Fresh garlic, homemade pickling spice, and chili peppers give this easy homemade dill pickle recipe a seriously delicious, spicy kick and awesome flavor.
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“This is the best pickle recipe that I have found. EVERYONE loves it and ask me for pickles. I also use the same brine to pickle red onions and beets. SO GOOD!!!!!” -JJ, FoodieCrush reader
These Are the Best Pickles EVER
Every summer I make plans to can a few jars of spicy garlic pickles to match the taste of a jar I picked up at one of our farmer’s markets that left me slack-jawed and puckered. Because as a pickle-head, I always want more.
I’m a self-professed pickle-loving queen, as evidenced by my recipes for refrigerator dill pickles and my zesty bread and butter pickles.
This dill pickle recipe matches everything I crave about a spicy pickle: Garlic, dill, and a little bit of heat with a whole lot of crunch. It’s based on a recipe I heard about on NPR’s All Things Considered Lost Recipe series. The listener wanted to recreate her aunt Minnie’s secret pickle recipe, but only had a few details to go by. To reverse engineer the recipe, NPR turned to no other than the doyenne of canning on the www, Marisa of Food In Jars, who supplied some very helpful intel for pickling pickles, and the base for this homemade dill pickle recipe.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Pickling Success
This recipe is exceptionally flexible to fit your taste. Feel free to leave the chili peppers out if the heat isn’t your thing. If your cucumbers are bigger, cut them down to fit. Or, if you really love garlic, toss more in, or leave it out.
Choose short- or long-term storage. Can the pickles so they last for months or make them refrigerator pickles if you plan on eating them more quickly.
Mix vinegars for a nuanced flavor. I use half cider vinegar and half white vinegar in my spicy pickle brine because white vinegar gives these pickles more pucker.
Ingredient Notes
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
The Best Cucumbers
Choose firm, green cucumbers that don’t have a lot of blemishes or discoloration.
For quick pickles or refrigerator pickles, choose a thin-skin cucumber that absorbs the vinegar solution easily. Regular garden cucumbers, Persian cucumbers, or seedless English cucumbers work well.
For canning cucumbers, choose a sturdier cucumber with thicker skin like kirby cucumbers that will hold their snap after brining in the vinegar solution.
The Best Vinegar
There are so many different types of vinegars out there, and while I love apple cider and rice wine vinegar for certain types of pickles, when it comes to dill pickles, distilled white vinegar is your pal. It’s a more mild smelling and flavored vinegar, has an ideal level of acidity, and since it’s clear, it won’t turn your pickles a funky color.
I use half cider vinegar and half white vinegar for a delicious tangy pucker. Plus, there’s a good chance you already have this vinegar hanging around your kitchen.
The Best Pickling Spice + Flavor Enhancers
This recipe starts with a homemade pickling spice mixture based on the one suggested by Marisa in the NPR segment, with some slight alterations. I cut down on the amount of allspice and I left out the red pepper flakes since I knew I was going to be adding whole, split Thai chiles for heat.
In the end, I infused the brine with garlicky, spicy flavor in the form of:
- Black peppercorns
- Mustard seeds
- Coriander seeds
- Dill seed
- Allspice berries
- Bay leaves
- Dried dill weed (NOT fresh dill)
- Thai red peppers (or another spicy chili such as habanero)
- Garlic cloves
How to Make Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles
- First, prep the pickling jars. Wide mouth mason jars that are easy to stuff are essential for canning pickles. If canning, sterilize the jars and lids by running them through the dishwasher or boiling them in an extra large pot of water for 2 minutes per jar. If you’re not canning the pickles, simply wash and rinse the jars and lids in hot water.
- Prep the cucumbers and trim the ends before pickling. To avoid limp pickles, always rinse the cucumbers well and trim the bloom end of the cucumber to prevent spoilage. Half of the time I wasn’t sure which was which so I just trimmed both. I like safer than sorry. Leave the cucumbers whole or slice the cucumbers into spears or coins with the skin on.
- Start stuffing and packing the jars. To each jar, add a few tablespoons of the pickling spice, 2 or 3 fronds and stalks of dried dill weed, 2 or 3 Thai red peppers, and a few whole garlic cloves. Then, pack the cucumbers (whole or sliced) into the jars so they are tight but aren’t damaged in the process.
