My Quick & Easy Refrigerator Pickles are a great way to elevate any savory dish. My No Cook Refrigerator Pickles are the perfect pickles to try if you haven’t made homemade pickles before. The preparation time is minimal; there’s no need to heat anything in a pot.
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Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the
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I love making my own easy homemade pickles, and everyone loves it when I prep them for our cookouts. I like making a batch when we have pulled pork or shredded BBQ chicken. They add the perfect acidity to many dishes.
These pickles involve minimum prep, but you will need time to chill them in the fridge for the best results.
I make these pickles with onion and cucumber. This method can also be used to make different types of pickles. I recommend you give my Quick Pickled Onions recipe a try, too.
Ingredients
Here's what you will need to make the best homemade refrigerator pickles:
- Vinegar – I use equal quantities of hot water and white vinegar to make the pickling liquid.
- Sugar – granulated sugar is added to the pickling liquor for the perfect balance of sweet and sour.
- Kosher Salt – I add salt to balance the sweet and sour flavors in this pickle.
- Black Pepper - I also like to add fresh cracked black pepper to season the pickle.
- Cucumbers - I use three medium-sized pickling cucumbers, like Kirby pickles, thinly sliced on a mandolin.
- Onion - half a sweet onion is added along with the cucumber.
How to make Refrigerator Pickles
Put hot water, white vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper in a jar. Close the jar and shake until the sugar and salt dissolve. I use a 32-ounce mason jar.
Add thinly sliced cucumbers and sweet onion to the jar, pushing the cucumbers and onions down into the liquid.
Ensure that the liquid covers all the vegetables.
Cover and store in the fridge for at least 8 hours before serving.
Remove pickles and onions from the brine with a fork or slotted spoon to serve.
Tanya's Top Tips
These tips will help you make the best refrigerator pickles you've ever tried.
- I suggest using a mandolin to slice cucumber and onion thinly. However, take care when using a mandolin to avoid slicing your hand and fingers.
- If you don’t have a mandolin, a sharp kitchen knife will work well, too.
- Always ensure that the pickling liquid covers the cucumber and onion to prevent them from spoiling.
- Always store refrigerator pickles in the refrigerator.
Flavor variations
- You can replace white vinegar with white wine, apple cider, or sherry vinegar.
- Swap sweet onions for white or red onions or shallots.
- For extra flavor, add spices like peppercorns, coriander, red pepper flakes, fennel, or mustard seeds to the pickling vinegar.
- Add a few sprigs of fresh herbs like dill, tarragon, or parsley.
- If you like pickles, use the same process to pickle other vegetables. Try thinly sliced onions, red chili peppers or jalapenos, carrots, radishes, or zucchini.
Serving suggestions
These easy pickles go with just about any savory dish. I like to eat them alongside my Southern favorites, like Fried Chicken. I also love them over seasoned fish, like my Whole Oven-Roasted Fish.
They’ll add a great zing to your hot dogs, burgers, salads, and sandwiches too. Try these recipes: Oven-Baked Hot Dogs, Air Fryer Turkey Burgers, Korean Sloppy Joes, and Garlic Butter Cheese Steak Sandwiches.
How long will Refrigerator Pickles last?
Store the pickles in an airtight jar or container, fully submerged in the pickling liquid. Keep the container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 weeks for optimal freshness and flavor.
Tools You’ll Want to Use
This handheld mandolin is a dream when it comes to thinly slicing vegetables. It also doesn’t take up much storage space.
FAQs
You must store refrigerator pickles in vinegar and in the refrigerator to prevent them from spoiling. Regular pickles are pasteurized, and this process allows them to be stored on the shelves for extended periods of time without the need to refrigerate until they are opened.
You can use any vinegar for pickling; it all depends on the flavors you like. I’ve used white vinegar as I like its strong, sharp flavor. However, you could use red wine, white wine, apple cider, or sherry vinegar too.
They're also known as ice box pickles.
If you have tried these Refrigerator Pickles, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Homemade Refrigerator Pickles (Quick & Easy)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup hot water
- ¾ cup white vinegar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 3 medium-sized pickling cucumbers like Kirby pickles, thinly sliced
- ½ medium sweet onion thinly sliced
Instructions
- Add hot water, white vinegar, granulated sugar, kosher salt, and black pepper into a heat-proof jar and cover and shake to combine until the sugar and salt are dissolved. I use a 32-ounce mason jar.
- Add the cucumbers and sweet onion to the jar, pushing the cucumbers and onions down into the liquid. Make sure all the vegetables are covered with liquid.
- Cover and store in the fridge for at least 8 hours before serving.
- To serve, remove pickles and onions with a fork or slotted spoon from the brine.
Suggested Tools
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on April 17, 2023. It has been updated with additional helpful information.
PS says
What do you do with leftover vinegar/brine?
Tanya says
Great question PS. I usually discard the remaining brine but it could be used as a brine for chicken.
Deb says
Why is the black pepper not added anywhere ? Listed as an ingred but not included in instructions😩
Tanya says
Our apologies Deb, the recipe has been updated. Black pepper should be added when kosher salt is.
mary caprigno says
This recipe is great. Awesome pickles. Can you do a dill pickle recipe soon. Thank you Mary
Tanya says
Thank you, Mary! I think I might, dill is one of my favorite herbs.