back to recipes
Snack
Cheesy Pickle Poppers
By: Carolina Gelen
Cheesy, tangy and so crisp! These pickles are stuffed with Tillamook Farmstyle Shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese Blend and Tillamook Cream Cheese, then fried to golden perfection for an appetizer that’ll impress your guests on any occasion.
1HR serves 6-8
Ingredients
3 oz Tillamook Original Cream Cheese, softened
1⁄4tsp cayenne pepper
1 ½ cups (6 oz) Tillamook Farmstyle Shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese Blend
1 cup (135g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp paprika
15 to 18 whole baby dill pickles, about 1 (46 fl oz) jar
1⁄8cup (20g) cornstarch
1⁄4tsp baking powder
6 fl oz / ¾ cup (177g) club soda, plus more as needed
1⁄8cup (32g) pickle brine
Neutral oil, for frying
Make the filling: In a small food processor, add the cream cheese and cayenne pepper. Pulse for 30 seconds to a minute. Add the cheddar and pulse until combined.
Add the mixture to a piping or zip-seal bag. Cut a hole in a corner, for piping.
Tip: Alternatively, you can skip the piping bag and stuff each pickle using a teaspoon.
Add the flour to a medium mixing bowl. Add the garlic, paprika and whisk to combine.
Prep the pickles: Slice each pickle in half, lengthwise. Using a small teaspoon, scoop out the seeds and flesh of each half.
Fill one half of each pickle with the cheese mixture. Lightly dip the other half in the flour, cut side-down. Sandwich together the filled half with the floured half.
Place the whole pickle in flour and toss to coat then transfer to a plate/small baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pickles.
Freeze the floured pickles for 15 minutes.
Heat 4 to 5 inches of oil to 375°F, in a medium Dutch oven. Place a cooling rack on a large baking sheet.
Make the batter: To the bowl of flour, add the cornstarch, baking powder and whisk to combine. Add the club soda, pickle brine and whisk to combine.
Tip: The consistency of the batter should be of a thin pancake batter. Add more club soda to the mix to thin it out, if needed.
Working in small batches, dip each pickle in the batter. Carefully place the pickles the hot oil and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden and crisp.
Tip: Using a pair of forks or kitchen tweezers is an easy way to transfer the pickles from the batter to the oil and out.
Transfer the fried pickles to the cooling rack and fry the remaining ones, adjusting the heat as needed.
Serve hot, with the sauce of choice on the side, such as ranch, hot honey, honey mustard, etc.
Shop this recipe
Tillamook Triple Cheddar Blend Thick Cut
Meet the chef
Carolina Gelen
Carolina Gelen is a bestselling and award-winning cookbook author. As a recipe developer, she draws inspiration from her upbringing in Transylvania, creating resourceful recipes with a focus on flavor and comfort.
