Refrigerator Pickles (Quick Pickles)

Prep Time 15 minutes
Pickling Time 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 15 minutes
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These homemade refrigerator pickles with garlic and herby dill are an easy veggie side for all your cookouts. They’re perfectly crunchy and stay fresh for weeks without any canning equipment!

Why You’ll Love These Easy Refrigerator Pickles Recipe

Keep these quick and easy pickles in the fridge at all times for a last-minute gift, easy snack, or topping for your sandwich!

  • Homemade: You know exactly what’s in them and it’s only cucumbers, vinegar brine and flavor packed spices. There are zero preservatives like in store bought pickles.
  • Easy: There’s no fancy canning equipment or process needed for this quick pickle recipe! Just boil the brine and pour it over the top of your cucumbers and seasonings.
  • Perfect for Gifting: Bring them to all your summer cookouts as gifts for the hosts! Who wouldn’t be impressed by homemade pickles?
  • Customizable: From sweet to spicy, you can easily change up the flavor with different seasonings.
  • Great for Everything: Add them to burgers, hot dogs, pulled pork, sandwiches and so much more. They are also an amazing addition to a charcuterie board.

What’s The Difference Between Refrigerator Pickles and Canned Pickles?

The main differences between refrigerator and canned pickles are their shelf life and storage methods. Refrigerator pickles last for a couple weeks, but need to be refrigerated to prevent spoilage. On the other hand, canned pickles go through a hot water-bath that makes them completely shelf-stable until they’re opened. That means they can be stored in your pantry at room temperature for months or even years.

Ingredients for refrigerator pickles recipe arranged in bowls, from top to bottom: peppercorns, garlic, salt, mustard seeds, sugar, dill, vinegar, water, cucumbers and coriander seeds.

Ingredients Needed

The fresher the cucumbers, the crunchier your refrigerator dill pickles will turn out. Scroll down to the recipe card for exact amounts.

  • Dill: It needs to be fresh. Stay away from yellow or brown stems and leaves.
  • Garlic: Fresh garlic is best. Avoid garlic powder as it can make the texture grainy.
  • Mustard Seeds: Don’t use actual mustard because it’ll spoil the pickles.
  • Coriander Seeds: The seeds add a potent, complex flavor that coriander leaves can’t.
  • Black Peppercorns: Feel free to use white peppercorns or allspice.
  • Cucumbers: Use Persian cucumbers, English cucumbers or Kirby cucumber varieties. You want to use small to medium sized cucumbers.
  • Water: Don’t swap this for broth. It needs to be water.
  • Vinegar: I prefer white vinegar, but apple cider vinegar is a great swap.
  • Salt: I used kosher salt, but Himalayan salt works too.
  • Sugar: Use granulated sugar or light brown sugar.
Grabbing a quick pickle with a fork out of a mason jar.

How to Make Refrigerator Pickles

The hardest part is waiting for them to chill! The brine is what keeps the pickles from spoiling, simmer it until it’s completely smooth. Scroll to the recipe card at bottom of the post for full detailed instructions. 

  • Fill: Divide half of the dill, garlic, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns among the jars. Top with sliced cucumbers. Add the remaining spices and herbs on top.
  • Brine: Bring the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar to a boil in a large pot. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve.
  • Pour: Carefully pour the pickle brine into each jar until the cucumbers are completely submerged.
  • Chill: Add the lids and let the pickles cool completely on the counter. Then refrigerate them for at least 12 hours, then serve as desired!
Close-up of refrigerator dill pickles in the jar with dill, mustard and coriander seeds floating on top.

Chefs’ Notes

  • Clean Jar: The jar needs to be completely clean so that bacteria doesn’t spoil the pickles. Give it a quick wash in soapy hot water and rinse well before using.
  • Thick, Even Cuts: The cucumbers need to be sliced into an even thickness so that they “pickle” and absorb the brine properly and have the same texture throughout. Thick sliced cucumbers will make crisper pickles, thinner cucumbers will be less crisp.
  • Chill: These pickles are best after chilling for 12 hours. I know it’s hard to wait, but they will not have the correct texture if served sooner.
  • Get Creative: Slice the cucumbers into rounds, spears, crinkle coins, or long sandwich slices. Pick your favorite and start pickling!
  • Shake the Jar: Once you add the brine and close the jar, shake it gently once or twice to help mix all of the ingredients together.
A bowl of crisp quick pickles with fresh dill with a fork stuck into one of the pickles.