PICKLE PACKING TIP: To easily pack the jars and keep the cucumbers from tipping over as you do, tilt the wide-mouth canning jars at an angle on tongs. Then, pack the jars in layers of cucumbers and dill. Stuff away, pickler!
- Add the brine. Next, bring the vinegars, water, and salt to a simmer in a large stock pot. Pour the brine over the cucumbers in the jars, leaving about ½ inch headspace.
- Tap to release air bubbles. Tap the jars on the counter to release any air bubbles between the brine and pickles then top with the lids and screw tight.
- Can as instructed below. I’ve given step-by-step instructions on how to can the spicy pickles in a water bath canner in the recipe card below. Pickles need to process for 10 minutes.
Pickling FAQs
Small, firm cucumbers (kirby or “pickling cucumbers”) are key, and you want to can them as quickly after you buy them as possible. These young cucumbers have fewer seeds and contain less water, so their flesh is already nice and firm.
I haven’t experimented with this, but I’ve read that you can also soak your cucumbers in an ice bath for 20-30 minutes, or up to overnight, before canning to also help the cukes retain their crispness. If you’ve tried this before, definitely let me know!
At what point does a cucumber become a pickle? Patience is a virtue, my friends. I let these babies sit for about 10 days before I eat them. My mom likes to let hers sit for 3 months. I’m not sure how she can hold out that long, but like most things, they do get better with age.
Yes you can! For refrigerator pickles, skip the hot water bath and place the jars directly into the fridge instead. They won’t last as long and won’t be shelf-stable, but will last in the fridge for 1-2 months.
Store these in a dry cool place and they’ll just get better even better over time. They can be stored for up to 1 year. Just don’t forget to refrigerate any jar you open!
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Spicy Dill Pickle Recipe
Equipment
- 32-ounce Wide Mouth Mason Jars
- Water Bath Canner
Ingredients
Homemade Pickling Spice
- 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 2 tablespoons dill seed
- 1 tablespoon allspice berries
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 10-12 bay leaves , crumbled
Spicy Dill Pickles
- 10-12 pounds pickling cucumbers , scrubbed clean and kept whole or sliced
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 4 cups water
- 5 tablespoons pickling salt
- Homemade pickling spice (recipe above) (use 2-3 tablespoons per jar)
- Dried dill weed from a 2-ounce package (use 2-3 fronds and stalks per jar)
- 10-18 small Thai red peppers , split down the middle but not separated, leaving seeds intact (use 2-3 per jar)
- 20-30 cloves garlic , peeled and lightly smashed (use 4-5 per jar)
Instructions
- Make the pickling spice. Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl and stir to mix.
- Prepare your jars and lids for canning. I run my jars through the dishwasher to sterilize and remove them while still warm. Add the lids to a small pot of simmering boiled water to pull from for the canning process.
- Prepare the brine. In a large stock pot to avoid contamination, bring the vinegars, water, and salt to a simmer.
- Assemble the jars. To each sterilized jar add: 2-3 tablespoons of pickling spice, 2-3 fronds and stalks of dried dill weed, 2-3 Thai red peppers depending on your preference and 4-5 whole garlic cloves to each jar. Pack the whole or sliced cucumbers into the jars so they are tight but aren't damaged in the process. The cucumbers should sit below the neck of the jar. Trim the cucumbers if they're poking up too high.
- Pour the brine into the jars. Leave ½-inch headspace, just covering the cucumbers.
- Clean the jars. Wipe the rims of the jars and use tongs to place the lids and rings (that have been sterilized in simmering water) on top of the jars. To avoid contamination, do not touch the lids where they sit on the jars with your fingers.
- Process in a canner water bath of boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove the jars from the pot and allow them to cool on a dish towel on the counter. As the jars cool you will hear them pop as they seal. Sealed jars should feel solid when tapped and be concave in shape.
- Store in a dry cool place. Pickles will be ready to try in about 7-10 days but get even better over time. They can be stored for up to 1 year.
Notes
Nutrition
Serving Suggestions
I often pluck these spicy dill pickles straight from the jar and munch on them as is, but they’re also delicious served on burgers, sandwiches, wraps and more.
More Easy Pickle Recipes to Try
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Leigh Ann
I just took these pickles to a dinner party and the entire jar was empty in 5 minutes! Tomorrow another big batch as it was a crowd favorite! I have had three calls asking how to make them as their husbands kept talking about them.
