Easy Refrigerator Dill Pickles ready in just 6 hours: crispy, salty, dilly, tangy, and made with just 4 ingredients. No stove required.
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When you have a surplus of cucumbers, look no further than this easy recipe for Refrigerator Dill Pickles. You can make them with just 10 minutes of prep and 6 hours to brine. You don’t even need to turn on the stove!
If I’d known how ridiculously easy it was to make crispy, salty, dilly, tangy pickles, our refrigerator would never have been without them – especially in summer months. No cooking required. Zero. You don’t even have to boil water.
“This recipe is exactly right! Quick, easy and makes truly delicious pickles.”
MICHELE MCCORMACK
Table of Contents
Recipe at a Glance
- Prep: 10 minutes
- Brine time: 6 hours (or overnight for more punch)
- Total: 6 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups (1 pint jar)
- Skill level: Beginner
Ingredients for Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Fresh Kirby Cucumbers: or other pickling cucumber or English cucumber
White Vinegar: or apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
Kosher Salt: I used Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt – if using Morton brand, use half the amount called for in this recipe (Morton’s Kosher salt is finer and saltier.)
Fresh Dill: dried dill is not a good substitute here
Why Kirby cucumbers?
Kirby cucumbers are those odd shaped cucumbers, covered in sharp little bumps. They aren’t the most attractive of cucumbers, but they do stay crunchy in brine.
Kirby cucumbers and fresh dill sprigs look to me like pickles. But pickles require a whole canning process, right? A variety of spices, sterilized canning jars, boiled brine, and achieving a proper seal. So what’s a lazy girl to do? So I looked around at some of my favorite food blogs and came across this recipe from Deb of Smitten Kitchen. Ironic as Deb is the antithesis of lazy. Could it really be this simple? Yes.
How to Make Refrigerator Pickles:
Fill clean jar with thinly sliced cucumbers (ideally Kirby).
Stir brine ingredients together (kosher salt, vinegar and chopped fresh dill) and pour over cucumber slices.
Close jar lid and shake to distribute brine. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours then enjoy!
I’ll warn you that these homemade refrigerator pickles are intensely flavorful. If you’re on the fence about liking vinegary, piquant dill pickles, these aren’t for you. But should you be in the piquant pickle loving camp, you’ll find these addictive and the perfect little snack or addition to burgers and sandwiches.
Recipe Tips
- For a milder vinegar flavor: Use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar instead of standard white vinegar.
- To add spice: Stir in a teaspoon of whole black peppercorns, raw jalapeño slices, or 1/4 teaspoon or more of red pepper flakes.
- For added depth: Add celery seed, mustard seed, coriander seeds, and/or a few whole cloves of garlic. Add thinly sliced garlic cloves for even stronger flavor.
- For a touch of sweetness: Stir in a teaspoon or more of granulated sugar or honey.
FAQ
Store refrigerator pickles in the refrigerator (they’re not shelf stable) and plan to enjoy them within one month.
These will be ready to enjoy in just 6 hours, but will be even more delicious (and stronger) the longer they stand in the refrigerator.
Use any clean (ideally sterilized) canning jar with a tight fitting lid.
Refrigerator pickles are quick and easy to make, but they don’t go through the typical canning process and are not shelf stable. Where traditionally canned pickles can be stored at room temperature, refrigerator pickles must be stored in the refrigerator.
No. Just remember that they must be store in the refrigerator.
Persian cucumbers are the closest substitute to Kirby in terms of texture, but English cucumbers work well too. You can pickle standard slicing cucumbers, but they won’t be as crunchy.
Yes. Just remember to always use a clean utensil to remove pickles from the jar. You don’t want to introduce bacteria from fingers. The brine should be good for another batch or two.
More Pickling Recipes to Try
- Pickled Asparagus (there’s a secret to protecting the spear tips. Can you guess what it is?)
- Pickled Beets (honey sweetened)
- Pickled Red Onions
- Pickled Banana Peppers
- Giardiniera (Italian pickled vegetables like cauliflower, bell pepper, carrots, and celery – perfect for snacking!)
