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If there’s one thing we love at Allrecipes, it’s pickles. We’ve even named ‘new plays on pickles’ one of the biggest food trends of 2025. And judging by America’s ongoing obsession with all things briny, that enthusiasm isn’t fading anytime soon.
Classics like dill, sour, and bread and butter pickles are just the beginning. These days, we’re getting our fix in even more creative ways, ranging from hearty (Kristen Bell’s Slow Cooker Pickle Soup, Pork Chops with Dill Pickle Marinade, Dill Pickle Meatloaf) to ready to party (Pickle Pizza, Dill Pickle Meatballs, Pickle Margaritas).
Speaking of parties, our recent stand-by contribution has been another briny beauty: 5-Ingredient Fried Pickle Dip. But once we heard about Ree Drummond’s Spicy Bacon Pickle Bites, we knew that dip had some stiff competition.
What Are Spicy Bacon Pickle Bites?
This air-fryer appetizer is a riff on the Bacon-Wrapped Pickles that took over TikTok late last year. That food trend involves placing a thin strip of chilled cream cheese atop halved pickle spears, then wrapping them in a spiral of bacon and baking until the strips are golden brown and crispy. Think of it like a Pickle Roll-Up’s warmer, trendier cousin.
So it makes perfect sense that this Spicy Bacon Pickle Bite recipe originally appeared on a recent episode of “The Pioneer Woman” that focused on viral social media recipes, themed “Worth the Hype.”
Drummond’s twist stands out due to its portability—and its punch. Instead of cream cheese, Drummond’s pickle chip bites are accented with thin slices of fresh jalapeños. After air-frying the bacon-wrapped bites on both sides for a few minutes, The Pioneer Woman suggests basting the bites with barbecue sauce before cooking them for three to four more minutes. The result, according to Drummond, is “a spicy, sweet, and sticky,” snack that makes for a “tasty appetizer for entertaining” or a “crazy late-night snack,” according to her intro of the recipe on her Food Network show.
How to Make Spicy Bacon Pickle Bites
You need just four main ingredients and 20 minutes of hands-on time to invite these bites to the party.
Prepare the bacon: Cut eight slices of bacon in half. (By the way, we’re firm believers that Aldi, Trader Joe’s, and Wright brand sell some of the best bacon available. Chefs also swear by Nueske’s, Beeler’s, and Applegate Organics.)
Assemble the bites: Lay a pickle chip in the center of each bacon half, then top with a thin slice of fresh jalapeño. If you’re not so into spice, feel free to remove the ribs and seeds from the jalapeños to tame the heat a bit.
Wrap and secure: Fold the bacon over the pickle and jalapeño, securing it with a toothpick. Repeat for all 16 bites.
Air fry: Cook at 370 degrees F for 6–7 minutes, then flip and cook at 360 degrees F for another 6–7 minutes.
Add the sauce: Using a silicone pastry brush, baste each bite with about ¼ cup of barbecue sauce, then air fry for another 3–4 minutes until caramelized and crispy.
No air fryer? No sweat. It’s easy to convert air fryer recipes to oven recipes. To make these in the oven, bake at 400 degrees F for 7–9 minutes, flip, then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F and bake for another 7–9 minutes. Brush with barbecue sauce and bake for 4–5 minutes more.
“I’m serving them with a side of ranch, but they’re perfectly delicious on their own,” Drummond says as she dives into her first bite after walking fans through how to make her Spicy Bacon Pickle Bites recipe on her show. In addition to a sidecar of Hidden Valley, this snack would be sensational dunked in more barbecue sauce, honey mustard dipping sauce, or for a little extra kick, Buffalo sauce.
Whether you serve these for game day or any day—we can’t imagine ourselves sharing, honestly!—these pickle bites are worthy of the menu MVP award.
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