This refrigerator pickles recipe will help you discover how easy it is to make crisp, garlicky dill refrigerator pickles right at home. Cucumbers, dill, garlic, and a simple brine transform into crunchy refrigerator dill pickles in just 24 hours - no canning required. It's a simple, healthier homemade pickles recipe that adds bright flavor and crunch to everything from sandwiches to snack boards.
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The backstory.
Every family seems to have that one recipe that shows up year after year without anyone really questioning it. In my husband's family, it's these easy refrigerator dill pickles. The recipe came from my mother-in-law's side, and once cucumber season hits, someone is always slicing cucumbers and packing jars with dill and garlic. Simple ingredients, a hot brine, and a little patience in the fridge - that's all it takes.
xoxo Kori
It's a must-make.
A great refrigerator pickle is one of those small kitchen wins that instantly makes everyday meals better.
- Fresh, crisp, and incredibly flavorful. These crispy refrigerator pickles stay bright and crunchy with garlicky dill flavor in every bite.
- No canning required.This pickle recipe refrigerator method is quick, easy, and perfect for beginners.
- Simple ingredients straight from the garden. The ingredients to make pickles are wholesome, fresh, and easy to find.
- A lighter, healthier snack. These refrigerated pickles are naturally low in calories and made without preservatives.
Every fridge deserves a jar of homemade pickles - preferably the kind you sneak straight from the jar when no one's looking.
Let's talk texture and flavor.
Pop open the jar and you'll immediately smell that fresh dill and garlicky brine of these homemade pickles. The cucumbers stay crisp and juicy, soaking up all that bright, tangy flavor while the onions and garlic add a savory bite. These dill refrigerator pickles are the perfect balance of salty, tangy, and just a little sweet - with a satisfying crunch that keeps you reaching for one more.
What you'll need.
Here's what your going to need to make this easy homemade refrigerator dill pickle recipe.
- Water: The base of the brine that balances the vinegar and helps mellow the acidity.
- White vinegar: Provides the sharp, tangy flavor that defines great pickles.
- Sugar: Adds a subtle sweetness that balances the brine. Adjust the amount if you prefer sweeter pickles.
- Iodized table salt: Essential for seasoning and creating that classic pickle flavor.
- Pickle crisp: Optional, but helpful for achieving extra crispy refrigerator pickles.
- Onions: Sliced onions add mild sweetness and flavor to these classic refrigerator dill pickles with onions.
- Garlic cloves: A must for a bold garlic dill pickles recipe.
- Fresh dill with seed heads: The star ingredient that gives dill refrigerator pickles their signature flavor.
- Pickling cucumbers: Small, firm cucumbers create the best crunch in this recipe for refrigerator cucumber pickles.
If you're loving these crunchy refrigerator dill pickles, there are plenty more pickle-inspired recipes to try. The creamy Dill Pickle Hummus brings that tangy pickle flavor into a smooth, garlicky dip that's perfect for veggies or crackers. Dill Pickle Chicken Salad is another reader favorite with big dill flavor and lots of crunch. For something fresh and bright, Pickle De Gallo combines chopped pickles, peppers, and herbs into a zippy salsa-style topping. And if you're in full pickle mode, the Dill Pickle Pasta Salad is packed with creamy dressing and bold dill flavor that pickle lovers can't resist.
Customize it your way.
One of the best parts about a crispy refrigerator dill pickles recipe is how easy it is to tweak depending on what you love.
- Make them sweeter by increasing the sugar to about ¾ cup to 1 cup of granulated sugar.
- To make them spicy, add sliced jalapeno, red chile, or green chile peppers to the bottom of the jar for heat. You can also sprinkle ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes into each jar.
- Add a pinch of yellow mustard seeds to each jar for a classic tangy pickle flavor.
- If you love bold garlic flavor, add an extra clove or two to each jar.
- If you can't find dill with seed heads, fresh dill sprigs work just fine. Use about one sprig per jar - or more if you really love dill.
Flexible dietary swaps.
A good refrigerator pickle recipe like this is naturally simple, but also easy to tweak depending on your dietary needs.
- Sugar-Free/Keto: Replace the granulated sugar with allulose for a sugar-free or keto-friendly option. Allulose works especially well in pickling because it dissolves easily and keeps the brine balanced.
- Lower Sugar: If you prefer a more savory dill pickle, reduce the sugar slightly. The vinegar, garlic, and dill will still give the pickles plenty of flavor.
- Pickle Crisp Substitute: If you don't have pickle crisp, you can use alum instead. Alum was actually the traditional ingredient used in many older pickle recipes to help produce crisp pickles.
How to make this refrigerator pickles recipe.
Making this refrigerator pickle recipe is simple, quick, and beginner-friendly.