Thank you so much for sharing this Leigh Ann! I just pulled out one last jar from 2 years ago and they were puckery good.
Dan
To I guess I didn’t quite read all of the directions because I was in such a hurry to make these. Long story short, I I put two tbsp of pickling spice per pint instead of per quart and now the pickles taste overpoweringly of allspice. Do you know of anything I can do at this point to save them or do I have to start over? By the way, I did make the last few cans correctly and they are amazing.
Dan
So* I guess
Ladymayflower
I followed your recipe this afternoon and the pickles look amazing! The aroma was so fragrant, so fresh! I used my homegrown dill and coriander; the pickling cucumbers were field-fresh from this morning’s farmers’ market.
That’s the way to do it! Farm fresh and straight to the jar. Glad you like them.
Roy & Virginia
My wife and I sell home made pickles at a Farmers Market and had a customer ask for some Spicy Garlic dill Pickles but did not have this kind. We used your recipe and took them to the market and they sell like hot cakes. Those pickles are so good. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
That is awesome Roy! Thanks for coming back and letting me know, and so glad they live on in other people’s homes!
Sue's Akorn Shop
Thanks so much for this recipe.
Beverly
I’m just too nervous. I have a bunch of cucumbers from my garden and I thought I’d pickle them but I guess I have to eat them!
Luke
I am so going to try these out. I make regular dills from my grandmas recipe but I wanted to add a twist since I have so many quarts this year from my garden. Thank you for the post and I will let you know how they turn out!
Jamie
Does the apple cider vinager make these have a sweet side? Just making sure it doesn’t because I’m all about the dill and I want to make these!
No Jamie, I didn’t find them to be sweet at all.
Jamie
I just opened up my first jar and they are so yummy and super crisp…I skipped the Thai peppers because I thought they would be to spicy but now they are not spicy at all! But now I know for next year! I just added some red pepper flakes and put them in the fridge so hopefully that will spice them up in a couple days
Be sure to make a note for next year so you remember Jamie :)
Jason Wroe
I am preparing to make your recipe this weekend. I made habanero dills last year by adding 1 split hab/quart….TOO HOT! By following your recipe how would you rate or gage the heat from the thai chilis?
Thai chilies will definitely be spicier.
Debi
Holy cow. Made 9 quarts. Salty, spicy need rum. Lol. Great!
KM
Have to agree the liquid proportions are way off and the number of cucumbers to jars is not correct. We are into our 9th jar with half of our cucumbers left. Also had to do 3 times the amount of liquid suggested, to do the 9 jars.
As I said in the blog post itself, depending on how large your cucumbers are and how you cut them will affect how many cucumbers you need and the brine as well.
tpm
I am going to try it with one butch t Trinidad scorpion pepper per jar. looking to really spice it up.
Luke
I have some carolina reapers growing in my garden this year. I may add some to a couple jars I make. I grew trinidads last year and they were pretty spicey.
Sandi
Omg my kinda of pickles let me know how they taste
john
your liquid proportions are way off
Kaarin
It was spot on for me. ‘
Diana
Killer spicy garlic dill pickles very testy .
Marie Watson
Thanks for sharing this spicy dill pickle recipe. I really love pickles and I would love to try and make some of my own. The diverse mix of spices sounds like it would taste amazing. I would assume that the black peppercorns and the crushed red pepper gives it an amazing, spicy taste. Hopefully, I can find some great tasting pickles to buy until I have the time to try this recipe.
It’s pretty killer, one of my favorites for sure.
Tena D
I make these using fresh dill. Fresh dill is even better than dried. Also if you want to make these refrigerator pickles just skip the hot water bath and put several jars directly into the fridge. They will stay fresher and crispy for months. Something really important for crispness is add a couple of grape leaves to each jar and it doesn’t change the flavor at all.
What a great tip to use grape leaves to keep refrigerator pickles crisp! Totally giving it a try!
Cheryl
Thank you. I like crunchy pickles so this is definitely one I will try. Lots of cucumbers growing in our garden.
Brenda Tekin
I made these for the first time last summer. I used fresh dill grown in my garden along with red chili peppers. I have never been overly fond of dill pickles but man oh man these are SOooo good. Hubby says the garlic is too overpowering which was my error in one small batch.
