Refrigerator Dill Pickles recipe – prepped and ready for the fridge in just 10 minutes! Crisp, tangy, boldly delicious and 100% ZERO cooking – small batch – classic dill pickle flavor.
With just a handful of ingredients and 10 minutes, you’ll have crisp, zesty homemade Refrigerator Dill Pickles with a fresh taste you won’t find off a shelf in a grocery store.
This is an easy recipe – even if it’s your first time making dill pickles. No canning process involved or special equipment needed and they go perfectly with sandwiches, as a snack and so many summer meals.
Why I make these pickles every summer:
- Easy – no water bath canning or special equipment needed.
- Delicious, crispy, zesty – just fresh cucumbers and a few simple spices.
- Fast – ready for the fridge – just 10 minutes or prep.
- Versatile – store in quart jars or pint jars.
- No additives, preservatives or sugar.
Ingredients needed to make Refrigerator Dill Pickles:
This is a small batch recipe but can easily be doubled or even tripled. Full amounts and details for this no cook refrigerator pickle recipe in the printable recipe card below.
- fresh Kirby cucumbers
- warm to hot tap water
- apple cider vinegar
- kosher salt or sea salt (not table salt)
- black peppercorns
- whole garlic cloves
- fresh dill
- mason jars with lids
What are Refrigerator Pickles?
Refrigerator pickles are made without any kind of typical canning. Vinegar is used to brine the cucumbers.
They’re ready for the fridge in about 10 minutes and can be eaten in a couple of hours (they get even better the next day!).
What kind of cucumber is best for these pickles?
I prefer Kirby or Persian cucumbers because they stay crisp the longest and don’t have big seeds like full size cucumbers.
That said, any fresh cucumbers work well in this recipe from English cucumbers and even baby or gherkins pickles for 2-bite size snacks.
How to make Refrigerator Dill Pickles:
Wash the cucumbers. Use a mandoline or sharp knife to cut the pickles into pickle chips, slices or spears. If you’re using gherkins you can leave them whole. NOTE: whole pickles take a little longer to absorb the vinegar brine.
Add cucumbers to the jar(s) but don’t pack too tight. You’ll need to leave a little space at the top for the brine.
Smash garlic cloves and peel skin leaving them whole.
To a 2 cup or larger glass measuring cup (or other container with a pour spout), combine vinegar, water, salt and peppercorns whisking well until salt is dissolved.
Pour brine over the pickles and add 1-2 garlic cloves and a few dill sprigs. Secure the lid and gently shake so the ingredients are distributed. NOTE: cucumber slices will not be completely submerged in the pickling brine at this point. As they sit in the fridge, the salt draws liquid from them.
Transfer the pickles to the fridge. Pickles are ready to eat in 3-5 hours – best after 24 hours refrigeration.
How long do Refrigerator Dill Pickles last?
Flavor is best when eaten in 2-4 weeks but they’re safe to eat up to a couple of months.
What to eat with Refrigerator Pickles:
Sandwiches and burgers (or burger bowls) are a great place to start. Check out a few other ideas below:
Common Questions:
Can I use dry dill instead of fresh?
You can, but I recommend fresh dill for the best flavor.
Do I need to boil the brine?
No – this recipe doesn’t require any cooking at all.
Can the pickling liquid be reused?
Yes! Just add fresh cucumbers and allow time for the brine to do its job.
Are they ready to eat right away?
Technically yes – but for best results and bold flavor, wait 3-5 hours up to overnight.
Do I crush the peppercorns?
No – leave the peppercorns whole in this recipe.
Subs and variations:
- Add hot peppers (jalapenos) for a spicy pickle.
- Use sugar for sweet pickles – also called bread and butter pickles.
- Swap white vinegar or red wine vinegar instead of apple cider for a stronger flavor.
- Do not use balsamic vinegar – it’ll overtake the pickle flavor.
- Sprinkle in a pinch of red pepper flakes for pickles with a little kick.
- Add other spices, like celery seed or mustard seed.
Can I pickle other vegetables?
Yes – cauliflower, brussels sprouts, carrots, green beans, peppers. Below you’ll find a couple of my favorite pickling recipes.
Pickled Jalapenos – 10 minutes, NO canning! Perfect addition to tacos, nachos, enchiladas or chili!
Pickled Red Onions – quick, easy, bright and zesty. Great on salads, burgers, hot dogs and tacos.
Enjoy!
Best Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Equipment
- Mason jars with lids
Ingredients
- 1 pound Kirby cucumbers can swap Persian
- 1 cup warm to hot tap water
- 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt or sea salt not table salt
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 2-3 large garlic cloves peeled and rough chopped
- 6-8 large dill sprigs chopped
- 2 pint size jars or 1 quart size jar
Instructions
- Wash the cucumbers. Cut into pickle chips, slices or spears. If you’re using gherkins you can leave them whole. NOTE: whole pickles will take a little longer to absorb the vinegar brine.