Quick Pickles Variations

Switch it up by changing the amounts or adding different spices!

  • Spicy Pickles: Add red chili flakes to the pickling spices. You can also slice fresh habaneros, jalapeños, or serranos… you can also add carrots for escabeche!
  • Greek Pickles: Add 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes and 1/2 cup diced feta cheese. You can also add greek seasoning to your brine!
  • Sweet Pickles: Add extra sugar to taste to the pickling mixture. You can play around with the exact amount, but 1/4 to 1/3 cup is a good place to start.

Serving Suggestions

These refrigerator pickles are the perfect side/topping for all your cookout meals. They make amazing fried pickles, or air fryer fried pickles!

Try them with my crock pot pulled pork or on my pulled pork tacos. You can also add them to turkey sliders or rolled up in my easy Cuban ham rollups! Cheese-stuffed air fryer burgers and air fryer hot dogs are other great options.

Jar of dill pickles in brine and whole spices.

How To Store Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Frozen (and thawed) pickles are just as crunchy as freshly-made ones if you want to get a head-start.

  • Fridge: Store them in an airtight container or mason jar for up to 6 weeks. Always write the “best before” date on the jar so you don’t forget when you need to eat them by!
  • Freezer: Place them in a freezer-friendly container (leaving 1″ of space at the top for expansion) and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then enjoy the pickles within 1 to 2 weeks.
Landscape photo of refrigerator pickles.
4.6 from 8 votes
Print Pin Recipe
Yield: 8 servings

Refrigerator Pickles

This garlicky refrigerator pickles recipe is loaded with fresh dill, sliced garlic and whole spices to create a crunchy veggie side for all your cookouts, sandwiches and charcuterie boards!
Prep Time15 minutes
Pickling Time12 hours
Total Time12 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • a small handful of fresh dill, chopped
  • 8 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
  • 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
  • 20 black peppercorns
  • 2 pounds pickling cucumbers, washed and sliced in 1/3 inch rounds
  • 2 ¾ cups of water
  • 1 ¼ cup white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, optional
  • 2 quart-size mason jars, sterilized

Instructions 

  • In the bottom of each mason jar, place a few sprigs of dill. Place half of the sliced garlic, mustard seeds, coriander seeds and peppercorns in the bottoms of each mason jar. Top with sliced cucumbers. And then top with the remaining dill and spices.
  • Combine water, vinegar, salt and sugar in a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring often until salt and sugar have dissolved.
  • Carefully fill each jar with the boiling water/vinegar/salt mixture, making sure to get the cucumbers completely covered.
  • Screw on the lids and let cool on counter. Once cooled, transfer to refrigerator and let chill for 12 hours.
  • They will keep well for several weeks, as long as you keep them refrigerated. (Naturally, if anything looks or smells funky, discard them immediately.)

Notes

Fridge: Store them in an airtight container or mason jar for up to 6 weeks. Always write the “best before” date on the jar so you don’t forget when you need to eat them by!
Freezer: Place them in a freezer-friendly container (leaving 1″ of space at the top for expansion) and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then enjoy the pickles within 1 to 2 weeks.
Thick, Even Cuts: The cucumbers need to be sliced into an even thickness so that they “pickle” and absorb the brine properly and have the same texture throughout. Thick sliced cucumbers will make crisper pickles, thinner cucumbers will be less crisp.
Spicy Pickles: Add red chili flakes to the pickling spices. You can also slice fresh habaneros, jalapeños, or serranos… you can also add carrots for escabeche!
Greek Pickles: Add 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes and 1/2 cup diced feta cheese. You can also add greek seasoning to your brine!
Sweet Pickles: Add extra sugar to taste to the pickling mixture. You can play around with the exact amount, but 1/4 to 1/3 cup is a good place to start.

Nutrition

Serving: 15pickles, Calories: 60kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 3541mg, Potassium: 204mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 83IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 42mg, Iron: 1mg

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Jessica
For the past 15 years, Jorge & Jessica have loved getting to share their families' favorite recipes with all of you. They live in Florida with their 3 kids.