20 Great Recipes for Using Leftover Pickle Juice

Chef John's Nashville Hot Chicken
Photo: Chef John

When you've plucked all the pickles from the pickle jar, don't ditch the juice! People, that pickle juice is liquid gold. Instead of tossing it out, put your pickle juice to good use in these delicious recipes. Marinate meats, infuse baked goods, and even create tangy soups with the help of pickle juice.

01 of 20

Pickle Brine Chicken

Pickle Brine Chicken
Chef John

"Like most brined recipes, the payoff is in the texture and moisture content and not necessarily in the taste," says Chef John. "Having said that, these did have a nice little twang. So the next time you have nothing left in the pickle jar but the juice, you now know what to do."

02 of 20

Home-Opener Pasta Salad Dressing

Home-Opener Pasta Salad Dressing
Molly

A splash or two of pickle juice gives this dressing a delightful tangy boost.

03 of 20

Dave's Coleslaw

Dave's Coleslaw
Katana

With buttermilk and dill pickle juice, this slaw is tangy times two! "It goes well with just about anything from fried fish to hamburgers," says ROXY24, "and is to-die-for on a pulled pork sandwich."

04 of 20

Dill Pickle Dip

top-down view of a creamy-looking dip garnished with chopped pickles with crackers on the side
bd.weld

"Dill pickle lovers this one's a keeper," says bd.weld. "Whether you use chips, crackers or spread it on a burger, this is great." For a low-fat version, try a splash of pickle juice in Ultra Low-Fat Dill Pickle Dip

05 of 20

Pork Chops with Dill Pickle Marinade

Pork Chops with Dill Pickle Marinade
SunnyByrd

"Pickle juice is a terrific brine for marinades. "It may sound strange, but it's a winner," says Karen. "Marinate center-cut pork chops in the pickling liquid of store-bought dill pickles."

06 of 20

Easy Cajun Bloody Mary

Easy Cajun Bloody Mary
lutzflcat

Pickle juice is the secret sauce for five-star bloody mary recipes. Here's one that has a Cajun kick.

07 of 20

Dill Pickle Salsa

Dill Pickle Salsa
France C

"I'm a big fan of pickles, so this jumped right out at me when I stumbled across it," says lovestohost. "It was easy to make and uses pantry staples."

08 of 20

Chef John's Nashville Hot Chicken

Chef John's Nashville Hot Chicken
Chef John

"If you've never had Nashville Hot Chicken, we're talking about an ultra-crispy fried chicken doused with a cayenne-infused glaze, and by 'glaze' I mean melted butter and lard," says Chef John. "For the record, I've never been to Nashville, so I can't tell you how authentic this is, but it works for me and is fairly easy to pull off."

09 of 20

Pickle-Fried Chicken

Pickle-Fried Chicken
Allrecipes

If Nashville Hot is a bit too hot for you, try this less spicy version of pickle-fried chicken.

10 of 20

Tarragon and Spice Deviled Eggs

Tarragon and Spice Deviled Eggs
lutzflcat

Horseradish, cider vinegar, and a couple of splashes of pickle juice combine with fresh tarragon, Dijon, and mayo in these spicy, sweet deviled eggs.

11 of 20

Pickletini

Pickletini

"Like a dirty martini, but with pickle juice," says acpazian. "If you like pickles, you'll love this!"

12 of 20

Tangy (Not Sweet) Tartar Sauce

Tangy (Not Sweet) Tartar Sauce
naples34102

"No sweet relish here," says Sharon Springer Andrews. "The pickle juice replaces lemon juice for acidity and tang. So simple and worth the little bit of time." Try it with Beer Batter Fish Made Great.

13 of 20

Real NY Jewish Rye Bread

Real NY Jewish Rye Bread
Patti

"I live in an area of NY that is blessed with both Jewish delis and bakeries and this bread would be right at home in either." — BigShotsMom

14 of 20

Macaroni Salad with Pickles

a serving of macaroni salad made with chopped celery and red bell pepper shown on a green plate, photographed at a slight angle
momlovestocook

"This is the best recipe I found for macaroni salad. My hubby even said it's as good as his mother's! It makes a lot of food." — MLARK

15 of 20

Spicy Bacon Cheeseburger Dip

Spicy Bacon Cheeseburger Dip
Soup Loving Nicole

"Loved the way all the flavors work in this," Keeli says. "Really smells like a cheeseburger!"

16 of 20

Southern Style Holiday Greens

close up of Southern Style Holiday Greens
mauigirl

Fresh mustard and turnip greens are cooked in the traditional southern-style with bacon and onions, but this recipe gets a tangy kick from the addition of pickle juice.

17 of 20

Dill Pickle Meatloaf

Dill Pickle Meatloaf on a white plate
SallyR

Featuring both pickle juice and chopped pickles in the mix, this hearty meatloaf is packed with a pop of flavor. "What a great recipe," says reviewer Lisa H. "The only complaint I heard was from my husband who said I didn't make enough of it!"

18 of 20

Potato Pancakes with Pickle Juice

Potato Pancakes with Pickle Juice on a white background
Soup Loving Nicole

Potato pancakes are delicious on their own, but wow-worthy when served with a side of pickle juice. Recipe creator Brandy recommends serving this as a side dish to pork chops.

19 of 20

Dill Pickle Soup

Dill Pickle Soup in a white bowl
booch221

Made with a base of chicken broth and pickle juice, this tangy soup isn't in-your-face with tangy flavor, and instead has a subtle pickle taste throughout.

20 of 20

Pickle-Juice Bread-Machine Bread

Pickle-Juice Bread-Machine Bread on a cutting board
Molly

Create irresistible grilled cheeses or even garlic toast with a loaf of this pickle juice-infused bread. The bread machine makes it easy to bake, requiring just 10 minutes of prep.

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