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Easy Refrigerator Dill Pickles ready in just 6 hours: crispy, salty, dilly, tangy, and made with just 4 ingredients. No stove required.
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.
I have some dill that I have frozen. Would that work for this recipe?
Hi Jennifer! Yes, absolutely. Your frozen dill should hold its flavor for 3 to 4 months.
Can I add garlic to this recipe
Hi Stacie! Yes, absolutely.
1st time trying this and it is a great recipe, the cucumbers stay crunchy . I canned some jars with hot brine snd they just aren’t that good ( cooked cucumbers) makes them to soft . This recipe I absolutely love and it will now be my go to . Thanks so much for sharing . One question though after opening how long will they last in fridge. ??
I’m so glad you’re enjoying these, Loretta! They’ll keep in the refrigerator for about a month.
I absolutely love pickles! We eat ’em like they’re going out of style here. I’ve made quick pickles with boiling water before, but I need to try this refrigerator version now. Sounds delicious!!
Love, love refrigerator pickles. For years when I had a garden the over abundance of cucumbers always led to big mason jars of pickles. This is a wonderful recipe, and it was inspiration that making a batch would be a great idea.
Thanks.
Velva
aww…I love this comment! So glad you’re enjoying the recipe, Velva. Thank you for coming back to let me know.
They taste like vinegar not pickles.
Thanks Marissa for the recipe, just finished two pints and they are in the fridge, what is the shelf life (in the fridge of course!)
Hi Sandra! You can store these in the refrigerator for up to a month. 🙂
Have a ton of cucumbers to use up from the garden was wondering if I could do them in tupperware.
Hi, Angela! As long as the plastic is food grade, I think that’s just fine.
I am in love with these! I had some mini cucumbers (they were BOGO at my local supermarket) and really wanted to have a light little pickle for some angus burgers I was making for dinner tonight. I wantd something super easy with minimal fuss – came across your recipe and knew that I had to do this. I made them with a couple of adjustments – I added a few cranks of some fresh cracked black pepper and a few shakes from the sugar dispenser (I wanted to have a slightly sweet brine). Oh my heaven – they were so good!! They had that perfect little crunch and they went so well on my burgers! I am bookmarking this and will be making them often!
Wonderful to hear, Lisa! So glad you’re enjoying them…So sweet of you to come back and let me know!
Can I make these with small whole cukes instead of slicing?
Hi Mary Lynn! That’s a great question. I haven’t tested this recipe with small whole pickles, but I think it would work just fine. You’ll likely just need an extra day or two in the refrigerator for the flavor to develop. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
Have soooo many cucumbers this year and hated the thought of throwing them away! I AM NOT a “canner” (mason jars/pressure cooker/all that stuff). If I couldn’t freeze it from the garden I usually have to toss if I can’t give it away. Low and behold I find this refrigerator pickle recipe and I already had the few ingredients (except the fresh dill) Raced to town, got the dill and made a quart in minutes! Just sampled after being in the frig 5 hours and they are so good! Guess I’m going to have to grow my own dill for next year. Followed your recipe with 1 tweak….didn’t have garlic cloves so I just added a tsp. of the minced garlic that comes in a squeeze bottle (or jar)…..love me some garlic….I could have even added more but they re great. Thanks for this great recipe!
Fantastic, Kathy! I’m with you on canning… 🙂 So glad you’re enjoying these and really appreciate you coming back to let me know.
Wait! I don’t see garlic in the ingredient list! What did I miss? I absolutely think there should be garlic, but where does it say how much?
Thanks!
Hi, Kristin! The short answer is, “add as much as you like!” When I add garlic to this recipe, I typically add 4 to 6 cloves. Enjoy!
My husband and I really like these pickles. We made them a few years ago, we moved, and lost the recipe. I’m so glad I found it again. Now to get the fresh ingredients that we need to make them again. Thanks so much for the recipe.
My pleasure, Kari! So glad that you and your husband enjoy these! 🙂
Hi. Just a little confused by your comment that you switched up garlic cloves for minced garlic. I did not see garlic mentioned in the original recipe. Are your comments related to this recipe or a different one?
Hi Pat! I typically make these pickles without garlic, so the base recipe doesn’t call for it. But they are delicious with garlic too – I usually add whole, peeled cloves, but you can use minced garlic for a more pronounced garlic flavor if you like.
Oh boy oh boy did you make this pregnant lady’s day! I cannot have a meal without a pickle these days (forgive the cliche haha) and yes that includes breakfast. My absolute favorite “store bought” pickles are only available at a very few locations and I’ve finally found an easy and delicious alternative to chasing them down. The BEST!!! 😍🤩👏😎😍
I love to hear this, Beth! I made your day? You made MY day!! So glad you’re enjoying these!
This is my latest addiction. Thank you so much! I’ve already made 6 batches. So easy and fresh. I used organic cucumbers from my garden (I didn’t have pickling cucumbers so I just picked them on the smaller side), and fresh organic dill from my garden! Never made pickles before but I’ll be making these all the time! Thank you so much!
Yay! I’m so happy you’re enjoying them, Cindy! And I love that you’re making them with your own, home grown cucumbers and dill!! These a favorite in our house too! 🙂
How long will they last in the fridge?
Hi, Lindsey. I’ve seen several sources say they’re safe up to one month. Enjoy!
I made these but i cut the salt in half and added 1 tsp of minced garlic to the brine…they are awesome! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Love the addition of garlic, Annie! Thank you!
Love this recipe, they look delicious! I love easy recipes like this where I can just make up a few jars and put them in the refrigerator.
Thanks so much, Rachel!