- Place fresh garlic cloves and sliced onions in the bottom of each jar. Tightly pack the cucumbers into the jars and top with dill seed heads.
- In a saucepan, bring the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Carefully pour the hot pickling liquid over the cucumbers until the jars are full, leaving about ½ inch of space at the top.
- Allow the jars to cool, then add lids and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before enjoying.
How to enjoy them.
A refrigerator pickle recipe like this adds a bright, crunchy bite to all kinds of meals. Everyone enjoys these delicious pickles
- Add slices to burgers, sandwiches, and wraps.
- Serve them alongside grilled meats or barbecue.
- Chop them into potato salad, tuna salad, or egg salad.
- Enjoy them straight from the jar as a refreshing snack.
Kori's tips.
- Use very fresh cucumbers. Fresh cucumbers make the best crispy refrigerator pickles.
- Don't stress about jar sizes. You can use pint jars, quart jars, or even one large jar - just adjust the garlic, onion, and dill amounts accordingly.
- Let them rest. Give the pickles at least 24 hours in the fridge so the flavors can develop.
- Make extra brine if needed. If you still have cucumbers left, simply mix another batch of pickling liquid.
FAQs
Store the pickles in sealed jars in the refrigerator. If you start with very fresh cucumbers, refrigerated pickles can last up to 2 months.
These refrigerator dill pickles are ready after about 24 hours in the fridge, but the flavor continues to deepen over the next few days.
Yes. Pint jars, quart jars, or even one large jar will work. Just adjust the garlic, onion, and dill amounts to fit the container.
Yes! Pickles are a great snack! They are low in calories, low in carbs, high in antioxidants, great for muscle repair, have good bacteria, which is great for gut health, and are delicious!
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📖 The recipe.
Refrigerator Pickles Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 cups water
- 3 cups white vinegar
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar (for sweeter dills, use up to 1 cup sugar; allulose sugar substitute may be used)
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons iodized table salt
- 1¼ teaspoons pickle crisp (optional) (alum can be substituted)
- 3 medium onions (sliced, approximately ¼ cup onion slices per pint)
- 1 head of garlic (you will need 1 to 2 garlic cloves per pint)
- large bunch fresh dill with seed heads (you will need 1 seed head per pint; see notes about dill below under Variations)
- 24 small small pickling cucumbers (approximately 4" in length, 1½" diameter)
Instructions
- Clean your jars with very hot soapy liquid or run them through a dishwasher on the sanitize setting. Cool jars completely before adding ingredients.
- Wash the cucumbers under running water. Remove any bad spots with a knife. Slice the cucumbers into ¼" thick slices, or wedge them.
- In the bottom of each jar, (depending upon the size of the jar) place 1 to 3 whole garlic cloves, and a ¼ to a ½ of an onion (slices). Tightly pack the cucumbers into the jar leaving 1" of head space. Top with 1 or 2 large heads of dill.
- In a large saucepan bring water, sugar, vinegar, and salt to a boil. Stir to dissolve sugar. Turn off heat.
- Using a funnel, carefully pour the hot liquid over the top of the pickles until full, leaving about ½" head space at the top.
- Let the pickles cool before placing the lid on top. Refrigerate at least 24 hours.
Video
Kori's Tips
- Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
- VARIATIONS:
- Make these a sweet dill pickle by using ¾ to 1 cup granulated sugar.
- Add spice by placing a whole or half of a hot red or green chile pepper in the bottom of the jar; you can also use ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes (in each jar).
- If you can only find dill with no seed heats, that is fine. Use approximately 1 sprig per pint, or more if you love dill.
- Alum can be used instead of pickle crisp. Alum was the traditional ingredient used in the original recipe.
- If following a sugar free or keto diet, use allulose as a sugar substitute.
- AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is one of those recipes handed down where an actual recipe was just a guide. You just sort of threw together what came out of the garden into jars and covered it with hot pickling liquid. There is quite a bit of room to play with the quantities and ingredients. I made an attempt to get the exact ingredient quantities to fit into exact jars - but you know how that goes. If you are off, it's okay.
- TIPS: You can use any size jars - just adjust the garlic, onion, and dill accordingly. It doesn't have to be exact. If you like garlic add more. If you're not sure, add 1 clove per pint. One year I used a very large jar for the entire recipe and it worked like a charm - just add everything into the one jar and you're done! If you have a variety of sizes - that's fine too. It's possible you might have leftover cucumbers, dill, and onion - if so, mix up more pickling liquid and make more pickles. If you're out of jars - don't panic. Add pickle ingredients to any glass container with a lid.
- STORAGE: If you started with very fresh cucumbers and ingredients, your pickles will keep in the fridge for up to 2 months (or longer).
Nutrition
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