Refrigerator Dill Pickles - How to make pickles without canning or special equipment. These easy homemade pickles turn everyday cucumbers into zesty, delicious sandwich condiments and chilled snacks!
If you don’t have a refrigerator pickles recipe that you love…you are about to! Dill pickles are one of the best refrigerator condiments you can make at home because you control the ingredients...and they're so easy! This quick pickle recipe requires no canning and lasts a whole month in the refrigerator. It’s so tangy and zesty with the perfect balance of sweet and dill, I bet it won’t last a week 😂.
Refrigerator Pickle Ingredients
* get full printable recipe below
- white vinegar
- water
- kosher salt
- sugar
- cucumbers
- fresh dill
- sweet onion
- garlic cloves
- black peppercorn
- mustard seed
How to make dill pickles (How to pickle cucumbers)
* get full printable recipe below
- Heat water, vinegar, salt, and sugar in a sauce pot, then allow to cool (this is the brine).
- Slice cucumbers and onions, then stuff into lidded jars with spices.
- Pour in the brine, filling to the top.
- Cover and refrigerate 24 hours up to 30 days.
- Use dill pickles for sandwiches, snacks, or salads made with pickles.
Why we love to make homemade pickles
- Super easy pickle recipe for cucumber season
- You control the salt and sugar
- Quick prep and assembly
- No canning or special equipment needed
- No specialized skills needed (if you can heat up water, you got this!)
- Budget-friendly (good quality dill pickles are expensive)
- Absolutely delicious, zesty, and tangy
- Use on sandwiches, wraps, salads, or snacks
Pickle FAQ
Is a pickle a cucumber?
Yes. Pickles are cucumbers that are soaked in some type of pickling solution, be it dill, sweet, our sour. Read about this and other fun food facts.
What are the types of pickles?
These definitions are adapted from an article on ilovepickles.org.
Dill pickles - cucumbers are pickled in a vinegar brine with fresh dill.
Sour pickles - cucumbers are pickled in a non-vinegar brine and become sour over a long period of time spent in the brine.
Sweet pickles - cucumbers are pickled in a brine made of vinegar, sugar, and spices.
Best cucumbers for pickling
I used Persian cucumbers (our garden cucumbers) for this refrigerator pickles recipe. You can also use English cucumbers. Some might find them to be too soft-skinned for pickles. I have no problem with their texture because, once pickled, the flavor simply can't be beat! I'm excited to try our patio snackers with this same recipe.
How long do cucumbers last?
When stored at room temperature, cucumbers should last a few days before they start becoming squishy to the touch in spots. When stored in the refrigerator, they can last up to a week with optimal freshness. If a cucumber becomes moldy, discard the whole thing as it’s likely contaminated throughout, even if it's not visible.
How long does it take to make pickles?
Refrigerator pickles take 15 minutes active prep time. This is where the cucumbers and onions get sliced and stuffed into jars along with spices, while the brine gets warmed on the stove. Then you wait for the brine to cool, pour it over the cucumbers in the jars, cover, and refrigerate for a minimum of 24 hours and up to one month. This is where they develop their delicious dill flavor. The longer they soak, the better they taste!
Dill pickle recipe add-ins
- Jalapeños or crushed red pepper (for spicy dill pickles)
- Other vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, or other onions
- Other spices like bay leaf, whole clove, coriander, cinnamon stick
- Packaged pickling spice (simply omit the peppercorn and mustard seed from this recipe)
How to serve homemade dill pickles
- On your favorite burger or deli sandwich
- As a chilled, low calorie snack
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Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Ingredients
For the brine (yield 2 cups)
- 1 cup White Vinegar
- 1 cup Water
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 2 tsp Sugar
For the pickles (yield 4 cups)
- 1 lb. Cucumbers washed
- 3 sprigs Fresh Dill
- 1/4 Sweet Onion sliced
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp Whole Black Peppercorn
- 1/8 tsp Yellow Mustard Seed
Recipe Instructions
To make the brine:
- In a 2-quart sauce pan, combine VINEGAR, WATER, SALT, and SUGAR. Heat over medium heat until dissolved, stirring as needed. Set aside to cool completely.
To make dill pickles:
- In a 1 quart jar, layer in the CUCUMBERS, DILL, ONION, GARLIC, PEPPERCORNS, and MUSTARD SEED.
- Add brine, filling the jar to the very top. The ingredients need to sit under the brine.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate a minimum of 24 hours up to 30 days.
RECIPE NOTES
- Jalapeños, Serrano Pepper, or crushed red pepper (for spicy dill pickles)
- Other vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, or red onions
- Other spices like bay leaf, whole clove, coriander, or cinnamon stick
- Packaged pickling spice (simply omit the peppercorn and mustard seed from this recipe)
Nutrition
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I love pickles, my mom would hide it from me. Our Indian pickles are very tasty, but takes lot of time to make. Loved how simple this dish is Traci . Thanks for sharing the recipe
Thanks, Rahul...glad you can enjoy this version of refrigerator pickles 🤩
Love the garlic in pickle idea!! Gotta add that to my next batch of refrigerator pickles!!
Pickles are my go-to snack! Looking forward to having these on hand to enjoy whenever I’d like!
Pickles are a favorite of mine and I have made them from scratch at home before and am always looking for ways to improve. The garden variety of cucumbers I agree make for the best pickles.
Your pictures are so pretty! We tried this recipe and it was so easy! The pickles were perfect for our Lunch sandwiches and burgers later that week!
Awesome, Jessie! So glad to hear it! We love these refrigerator pickles on everything lately 🤩 Thanks for the compliment too...they were fun to shoot!
Perfect summer recipe with all these fresh cucumbers everywhere. Love how easy it is!
Thanks, Lisa! You're right...it's SO easy 🙂 Glad you can enjoy these!
I just made these with my cucumbers from the garden. They turned out so good and I am glad I found your recipe.
Wonderful, Shanna! I made these with our garden cucumbers also. Nothing beats that for dill pickle recipe. Thanks!!!
These look and taste so good. Great in my chicken salad sandwich!
Thanks, Beth! So glad you're enjoying these! Chicken salad is perfect for refrigerator pickles 🤩
I really loved it! Such a perfect recipe for dill pickles!
Awesome, Toni! So glad you enjoyed these...thanks!!! 💚
I love homemade pickles - they are fresh and taste amazing. Your pickles recipe sounds just perfect to try for my family.
Yay Pavani! Glad you can enjoy these…let me know if you have any questions 🤩
I have just learned the joys of refrigerator pickles and can't wait to try your version. It sounds yummy!
Awesome, Pam! Glad you can enjoy these...let me know if you have any questions 🤩
These are crazy easy to make and mouth-watering good. Why did we do store bought all these years? It's refrigerator pickles from now on!
I feel the exact same way, JB 🤩 No more store bought dill pickles unless it's an emergency 😂