the brine, the garlic has mellowed and deepened, and the whole spices have had time to fully infuse the liquid. The difference between a one day pickle and a three day pickle is significant and worth the wait.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Mini cucumbers and Persian cucumbers work best for refrigerator pickle chips because they have thinner skins, fewer seeds, and a naturally crisp texture that holds up well in the brine. Large garden cucumbers can work but they tend to have more seeds and a thicker skin which can result in a softer pickle.
Store your pickle chips in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to four weeks. Make sure the cucumber slices stay fully submerged in the brine at all times for the best texture and flavor. These are refrigerator pickles and are not shelf stable so they must be kept refrigerated at all times.
Fresh dill gives you the best and most vibrant dill flavor in this recipe. If you cannot find fresh dill you can substitute one tablespoon of dried dill weed but the flavor will be noticeably milder. Fresh dill is widely available in the produce section of most grocery stores and is worth seeking out for the best results.
Yes. Simply double or triple the recipe and use additional 16 ounce wide mouth jars. Make sure each jar gets an equal amount of garlic, fresh dill, and whole spices so every jar has the same bold flavor. The brine scales up easily and the process is exactly the same regardless of how many jars you make. This is a great option if you have a lot of cucumbers from your garden or farmers market.
What Makes a Crispy Refrigerator Pickle
Crispy pickles are the goal and a few simple techniques make all the difference between a crunchy pickle and a limp one.
- Slice your cucumbers to a consistent quarter inch thickness. Thinner slices go limp quickly after sitting in the brine. A quarter inch slice absorbs the brine beautifully while staying firm and crisp for weeks.
- Use mini cucumbers or Persian cucumbers rather than large garden cucumbers. Mini cucumbers have thinner skins, fewer seeds, and a naturally crisp texture that holds up much better in the brine than larger cucumber varieties.
- Pack the cucumbers snugly in the jar. Cucumbers packed tightly together stay firmer than loosely packed ones since they support each other in the brine.
- Pour the hot brine over the cucumbers immediately after removing it from the heat. The heat briefly softens the outer skin of the cucumber which actually helps the brine penetrate more quickly and evenly.
About the Spice Blend
This recipe uses three whole spices in the brine: black peppercorns, yellow mustard seeds, and celery seeds. Each one plays a specific role in the finished pickle.
- Black peppercorns add a subtle heat and depth that you taste in the background of every bite without being overpowering.
- Yellow mustard seeds are a classic pickling spice that adds a warm slightly tangy flavor and that distinctive homemade pickle taste that store bought pickles can never quite replicate.
- Celery seeds add an herbal and slightly earthy note that rounds out the brine and gives these pickles a more complex flavor than a basic peppercorn and dill recipe. This is the ingredient that makes people ask what your secret is.
- Using whole spices rather than ground spices is important. Whole spices release their flavor slowly into the brine over several days which produces a cleaner and more balanced pickle flavor than ground spices which can make the brine cloudy and overpowering.
Serving Suggestions
These dill pickle chips are incredibly versatile. Here are some of my favorite ways to use them.
- On burgers. A generous pile of homemade dill pickle chips on a burger is one of the best things you can make with this recipe. The tangy crunch is so much better than any store bought pickle.
- On sandwiches. Layer them on gluten free bread with deli meat and cheese for the best sandwich upgrade.
- In pasta salad. These pickles can be used in my Gluten Free High Protein Dill Pickle Pasta Salad. The homemade pickles make the salad taste significantly better than store bought.
- As a snack. Straight from the jar is honestly one of the best ways to eat these. They are incredibly addictive.
- On a charcuterie board. Arrange them alongside your favorite gluten free crackers, cheeses, and meats for a beautiful and impressive spread.
Variations
Once you have the base recipe mastered there are several fun ways to customize your refrigerator dill pickle chips.
- Spicy dill pickles. Add one or two dried red chili peppers or a pinch of red pepper flakes to the jar before pouring in the brine for a spicy kick that pairs beautifully with the dill and garlic.
- Garlic lovers version. Double the garlic to six cloves for an extra bold and garlicky pickle that pickle lovers will go crazy for.
- Add other vegetables. Sliced carrots, cauliflower florets, green beans, and sliced radishes all pickle beautifully in this same brine. Add them to the jar alongside the cucumbers or make a separate jar of mixed pickled vegetables.
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