Homemade quick pickles, also called refrigerator pickles, is an easy recipe that uses a cold pickling technique, made with thinly sliced cucumbers and a simple brine. No cooking involved!
If you've been wondering how to make quick refrigerator pickles—fear not, it's easy!
If you know me at all, you know I love briny, pickled, vinegary things! So making quick pickled cucumbers and other pickled vegetables is something I do around here quite a bit. I love it because there is absolutely no cooking, no worrying about safe canning, and you're eating crunchy veggies with a sharp bite in minutes!
This is a basic pickle recipe that works for any vegetable, try it with carrots, onions, green beans, or beets. Add your own mix of herbs and spices to suit your taste—it's flexible!
You can use this quick pickles recipe to make my dill pickle dip!
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Refrigerator pickles recipe ingredients
Making homemade refrigerator pickles is easy, you just need a simple vinegar brine, leave it at that, or add your own mix of herbs and spices.
- Cucumbers: I like to use small Persian cucumbers or English cucumbers in my quick pickle recipes, since all of the pickling happens in the refrigerator (no cooking) you'll want a thinner-skinned cucumber. You can also use small Kirby cucumbers.
- Apple cider vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar: I've made quick pickles with both options. If you'd like a milder, sweeter flavor, stick with unseasoned rice vinegar, for a sharper bite, try making them with apple cider vinegar.
- Granulated sugar and kosher salt: We'll use sugar and salt to create our pickle brine.
- Optional ingredients: You can add almost any other herbs and spices to your fridge pickles recipe, of course we know fresh dill and pickles love each other, also try cilantro or chives, and spices like whole black peppercorns, whole coriander seeds, mustard seeds, red pepper flakes, or whole smashed garlic cloves. Use them sparingly, you don't need a lot to flavor the brine.
How to make refrigerator quick pickles
Step 1: Slice the cucumbers
Use a good chef's knife or a mandoline to slice the cucumbers about โ -inch thick, the thinner they are, the more quick the pickling!
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Step 2: Make the quick pickle brine
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar, salt and sugar until dissolved, add dill or other fresh herbs and any spices you're using.
Pro tip
I often make quick fridge pickles with vinegar, salt, sugar, and nothing else, you can add dill or spices if you like, but they'll taste briny and delicious without any add-ins!
Step 3: Pickle the cucumbers
Add the cucumbers to the bowl and let stand at room temperature for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes. It may not seem like enough vinegar at first, but trust me, it is!
Serve right away or transfer pickles to the fridge, storing in an airtight container for up to one week.
Expert tips
- White vinegar is fine, but try others: You need a sharp vinegar to make fridge pickles, so white vinegar is a popular choice. But I like to use vinegars that can add a flavor element as well, so rice vinegar and apple cider vinegar are my go-to choices. White wine vinegars of any kind (chardonnay, Champagne) also work well. Don't use aged vinegars like balsamic.
- Be sure to use unseasoned rice vinegar: Seasoned rice vinegar already has salt and sugar added to it, so be sure to buy unseasoned so you can control the amounts yourself.
- This recipe for refrigerator pickles works with other veggies: Just be sure to slice them thinly! Try carrots, onions, even beets!
- Don't skip letting them stand at room temp: Even for a few minutes. This will allow the cucumbers to release some of their water into the liquid so they can absorb the flavor of the pickle brine.
FAQ
No, quick pickles or refrigerator pickles must be stored in the fridge. Nothing is cooked when making them, so if you leave them at room temperature they will spoil and make you sick.
No, you must slice the cucumbers for this recipe because we are cold pickling, meaning we're not cooking anything, and the brine can't permeate the whole vegetable without heating the liquid.
No, it looks pretty, but canning jars are not necessary to make and store refrigerator pickles, just keep them in the fridge in an airtight container.
More cucumber recipes
- This Hungarian Cucumber Salad recipe involves some very quick pickling followed by lots and lots of sour cream!
- A Garbanzo Bean Salad with Tomato and Cucumber is light and fresh and perfect for summer potlucks!
This recipe for quick pickles is easy, store them in the fridge!
- Quick pickle cucumbers or any vegetable with this recipe!
- Three simple ingredients to make a brine, then customize with herbs and spices of your choice.
- Fridge pickles are ready in 15 minutes and last up to one week.
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Recipe
Quick Pickle Recipe (Fridge Pickles)
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Ingredients
- 1 cup thinly sliced cucumbers or other veggies like onions or carrots
- ½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Use a chef's knife or a mandoline to slice the cucumbers about ⅛-inch thick, the thinner they are, the more quick the pickling!
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar, salt and sugar until dissolved, add dill or other fresh herbs and any spices you're using.
- Add the cucumbers to the bowl and let stand at room temperature for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. It may not seem like enough vinegar at first, but trust me, it is!
- Serve right away or transfer pickles to the fridge, storing in an airtight container for up to one week.
Notes
- White vinegar is fine, but try others: You need a sharp vinegar to make fridge pickles, so white vinegar is a popular choice. But I like to use vinegars that can add a flavor element as well, so rice vinegar and apple cider vinegar are my go-to choices. White wine vinegars of any kind (chardonnay, Champagne) also work well. Don't use aged vinegars like balsamic.
- Be sure to use unseasoned rice vinegar: Seasoned rice vinegar already has salt and sugar added to it, so be sure to buy unseasoned so you can control the amounts yourself.
- This recipe for refrigerator pickles works with other veggies: Just be sure to slice them thinly! Try carrots, onions, even beets!
- Don't skip letting them stand at room temp: Even for a few minutes. This will allow the cucumbers to release some of their water into the liquid so they can absorb the flavor of the brine.
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