Easy Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups thinly sliced Kirby cucumber
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Add cucumber slices to a clean 1-pint jar.
- Add vinegar, salt and dill. Close the lid and shake to distribute ingredients. (Liquid will not cover cucumber slices. Don’t worry. The salt will draw liquid from the cucumbers in a couple of hours.)
- Place the jar in the refrigerator and remember to shake it once or twice in the next few hours.
- In about 6 hours, you’ll have delicious, crispy pickles.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is my second batch of this delicious and soooooo easy recipe!
The first time I used fresh dill and just perfect and today I had dill seed so I will know in about
6 hours which I prefer.
The only thing different this time is I added the vinegar, salt and dill seeds into a bowl, mixed well and then poured over the cukes. I still shook them well and will do this 2-3 more times.
Thank you so much for such a great recipe. I remember my grandmothers’ pickles and so this was such a wonderful time to inner channel her love.
Marie, I love that you’re already on your second batch! How wonderful that this recipe brings back memories of your grandmother – that’s the best kind of connection to make through cooking. I’d be curious to hear which you prefer between fresh dill and dill seed. Thanks for sharing such a sweet comment!
Hi Marissa, I definitely prefer fresh dill… and I have tried your recipe with dill weed as well. I prefer the fresh and weed over seed. Just love the crunch and I am making a double recipe today with the fresh and will add minced garlic. I used less salt for my last recipe…1/2 teaspoon less. Thank you for such an easy and delicious recipe. Can’t wait to explore more of your recipes.
Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones.
Thanks for the update, Marie! I’m with you – fresh dill is my favorite too. Adding minced garlic sounds delicious, and it’s great that you’ve adjusted the salt to your preference. So happy this has become a regular recipe for you! Happy holidays to you and yours as well!
Delicious!
So glad you enjoyed them!
This recipe is exactly right! Quick, easy and makes truly delicious pickles.
Thanks Michele! I’m so glad you found it quick and easy – that’s exactly what I was going for with this recipe. There’s nothing like homemade pickles, and they’re so much better than store-bought!
What if you don’t have the dill? Would it still work and would they taste OK?
Hi Lynn! The dill is really what makes these pickles – it provides that classic tangy, herbal flavor. Without it, you’d have basic pickled cucumbers that would still be good, but they wouldn’t taste like traditional dill pickles. You could try substituting other herbs like fresh thyme or oregano for a different flavor profile, or check if you have dill seed instead of fresh dill. Hope that helps!
Are bread & butter pickles processed bye using refrigerator method or bye canning process..
Hi Anna! Bread and butter pickles can be made either way – as refrigerator pickles (like this recipe) or through traditional canning. This particular recipe is specifically for refrigerator pickles, so they need to be stored in the fridge and used within a month. If you want shelf-stable bread and butter pickles, you’d need a different recipe designed for water bath canning. Hope that helps!
How long does they last in the fridge
Hi MacKenzie! You’ll want to enjoy them within 1 month.
Should the cukes be completely covered
Hi Mark! Once they’re in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, the salt will draw out enough liquid to cover the pickles.
Great thanks I added some vinegar
I used my straight 8 thin on mandolin
Added pinch of jarred garlic pepper corn
A baby carrot for color etc
I used to can crazy what I forget
Good Labor Day
Delicious! Only thing I did different was add a couple cloves of garlic.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these, Alycia! Garlic is a great addition.
2 cloves for each pint?
Just made some. Added garlic and chili flakes used dill weed as I did not have fresh. We will see how they turn out 🙂
Great additions, Brandi! I hope you’ll love them.
Can I do the same with dill pickling spice from the canning section of the grocery store?
Hi Suzanne! I don’t see why not. Because those seasonings are dried, it make take a day or two for the flavors to develop.
How can I make these so they can be stored in the pantry? Or is that simply not possible? How long will they keep in the fridge UNOPENED?
Hi Julie. Because these quick pickles aren’t sealed, opened or unopened doesn’t change their refrigerator life. I recommend using a recipe that’s specifically for canning if you want a shelf stable version – this website is a good place to start. I hope that helps!