Learn how to make pickles at home! This easy 8-ingredient recipe yields crisp, tangy dill pickles that are a delicious snack or sandwich topping.
The first time I tried this dill pickle recipe, I wondered why on earth I’d spent so many years buying pickles at the grocery store. Sure, store bought pickles can be tasty, but these little guys take dill pickles to a whole new level. They’re super easy to make (the refrigerator does most of the work for you!), and they taste awesome. They’re crisp, tangy, and refreshing, with an addictive garlic-dill flavor. Most often, I eat them as a snack right out of the fridge, but they’re delicious on sandwiches and veggie burgers too. If you like dill pickles, you’re going to love this recipe.
How to Make Pickles
My method for how to make pickles couldn’t be simpler! Here’s how it goes:
- First, slice the cucumbers. I usually make this recipe with Persian cucumbers, but small pickling cucumbers work here too. Slice them lengthwise into quarters to make spears, or thinly slice them horizontally to make dill pickle chips.
- Then, fill the jars. Divide the cucumbers among 4 8-ounce or 2 16-ounce jars, and add fresh dill, halved garlic cloves, mustard seeds, and peppercorns to each jar of pickles.
- Next, make the brine. I use a mix of water, white vinegar, sugar, and salt. If you’re not a sweet pickle person, don’t worry! The sugar doesn’t actually make the refrigerator pickles sweet. Instead, it balances the pungent vinegar and salt to create an irresistible sour pickle flavor. Heat the brine on the stove until the sugar and salt dissolve and pour it over the jarred cucumbers. Then, set the jars aside to cool to room temperature.
- Finally, chill! This is the hard part! These guys aren’t ready right away – they need some time in the fridge to soak up the brine and become really flavorful. Dill pickle chips will be ready in 24 hours, while spears will take at least 48. They’ll keep in the fridge for several weeks, and they get better as time goes on. For the best flavor, wait about 5 days.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Dill Pickle Recipe Serving Suggestions
These homemade pickles taste great on sandwiches, burgers, and more! Pile dill pickle chips onto veggie burgers, mushroom burgers, cauliflower po’ boys, black bean burgers, or BBQ jackfruit sandwiches at your next cookout. Alternatively, serve spears alongside one of these sandwiches for a deli-style lunch:
- Caprese Sandwich
- Avocado Sandwich
- Chickpea Salad Sandwich
- Egg Salad Sandwich or Vegan Egg Salad Sandwich
If you’re not in the mood for a sandwich, try adding your refrigerator pickles to a salad. I love to dice them and add them to my Easy Macaroni Salad.
Last but not least, they’re delicious on their own! Enjoy them straight out of the fridge for a tangy, refreshing snack.
What are the best jars for pickling?
Ball Mason jars are a classic option for pickling. I love the brand’s 16-ounce jars, especially because you can get them in a pack of 12 for under $16 at Target. That’s just under $1.30 a jar! They’re dishwasher-safe and completely airtight, which is why they’re my go-to jars for making pickles like these.
More Favorite Homemade Pickles
If you love this dill pickle recipe, try making pickled jalapeños, pickled red onions, or banh mi pickles next!
Dill Pickles
Equipment
- 8-Ounce Weck Jars (love these for canning!)
Ingredients
- 12 to 14 Persian cucumbers or 8 to 10 pickling cucumbers
- 4 garlic cloves, halved
- 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons peppercorns
- Fresh dill sprigs, a few per jar
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups distilled white vinegar
- ¼ cup cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
Instructions
- To make dill pickle spears, slice the cucumbers lengthwise into quarters. To make dill pickle chips, thinly slice them horizontally.
- Heat the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve, about 1 minute. Let cool slightly and pour over the cucumbers. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then store the pickles in the fridge.
- Pickle spears will be lightly pickled in 2 days, but their best flavor will start to develop around day 5 or 6. Pickle chips will be lightly pickled in 1 day, and will become more flavorful every day after that. Store in the fridge for several weeks.
Hi Melanie, we live in Portugal now and there are NO dill pickles to be had in this part of the world. There’s also no distilled vinegar to speak of. It’s rare if you can find it and I’ve been told that you can use almost any kind of vinegar, i.e. rice, white wine, apple cider to make dill pickles. Would another vinegar other than distilled white vinegar work? [They have vinegar here, but only on the cleaning aisle and it’s not for consumption].
Thanks!
Excellent and very easy. Will be my go to recipe. Made both spears and slices with very thick-skinned cucumbers.
It says in the recipe divide the mustard seeds in the peppercorns between the jars. I have 8 ounce Jars so how much of the peppercorn in the mustard seed do I put in each of these jars? Thank you.
Also curious why sugar is added when these are dill not sweet pickles
Hi Melanie, it just balances the tart flavor – most pickle brines have a little bit of sugar, just not enough to make them sweet pickles. You can omit it if you prefer.
Hi Melanie, just divide them evenly amongst your jars.
These are by far the best pickles I’ve ever tasted!
I’ve only made two batches so far, one with table salt and the second with pink Himalayan sea salt and I can Definitely taste a difference. It’s subtle but it’s there, the pink sea salt adds such a wonderful flavor!
Both batches I used the regular large pickles from the store, is there a difference in flavor when using the Persian and smaller ones?
after pouring the brine in the jar, do you allow the jar to cool covered or uncovered? Thanks!
Hi Alliyah, let them cool uncovered, then cover and store in the fridge. I hope this helps!
Hi can I use monk fruit to replace the sugar?
sure!
Do you need to sanitize the jars beforehand?
Hi, great question! Because these are refrigerator pickles that only keep for a couple weeks, we typically make them in clean—not specially sanitized—jars.
I’ve made these two years running with Parisian Pickling cucumbers from my garden. This year the garlic was homegrown too and I added homegrown chilli! They are always a winner. I water-bath mine to make them shelf stable and they are delicious even after 6 months.
Hi Ruby, I’m so glad you love the pickles!
It says to heat over medium heat. Does that mean to only heat for one minute or bring to a boil but it will only take about a minute for the sugar and salt to dissolve?
Hi Darcy, you just need to heat the brine until the sugar and salt dissolve, about 1 minute.
Hi Ruby. What do you mean by water bathing them to make them last 6 months?
This recipe has my family and friends always asking me to make more! I add a pinch more sugar than the recipe calls for, but other than that I follow it exactly!
My daughter has requested that I make them for her baby shower favor, that’s how tasty they are!!
Hi Kellee, awww I love this! So glad the pickles are a hit.
Absolutely love this recipe. All of the flavors come through. Better than store bought!
So glad you loved the pickles, Jaimie!