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 snacks. They're excellent on my Pulled Pork Sliders and my Vegan Veggie Sandwich.
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 several weeks in the refrigerator, just like my Quick Pickled Carrots and Daikon. It’s so tangy and zesty with the perfect balance of sweet and dill, I bet it won’t last a week.
Why we love this homemade pickle recipe
- 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
Key ingredients
- white vinegar and water - this combination is the base liquid for refrigerator dill pickles.
- sugar - I use white cane sugar for refrigerator pickles because it keeps the pickling liquid clear. Brown sugar or raw sugar can color the water, which probably won't be as appealing.
- cucumbers - any cucumber can work for this recipe, but English cucumbers, Persian cucumbers, and Patio Snackers are quite common.
- fresh dill - you can substitute fresh dill with dried dill if necessary, but you'll want to use about 1/2 the amount.
- sweet onion - or preferred onion
- garlic cloves - fresh garlic is a must for this recipe and I don't recommend garlic powder.
- whole peppercorn - feel free to use red, white, or black peppercorn for this recipe
- mustard seed - use yellow or brown mustard seed
How to make dill pickles (How to pickle cucumbers)
- 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.
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 use Patio Snacker 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
- Served on Pulled Pork Sliders (my favorite!)
- On your favorite burger or deli sandwich
- As a chilled, low calorie snack
- Vegan Veggie Sandwich recipe
- as a topping for this Chickpea Salad Sandwich
- use homemade pickles for my BEST Potato Salad recipe
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
- ¼ Sweet Onion, sliced
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp Whole Black Peppercorn
- ⅛ tsp Yellow Mustard Seed
Equipment
- 2 quart sauce pot
- canning jars and lids or any jar with airtight seal
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 from TKG
- 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)
- On Pulled Pork Sliders
- On your favorite burger or deli sandwich
- As a chilled, low calorie snack
- Vegan Veggie Sandwich recipe
- Chickpea Salad Sandwich recipe
- use homemade pickles for my BEST Potato Salad recipe
Nutrition
Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.
Anna says
Do you think using Apple Cider Vinegar would be good also? I love swapping for it in recipes when possible. I was happy to find a recipe with little sugar! Can’t wait to try 😊
The Kitchen Girl says
Yes! You can absolutely make refrigerator dill pickles with apple cider vinegar. Just swap the vinegar 1:1. Hope you love them like we do 🙂
PAucoin says
Does the sugar have to be added? I can’t use any kind of sweeteners.
The Kitchen Girl says
You can certainly leave it out, but fair warning, it will be very tart since the sugar balances out the vinegar. Let me know how it goes for you 🙂
Rahul @samosastreet says
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
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks, Rahul...glad you can enjoy this version of refrigerator pickles
Brenda says
Love the garlic in pickle idea!! Gotta add that to my next batch of refrigerator pickles!!
Neli Howard says
Pickles are my go-to snack! Looking forward to having these on hand to enjoy whenever I’d like!
ali randall says
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.
Jessie says
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!
The Kitchen Girl says
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!
Lisa Huff says
Perfect summer recipe with all these fresh cucumbers everywhere. Love how easy it is!
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks, Lisa! You're right...it's SO easy 🙂 Glad you can enjoy these!
Shanna says
I just made these with my cucumbers from the garden. They turned out so good and I am glad I found your recipe.
The Kitchen Girl says
Wonderful, Shanna! I made these with our garden cucumbers also. Nothing beats that for dill pickle recipe. Thanks!!!
Beth Sachs says
These look and taste so good. Great in my chicken salad sandwich!
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks, Beth! So glad you're enjoying these! Chicken salad is perfect for refrigerator pickles
Toni Dash says
I really loved it! Such a perfect recipe for dill pickles!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Toni! So glad you enjoyed these...thanks!!!
Pavani says
I love homemade pickles - they are fresh and taste amazing. Your pickles recipe sounds just perfect to try for my family.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay Pavani! Glad you can enjoy these…let me know if you have any questions
Pam says
I have just learned the joys of refrigerator pickles and can't wait to try your version. It sounds yummy!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Pam! Glad you can enjoy these...let me know if you have any questions
JB says
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!
The Kitchen Girl says
I feel the exact same way, JB No more store bought dill pickles unless it's an emergency