I’ve been having fun with breading and my air fryer lately. I hope you enjoy as well!
24-ounce jar kosher dill pickle spears ½ cup flour or gluten-free flour blend (I like this one) ½ teaspoon salt Six tablespoons vegan eggs (I used JUST) 2 tablespoons pickle juice 1 cup panko ⅓ cup breadcrumbs (or 1⅓ cup of panko or breadcrumbs) 2 teaspoons dried dill 1 teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper Fresh ground pepper to taste Vegan ranch dipping sauce (I just improvised, stirring together vegan mayonnaise, a little unsweetened vegan milk, dill, cayenne, garlic granules, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, salt and pepper.)
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
Line up three bowls assembly style. In the first one, stir together the flour and salt. In the second bowl, mix together the vegan egg and pickle juice. In the first bowl, put your panko or breadcrumbs along with the dill, garlic powder, cayenne powder and pepper. (You may want to do only half the amount of breading in the bowl, then add the other half when it gets sticky.)
Have one of the lined baking sheets nearby.
Dredge a pickle in the flour mixture, then tap off excess. Repeat in the egg bowl, then dredge in the breading bowl, pressing down to coat. Put on the baking sheet one by one until they are all coated. Put in a 400-degree air fryer in a single layer without overlapping for five minutes, then gently turn and air fry for another five minutes at the same temperature. (I recommend turning by hand to keep the breading on.) You will have to do this in at least two batches because you don’t want to crowd your air fryer. When one batch is done, carefully lift out of the air fryer basket and transfer to the other baking sheet for the oven. This will keep them warm until all the batches are done.