Crispy, tangy, and packing a zippy kick-these Horseradish Pickles are a must for anyone who loves bold flavor. Fresh cucumbers soak up a garlicky brine with just the right amount of horseradish heat, making them crunchy, spicy, and totally addictive.
They come together with almost no effort and are perfect for snacking straight from the jar, piling onto burgers, or serving at your next barbecue. Try my other spicy pickles recipe made with jalapenos and red pepper flakes for more bodl flavors.
Recipe Quick Glance
- 🍽️ Course: Side Dish + Condiment
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 20 minutes hands-on + Chill 24h
- 🍴 Makes: 2 pints
- 🧄🥒 Flavor Profile: Crisp, tangy, and garlicky with a bold horseradish kick. Heat level: medium.
- 🍔 Best Served With: Burgers, hot dogs, BBQ platters, sandwiches, or straight from the jar.
- ⏱️ Ease Factor: Simple refrigerator pickles-no canning required, just mix, chill, and enjoy in 24 hours.
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From Our Kitchen to Yours
I fell in love with horseradish pickles thanks to store-bought favorites like Boar's Head and Nathan's, but I knew I had to try making them myself. Homemade always wins-the cucumbers stay extra crisp, and the horseradish spice adds just the right kick.
My favorite way to eat them? Straight from the jar with a fork. If you're hooked on horseradish like I am, don't miss my horseradish aioli or creamy horseradish dip too!
Ingredients
- Cucumbers: For best results, use Kirby or small pickling cucumbers. These are often more compact, contain less water, and have a crisper texture, which makes them perfect for pickling. English cucumbers work too, though they may be softer.
- Prepared Horseradish: This spicy root vegetable can be found prepared at your local grocery store. Make sure you don't get horseradish sauce, which is more like mayonnaise.
- White Sugar: A little sweetness from the sugar balances all of the other flavors.
- Aromatics: Fresh, minced garlic and white onion set these horseradish pickles apart from all the others!
- White Vinegar: An essential component for pickling that doesn't impart any flavors, other than acidity, and is clear so it won't affect the color of the brine. Since these are refrigerator horseradish pickles, you can use apple cider vinegar for a milder flavor.
See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
🥒 Crisp Pickle Guarantee: Use Kirby or pickling cucumbers and avoid waxed or burpless for the best crunch. Trim the blossom end by 1/16-¼ inches.
Variations
- Flavor Boosters: Try dill sprigs, garlic cloves, mustard seeds, or even sliced jalapeños for a spicier kick.
- Vegetable Medley: Use the same brining ingredients in this recipe and add chopped cauliflower, carrots, celery, and even red bell pepper.
- Vary the Cuts: If you have small pickling cucumbers, you can leave them whole or cut them into spears instead. Whole pickles and spears have less surface area, which means a crisper pickle.
How to Make Horseradish Pickles
Step 1: Heat the brine. Add the prepared horseradish, white sugar, garlic, salt, water, and vinegar to a large saucepan. Over medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring often.
Step 2: Add the cucumbers. Reduce the heat and add cucumbers and onions. Continue boiling for an additional 5 minutes.
🔥 Tasting timeline: The heat and garlic intensity deepens the longer the pickles sit. You can enjoy them at different points in time depending on the flavor you prefer. They can be good as early as 12h but are best after 24h-48h.
Step 3: Cool and store. Allow the pickles to cool before transferring them to airtight jars. Refrigerate pickles for 24 hours before serving. Use them on sandwiches or as a garnish for a pickle shot!
Recipe Tips
- Let Them Rest: Pickles taste best after at least 24-48 hours in the fridge. The flavor deepens with time.
- Do Not Can This Recipe: These are refrigerator pickles only. For shelf-stable pickles, follow a tested recipe that follows USDA guidelines.
- Use Pickling Cucumbers (Kirby): They're small, firm, and bred for pickling. English or slicing cucumbers can turn soft.
- Use the Right Vinegar: It is recommended to use only white vinegar or apple cider vinegar for this horseradish pickle recipe. They have the right amount of acidity and flavor profile for these pickles.
- Storing Tips: Store your pickles in a jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Do not freeze them because they do not defrost well.
Serving Suggestions
- Pickles and burgers are a classic combo. Spice up a ground pork burger or old-fashioned burger with these pickles.
- Instead of relish, finely dice these pickles and add them to homemade tartar sauce or over the top of your hot dog!
- Add them to these air fried ham cheese sliders for heat and crunch.
Horseradish Pickles Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! The brine is a great way to add flavor to dressings and sauces similar to vinegar.
No, you can't. This is a refrigerator-only pickle recipe. Do not can this exact formula. Canning use fixed vinegar (≥5% acidity) and different ratios to make the jars shelf-stable.
You can, but the flavor may vary significantly from prepared horseradish. Freshly grated horseradish is much hotter so if you swap it, you may need to adjust the amount you use.
Easy Homemade Horseradish Pickles
Ingredients
- ½ cup prepared horseradish
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- ½ white onion thinly sliced
- 4 cups kirby cucumbers sliced
Instructions
- Put prepared horseradish, white sugar, garlic, salt, water, and vinegar in a large saucepan. Over medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring often.
- Reduce heat and add cucumbers and onions. Continue boiling for an additional 5 minutes.
- Allow pickles to cool before transferring them to airtight jars. Refrigerate pickles for 24 hours before serving.
Notes
- Let Them Rest: Chill for 24-48 hours before digging in-the flavor gets better with time.
- Fridge Only: This is a refrigerator pickle recipe, not for canning.
- Choose Pickling Cucumbers: Kirby cucumbers stay crisp; slicing or English varieties soften.
- Pick the Right Vinegar: Stick with white or apple cider vinegar for proper acidity and flavor.
Sandra says
Absolutely wonderful addition to sandwiches and burgers. I recommend to anyone to try. My grandchildren even liked them. This recipe is definitely a keeper. TFS
Karin and Ken says
My husband puts them on everything! I like them on sandwiches and burgers myself too! Hopefully my grandson will like them too once he has enough teeth lol Take care and enjoy your day. Karin
Callie says
Super easy and delicious! Family loved them. Company loved them. Thank you for sharing.
Karin and Ken says
You’re most welcome! So glad you enjoyed them. They’re a favorite around here! All the best. Karin
Tammy says
What a great idea. When i tried to make pickles in the past they never turned out right. Your recipe wade it so easy. I also thought that the horseradish would give me acid but they were great. Thanks KD
Karin and Ken says
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you liked them. They’re delicious! All the best. Karin
Cynthia says
Could I possibly use just a piece of the root vs prepared horseradish? Would it still boil the flavor into the syrup? I don't want all the little pieces all over the pickles. Thank you!
Karin and Ken says
I would try it with the root cut up into a few pieces. Count them so you can be sure to remove them all. Please let us know how it goes if you try it. I’d appreciate it. All the best. Karin