Quick & Easy Dill Pickles

Name: Quick & Easy Dill Pickle (Refrigerator) Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 100 min
Ingredients: 2 cups water; 1 ½ cups distilled white vinegar; ¼ cup granulated sugar; 4 teaspoons kosher salt (+ a little extra for salting the cucumbers); 1 teaspoon mustard seeds; 1 teaspoon coriander seeds; 2 pounds kirby (pickling) cucumbers (sliced 1/4 inch thick); 1 large onion (thinly sliced); ¾ cup fresh dill (coarsely chopped); 4 - 6 garlic cloves (coarsely chopped)

Dill Pickles are salty, crunchy, sour, and perfectly delicious. I add them to nearly everything – and also snack on them all the time. These quick pickles are so easy to make and are my favorite snack to have in the fridge.

I know everyone hates “the life stories” so I’ll keep it short and sweet. My grandpa used to call me “Pickles” as a kid because I could add pickles as a side to any meal. I ate them with any meal or snack that I could. To this day, I still pretty much do. I almost always ask for extra pickles.

These quick pickles are so easy and well, “quick” to make. I love having them on hand to serve with meals – and to snack on.

A large pyrex measuring cup with pickles and onions in a brine in it.

🥘 Ingredients Needed

The ingredients in dill pickles, laid out and labeled.

Pickling Cucumbers (the tiny ones) – This is kind of important. You can use normal cucumbers, but they just don’t quite come out the same. (If you can’t get your hands on pickling cucumbers, the really long seedless ones would be the next best option.) Thinly slice your cucumbers using a food processor or mandolin – into about 1/4 inch slices.
Garlic – You must use fresh garlic – not pre-peeled, diced in oil, or dehydrated garlic.
Dill – I use mostly fresh dill if I have access to it. If I don’t, I use a mixture of both fresh and dried – the fresh gives you a punch of dill right away and the dried releases its flavor into the brine after it sits a while – a perfect combination. (1 teaspoon of dry = 1 tablespoon fresh)
Kosher Salt – For both salting the cucumbers and for the pickle brine.
Water
Distilled White Vinegar
Sugar – I usually use cane sugar or just plain old granulated sugar for pickles. (They aren’t being canned and honestly won’t last long enough for there to be any issues.)
Mustard Seeds – Try not to bite into these – they don’t taste very good on their own!
Coriander Seeds – Also try not to bite into these – they also don’t taste very good!

🍽 Equipment Needed

A large pot or dutch oven (I love love love my 5 1/2 quart Le Creuset.)
A food processor or mandolin (this helps to slice all of the pickles to the same thickness.. er.. thinness)
A heat-safe bowl or large measuring cup
2 Quart-sized mason jars or a really large airtight container.

🥣 How to Make Fridge Pickles

It is so easy to make these pickles – no canning needed.

First, but optional – Salt the Sliced Cucumbers

Toss the cucumbers in a teaspoon or so of salt. Place them in a strainer over a bowl and let them sit for 20 – 30 minutes. The salt will suck some of the water out of the pickles and this helps them crisp up.
Toss the pickles around a couple of times throughout the 30 minutes to make sure that all of the pickles get some moisture pulled out, then shake them in the colander before pickling to knock off any excess salt.

To Make the Pickles

In a pot on the stove, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seeds, and coriander seeds with the hot water and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved and remove from heat.

A collage of images showing how to make pickle brine.

In a large heatproof container, toss the cucumbers and onions with the dill and garlic.
Pour the brine over the cucumbers and mix to get the brine fully distributed.

A collage of images showing how to make dill pickles.

Place a small plate or upside-down jar over the cucumbers to keep them submerged, then let the pickles and brine cool to room temperature.

A bowl of pickles with a jar on the top holding them down.

Once cooled (the color will change as well) – transfer the pickles and brine to an airtight container or jar. Refrigerate the pickles and serve cold.

A pyrex measuring cup with pickles in it and a pair of silver tongs.

🍱 Recipe Yield

This recipe makes two quart-sized mason jars filled with pickles.

An overhead view of a jar of quick pickles.

🍲 Serving Size

I’ll let you determine your own serving size when it comes to pickles. I could eat an entire jar in one sitting.

🙋‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions

How do you keep pickles from getting soggy?

I like to put sliced cucumbers in a colander or metal strainer over a bowl and coat them with kosher salt. Let them sit for 20 – 30 minutes and it will draw the moisture out of the cucumbers. When you add the brine,

Are these pickles shelf-stable?

These pickles are NOT shelf-stable. They should be stored in the fridge at all times.

How do you can pickles?

In order to safely can pickles, you need to follow a tested recipe. I really like this recipe for packing pickles for long-term storage.

What kind of cucumbers make the best pickles?

I like to use Kirby cucumbers. They are smaller and seem to absorb pickle flavors the best.

A hand holding a pickle over a jar of pickles.

🍳 Serving Suggestions & Uses

Serve these pickles with anything your heart desires – sandwiches, burgers, chicken shawarma, or just as a snack. Ever since I was a kid, I loved eating pickles with chicken noodle soup – something about the sour of the pickles contrasts all the heaviness of a filling soup.

Two jars of homemade quick pickles with a dog in the background.

🥫 Storage/Shelf Life/Reheating

Once the brine has cooled, store these pickles in the refrigerator. They will be best the next day and through the first week (though I usually eat them after a few hours in the fridge) but they can last up to a month if you don’t eat them quick enough.

Two jars of homemade pickles on a shelf in the fridge.

✏️ Helpful Tips

If you have time, salt your cucumber slices before pouring the brine over them. This sucks out the moisture in the cucumbers and allows them to suck up all of the delicious brine. This also helps the cucumbers to stay crunchy.
Don’t eat the coriander/mustard seeds. They don’t taste very good 😉
If you don’t have fresh dill, 1 teaspoon of dried is about the same as 1 tablespoon of fresh dill.