Calling all pickle junkies. This is perhaps the easiest and best recipe for spicy pickles you can make at home. This is not a recipe for pickling cucumbers, but rather a method for how to make spicy pickles from store bought dill pickles. Quick, easy and full of flavor, these unique Homemade Sweet and Spicy Pickles will be a staple in your refrigerator.
My Aunt Lena always said “You can pickle a beet, but you can’t beat a pickle“.
I wish she was still alive as I’d make this recipe for spicy pickles for her on a regular basis.
She thought eating a pickle cured any worry, any ache or any pain. And I do believe she’d have loved this recipe.
Homemade Spicy Pickles
What a great way to dress up, spice up and sweeten up a big jar of dill pickles.
And when they’re done you have super delicious, crunchy, spicy pickle chips. With a flavor perfect for snacking, piling onto Kickin’ Chicken Sandwiches, or Buffalo Bill Burgers. Or even chopped up for potato salad or macaroni salads.
And perfect on a hot dog. Instead of Calico Beans or that peach pie, take a big bowl of these pickles to the next back yard BBQ you’re invited to.
Most refrigerator pickles ask you to heat a brine with vinegar, water, sugar and salt. And add a complex mixture of pickling spices.
Do you have sugar? Do you have garlic? Do you have red pepper flakes and Tabasco Sauce? Then let’s make this recipe for spicy pickles.
A semi-homemade pickle recipe, here’s how easy it is to make Best Spicy Pickles
Step by Step Instructions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for complete ingredients and instructions.
- Buy two large jars of Vlassic Original Whole Dill Pickles. Do Not Use Kosher pickles, the texture will be bad in a rubbery sort of way.
- Remove them from their brine and slice them about 1/2 inch thick into a large bowl.
- Simply add sugar, a big splash of Tabasco Sauce, dried garlic and red pepper flakes.
- Let them sit at room temperature for two hours, stirring now and then.
- During their rest, they will create their own liquid. After the two hours, transfer to jars and let them rest in the refrigerator for three days before eating. And you have some of the best tasting homemade sweet and spicy pickles ever. And they keep their crunch.
I’ve seen similar recipes that are names Fire and Ice Pickles, Texas Christmas Pickles and Cajun Christmas Pickles.
They are great for gifts for my pickle loving family and friends, but I love having them in my refrigerator year round.
Recipe for Spicy Pickles, How to Make Spicy Pickles from Store Bought Dill Pickles
I hope you give this easy recipe for spicy pickles a try. And if you do, please come back and let me know how you liked it and give the recipe a star rating.
Your feedback is valuable to me for developing future recipes. And if you have a favorite refrigerator pickle recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.
Love pickling? Ever tried pickled beets? Take a look at my step by step recipe for Pickled Beets.
If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below. And write a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback.
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How to Make Spicy Pickles from Store Bought
Ingredients
- 2 46-oz jars whole dill pickles not Kosher
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
- 1 tablespoon dehydrated minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Drain and discard the pickling juice from the dill pickles (or save the juice and use to marinate chicken wings).
- Slice the pickles in thick, nice size chips, (larger than quarter-inch, less than half-inch) and place in a large bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix. Allow to rest for about 2 hours. Stir from the bottom several times. The sugar will dissolve and the pickles will produce its own liquid.
- Place the chips in jars distributing the liquid among the jars. Seal and refrigerate for 3 or 4 days before enjoying and gift giving.
Nutrition
How To Make Spicy Pickles From Store Bought Dills … They’re The Best.
I am so excited to try these pickles. What brand of hot sauce do you use?
Hi Karen. I hope you come back and let me know what you think of the recipe. Tabasco sauce.
why cant you use sliced pickles?
I believe it’s because they’re sliced too thin and the’ll shrink. Better to thick slice them yourself.
Has anyone tried any of the sugar substitutes? I have to look out for sugar and 40g is a lot. These pickles so delish! I really want to try them.
Why are kosher dills not recommended and what is the results if I do?
I’m not sure about the exact science behind the pickling methods used in the two processes, but the texture of the end result will be compromised if using Kosher.
Can u can these pickles?
I’m not a canning expert, but I’d say not. I’m afraid the texture of the end product would be severely compromised. You’d have to water bath the pickles. These pickles have already been cooked and sealed in the pickle jars for purchase at the grocery store.
About how long do the pickles last? I just made two jars full and they are wonderful!
Hi Stef. I’ve kept these in the refrigerator for a couple of months.
Hi, Just found your article when I was looking at making pickle at home. Very well written and worth reading this article. I am planning to make this with my sister.
Wish to see more in coming days
I have sweet pickles, can I just add hot pepper flakes to the brine?
You can most certainly do that. I’m not sure they’d end up with similar flavor to these spicy dills. Let me know. And thanks for your note. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Lea Ann
Looks great. Will everything work if I half the recipe?
Great question. Absolutely yes. Let me know if you have any more questions and enjoy those pickles.
Hi, I love this recipe and these pickles are amazing. I own a bbq restaurant and make these to serve with my food. I use pickle spears but the problem I have is that my pickles wilt and shrivel up then people won’t eat them because they thing they are ok and no good. What can I do to stop this from happening?
Quick question. Are you using non-kosher dill pickles?
These are amazing!! Thank you for the recipe. Can you process these to preserve them for shipping?
Hi Sheila. And thank you. Since the pickles in the jar are already cooked, cooking them again to process might make them mushy. I’m just not sure it would work. Let me know if you try it.
These are amazing. After three days they were way to sweet for me, so I added MUCH more heat and let them sit for another week. Then, wow, we could not stop eating them. If I reduce the amount of sugar do you think I would still get enough liquid?
I made these for myself and my family tried them. WOW! Now I’m making 4 batches a week. They are That Good!
Thanks so much for taking the time to write a note about these pickles.
We happen to think they’re amazing, so glad you like them. And if there were enough people around our house to eat them, I’d probably make 4 batches a week also.
Make it a delicious day. 🙂
I made these pickles and ate them up real fast… They are so good I followed the exact recipe
THIS is absolutely the BEST recipe ever found for pickles. I ALWAYS have one jar in refrigerator that I am munching on………….and a second jar in the works. At least once per day…..I do just open the jar and munch 1-2 pieces.
I have been using this recipe now for a long time…………This is simply a quick go to snack. They are great on sandwiches, salads, absolutely anything……but mostly used for a quick bite………Thanks for sharing. Do you have other recipes to share? Anyone that could create this – must have additional fantastic recipes.
just made these…my husband is in heaven!!!!! they are so good….will keep this recipe and use over and over…thank you so much!!!!