- Add cucumbers to the jar(s) but don’t pack too tight. You’ll need to leave a little space at the top for the brine.
- Smash garlic cloves and peel skin leaving them whole.To a 2 cup or larger glass measuring cup (or other container with a pour spout), combine vinegar, water, salt and peppercorns whisking well until salt is dissolved.
- Pour brine over the pickles and add 1-2 garlic cloves and a few dill sprigs. Secure lid and gently shake so the ingredients are distributed. NOTE: cucumber slices will not be completely submerged in the pickling brine at this point. As they sit in the fridge, the salt draws liquid from them.
- Transfer the pickles to the fridge. They're ready to eat in 3-5 hours – best after 24 hours' refrigeration.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
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Hit a home run with this one. The pickles are crisp and tasty. A great add to any picnic or meal.
Thank you! Hard to keep ’em in the house we’re going through them so fast — but that’s a good thing! 🙂
Everyone should try these pickles, they are so good and very easy to make ! My husband is eating them everyday !!
We do too Betty! So fresh and much better than store-bought. I appreciate you making them and following up – enjoy the day! 🙂
Do you have a quick recipe for Bread and Butter and/or Sweet Pickel refrigerator pickles? Thanks!
Hi Susan – I’m sorry I don’t have one, but I found this one from Taste of Home for Refrigerator Sweet Pickles. Taste of Home is a reputable source and the recipe has good reviews from people that have made it. The link is:
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/easy-refrigerator-pickles
I’d love to hear back if you make them. Thanks for stopping by – enjoy the day!
My kids love pickles so this year I planted a few bush pickle cucumber plants. I am used to the plants that grow tall so I hope they don’t grow to far out and take over everything else haha! But hopefully we will have plenty of cucumbers to pickle 🙂
Definitely trying this with them when we get enough (growing season has just started here.)
Ah yes! I get plants taking over! 🙂 Last year I planted mint in the ground (big mistake!) – apparently it should only go in pots because it spreads everywhere! I’m so glad you’re going to try this. Even better with homegrown – can’t get any fresher. I’d love to hear how you and your family liked them.
Can you use white vinegar instead of apple cider?
Hi Brandi – thanks for reaching out. Yes, you can sub in white vinegar instead, but it won’t have the same fruity undertones of apple cider vinegar so the final taste will be a bit different.
Can you use dried dilly you run out of fresh?
Hi Liz – yes! You absolutely can use dried dill instead of fresh adding the same amount of the ingredient. When I use dry herbs I give them a quick rub between my thumb and first finger to ‘wake up’ the taste. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
I make this recipe .lts so delicious and my family likes this pickle thank you for this recipe ❤❤
Hi thanks for stopping by 🙂 So glad you made — and enjoyed the recipe! We do too. I can’t keep it in the refrigerator we go through them so fast!!
You’re so very welcome – happy you and your family enjoyed it! 🙂
Could I use black pepper instead of peppercorns and pink Himalayan salt instead of kosher? {the pink salt is in a grinder so it could be ground up} thank you===these really sound good [I love dill pickles!]
Hi Cindy – yes you can use black pepper instead and pink salt instead. Just follow the instructions using the same amounts of peppercorns and salt listed in the recipe for your substitutions. Thanks! They’re definitely a favorite in our house!
Hello I love this recipe but is there an easier way to measure ingredients when making a LG amount at a time ? Would it still taste the same if I mixed all ingredients in the brine?
Hi Mimi – thank you so much! This is one of our summer favorites too 🙂 Yes! That’s a great idea mixing everything in the brine and it’ll definitely make it easier to measure. Thanks for that tip – I’ll be using it myself when I make a larger batch next time. Enjoy the day! 🙂
Hello! A super easy recipe; that is full of goodness!
Wondering how long they will last?
Hi Diane – thanks so much! I’m really glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂 Refrigerator pickles will last in an airtight container up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator. I like to write the date on the lid with a marker so I don’t forget when I made them. Honestly though – we eat them long before the 4 week mark! 🙂 – I appreciate you reaching out. Enjoy the day. – Bernie
I have made sweet pickles for the freezer and love them. Have you tried freezing these and if so how did they turn out?
Hi Betty – thanks for reaching out – that’s a great question. Yes – you can freeze these pickles. Be sure to use a freezer-safe container, then cover the pickles with the brine, leaving about 1″ from the top because the brine will expand as it freezes. They’ll keep up to 3 months. — Bernie
Wondering how squash would work with this recipe. Has anyone tried it?
Hi Gwen – I haven’t tried it with squash but I’m thinking it would be delicious! Thanks for the suggestion. Enjoy the day — Bernie
These pickles are nonstop in my fridge all summer – delicious!