Can you use dried red chili peppers? I have a sealed jar of them grown last summer. I do not use pesticide and they were dried in my dehydrator. I think I used dried last year but can’t remember.
I need to make a small batch with the fresh picked cucumbers before we head it on a trip.
Yes Brenda, you could used dried chili peppers instead of fresh.
Joseph Borda
The pickles look amazing, I do have a question about the amount of pickles the recipe calls for, 1/2 bushel to make 5-6 quarts. Yet you earlier said 1/2 bushel made you 11-12 quarts. If it is the 1/2 bushel should I double the other ingredients, Not sure what to follow. Or just go with 2 lbs of pickles per quart. Thank you love the site and the recipes.
Krystal Benitez
This is me half way done.. realizing I will have to probably have to double my brine..
Jeff
Hi Heidi,
I am new to canning pickles and have a question. Is it safe to skip the “processing” step and just let the jars cool and store in the refrigerator? A friend says they will be good up to a year and he has been doing it this way for years.
Thanks
hali
wondering this too!
Cyndi
Thats how I’ve been doing these pickles since last year, they’ve lasted a year in the fridge before we ate them all!
Gabriel
Without the canning process, general recommendation is to consume it in a maximum of 1 month.
Mary
I make refrigerator pickles all the time and they don’t even reach their flavor peak for 2 or 3 months. They are sitting in vinegar and salt, preservatives, and are fermenting. The canning police need to get a grip. No offense to anyone. I have pickles in the fridge now that have been in there since last October, and are delicious, and healthy.
Kristine E Apodaca
I had to make more brine for my last two pints at well! Fortunately the brine boils up quickly!
Kaarin
I used 6 Burpless cucumbers (what was in my garden this year), 10″ long about 1″ wide. The brine and seasoning made 4 quarts total.
Hobbs Cobb
How about we put a brief description of the pickles, then give the recipe. After the recipe you can do all the rambling you want. It saves time having to scroll down forever.
MARK SEELY
A men!!!!
Chad
Amen!!! Recipe proportions are WAY off too!
free the bloggers
How about she posts on her blog as she wishes? If you don’t like it, don’t read it. It takes all of three seconds to scroll down to find the recipe only. You are what’s wrong with this world.
Tara
Amen to that ! :)
Thanks for your input Hobbs, the recipe is at the end of the post for your enjoyment.
DK
These are amazing. I made them in October 2015 as a last minute canning project. I would have made more in a heartbeat but cucumbers were no longer available. I am saving the last three jars for special occasions now. Family have already suggested these pickles as Christmas gifts. An excellent recipe! Thank you for sharing it.
Chris
The brine will make about 6 quarts.. adjust the recipe to make enough for however many quarts you are making.. we did 9 quarts so we multiplied the brine recipe times 1.5 to make enough for the 9.. perfect amount!
Kristen
I may have to break into your house and steal a jar of these pickles. They look incredible, Heidi. Just adding to the list of awesome things you can do that amaze me!
Laura (Tutti Dolic)
These look seriously crazy good, love the kick of spice and garlic!
Bella B
This is one thing that I have always wanted to try to make.
xoxoBella | http://xoxobella.com
Eileen
Hooray for classic pickles! I usually put mine in regular mouth jars, but then, I usually cut my cucumbers into more easily crammable spears. These look so amazing — all that beautiful spice!
Lois
Thanks Heidi!
I have been looking for a good dill pickle recipe forever!
Mom had a good one but took it with her when she passed a few years ago.
BTW-is this your new ‘Friday Faves’? If so, I already miss your old format.
Hi Lois! No, this is just a regular recipe post. Friday Faves will be up tomorrow!
Karen
Where do you find the dried dill weed with fronds? If you can’t find them, what can you use as a substitute? Would love to make these mouth watering pickles! :)
Sherman
I couldn’t find the dried dill weed either so I bought fresh dill and dried it myself
Michelle Osterhout-Castle
I found Dill in the fresh herbs and spices section of the grocery store. This time time year, you have to grab it when you can.
Yep Michelle, it goes fast!
Stephanie
I bought the stems of fresh dill at my local market, so I can’t use them? I saw the pic you posted with the dill stems and wanted to use them . They look so pretty in the jar ? How long would I need to dry them ?