Sweet and Spicy Grilled Pickles Recipe

Updated April 26, 2019

I've been sitting on this sweet and spicy grilled pickles for years now, ever since I interviewed pitmaster Chris Lilly from Big Bob Gibson and he gave me a jar of these fantastic pickles with a recipe.

I don't know what took me so long. I guess I was waiting for the proper canning tools but these can really be made from quick pickles, so no excuses.

Grilling the pickles prior to canning is an interesting prospect. It adds a bit of grilled flavor, but mainly creates a spear that is both crisp and soft—great middle ground to settle any dispute between people at opposite ends of that pickle debate.

The pickling liquid here strikes a nice balance between sweet and spicy, with dill and garlic playing more minor roles in flavor. In the end, you have a lot of contrast of flavor and texture packed into these incredibly delicious little spears.

Recipe Details

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Pickles Recipe

Active 30 mins

Total 45 mins

Serves 24 servings

Makes 3 jars

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Ingredients

For The Brine:

1 1/4 cups distilled white vinegar
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
5 large cucumbers, cut into 4 to 5-inch spears
1 medium white onion, cut into 1/2-inch disks and skewered horizontally
6 sprigs dill
3 teaspoons minced garlic

Directions

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and red pepper, whisking until sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from heat and set aside.
Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over entire surface of coal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Place cucumbers and onions on grill. Cook cucumbers until lightly browned on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Cook onions until charred on both sides and slightly softened, about 4 minutes per side. Remove cucumbers and onions to tray. Quarter onions.
Place 2 sprigs of dill and 1 teaspoon of garlic in each jar. Divide cucumbers and onions equally between each jar. Pour in pickling liquid, leaving 1/2-inch of headroom between liquid and top of jar. Refrigerate for 1-2 days before eating for quick pickles, or process jars in boiling water bath for 10 minutes to seal lids, then store in a cool, dark place.

Special equipment

Grill, 3 canning jars with lids (sanitized)

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
39	Calories
0g	Fat
9g	Carbs
1g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories	39
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g	0%
Saturated Fat 0g	0%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 317mg	14%
Total Carbohydrate 9g	3%
Dietary Fiber 0g	2%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 2mg	11%
Calcium 13mg	1%
Iron 0mg	1%
Potassium 103mg	2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.