This is not a recipe for pickling cucumbers, but rather a method for how to make spicy pickles from store bought dill pickles. Calling all pickle junkies. This is perhaps the easiest and best recipe for spicy pickles you can make at home. 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 sandwiches, or Buffalo Bill Burgers. Or even chopped up for potato salad or macaroni salads.
And perfect on a hot dog. Set out a big bowl of these pickles for your next back yard BBQ.
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 learn how to make spicy pickles – the easy way.
And you have some of the best tasting homemade sweet and spicy pickles ever. And they keep their crunch.
A semi-homemade pickle recipe, here’s how easy it is to make Best Spicy Pickles.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pickles: 2 – 46-ounce jars of whole Dill Pickles. Kosher or Non-Kosher will work.
- Hot Sauce: Use your favorite brand. For us it’s Tabasco Sauce.
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Dehydrated Garlic Flakes, or Dehydrated Onion Flakes: Some brand of Kosher Dills can already have a strong garlic flavor. Whereas, pickles that are not Kosher will not. Use either garlic flakes or onion … or a little bit of both.
- Granulated Sugar
Tip: Save That Pickle Brine. I’ve never made them, but use the pickle brine to make chicken wings. Check out my friend Nick’s recipe for Pickle Brined Chicken Wings.
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.
- Remove them from their brine and slice them about ½ inch thick into a large bowl.
- Simply add sugar, a big splash of Tabasco Sauce, dried garlic or dried onion 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, and once the sugar is all dissolved, transfer to jars and let them rest in the refrigerator for three days before eating.
Tip: The sugar liquid created from these pickles is very sticky. Use a clean damp cloth to wipe the rims of the jars before placing on the lids. This will keep the lids from sticking when ready for use.
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.
How to Make Spicy Pickles from Store Bought Dill Pickles
I hope you take the time to learn how to make spicy pickles from dills. It’s truly an easy spicy pickle recipe. And if you do, please come back and let me know how you liked it and give the recipe a star rating.
More Fun Quick Pickling Recipes
Love pickling? Ever tried pickled beets? Take a look at my step by step recipe for Pickled Beets.
If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.
And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.
How to Make Spicy Pickles from Store Bought
Ingredients
- 2 46-oz jars whole dill pickles drained
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons hot pepper sauce Tabasco works well here
- 1 tablespoon dehydrated minced garlic Or onion flakes, see note below.
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Drain and discard the pickling juice from the dill pickles.
- 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.
- Once the sugar is dissolved, place the chips in jars distributing the liquid among the jars. Wipe rims with a clean we cloth, seal and refrigerate for 3 or 4 days before enjoying and gift giving.
Notes
- Dehydrated Garlic Flakes, or Dehydrated Onion Flakes: Some brand of Kosher Dills can already have a strong garlic flavor. Whereas, pickles that are not Kosher will not. Use either garlic flakes or onion … or a little bit of both.
Nutrition
How To Make Spicy Pickles From Store Bought Dills … They’re The Best.
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
I found this recipe on Gooseberry Patch years and years ago. They were always a holiday treat to have on the table. Dang, if I didn’t lose the recipe and I just wasn’t sure how much sugar to add. I am so glad to find this. I have a jar of pickles on my counter waiting for this recipe.
Wish I could see the other recipes without all the ads and confusion.
I cant find whole non-kosher pickles anywhere here in Michigan. Has anyone been able to find them?
Hi Sarah, I found a couple of brands over at Amazon. https://amzn.to/3C9vnly And, have you checked Target or Walmart?
My mother made these & they are amazing!
Can we use fresh or canned minced garlic, or does it need to be dried?
I can’t think of any reason that fresh garlic or garlic from a jar wouldn’t work. Great question and I’ll add that suggestion to the article.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
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.
I HAVE MADE THESE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. LAST YEAR i MADE THEM FOR A CRAFT SHOW WHERE i SERVED APPROX. 50 PEOPLE. EVERYONE LOVED THEM AND i AM MAKING THEM AGAIN THIS YEAR. . THANKS FOR THE WONDERFUL RECIPE,
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!!!!