Frickles, AKA fried pickles, are a sour and crispy appetizer with a growing fanbase, now commonplace at state fairs, bars, and restaurants. If you’re a fried pickle fan but want to stay away from messy deep-frying, the ever-popular and versatile air fryer can step in once again to save the day — just don’t forget this crucial step.

To get the same crispiness that comes from deep-frying when using your air fryer, dry the pickle slices by placing them in between two layers of paper towels before moving on to the rest of your recipe. When wet with brine, the pickles will moisten the breading, which will prevent the slices from crisping up properly in the air fryer.

Also, if the batter is too moist, it won’t stick to the pickles properly and might slide right off before you've even had a chance to break out the air fryer. Dry your pickles, use breading that's solid and crisp, then feel free to introduce moisture by dipping your air-fried pickles in a variety of delicious sauces like chipotle, ranch, or remoulade.