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My grilled cheese with pickles is the ultimate choice for pickle lovers and anyone craving a classic grilled cheese with a twist. The perfect combination of crunchy toasted bread, tangy pickles, and melted, gooey cheese makes this quick and easy lunch irresistible.
Now I know what you might be thinking.. are pickles good on grilled cheese?! Dill pickles on grilled cheese may seem like an odd combination, but trust me, it’s amazing! They truly make a great pair because the slightly sweet, super tangy flavor of the pickles complements the salty, creamy, more fatty flavor in the cheese really well. When heated together, their flavors combine to make the perfect combination!
Just like the traditional grilled cheese, my spin on a nostalgic lunch still goes perfectly with a warm bowl of instant pot tomato soup or vegan tomato soup, potato chips, parmesan truffle fries, or air fried sweet potato fries.
Buttery and crispy on the outside, with melted cheese on the inside, this dill pickle grilled cheese sandwich recipe is always a good idea!
My recipe for grilled cheese with pickles is a fun twist on a nostalgic American classic! It’s incredibly easy to make and perfect for those days when I need something quick and satisfying. I also appreciate how simple it is to customize—there are so many variations that can cater to different tastes and dietary needs.
I love the crisp texture the bread gets from being toasted on the skillet with a little butter. The sandwich is cooked just enough for the cheese slices to melt, so the first bite is warm, tangy, and so satisfying.
Rich cheddar cheese and salty dill pickles make this sandwich a favorite for everyone, especially pickle fanatics.
What’s great is that this sandwich is ready in just 20 minutes, making it a go-to option for serious comfort food on busy weeknights or as a quick lunch for the kiddos.
It’s also family-friendly, so everyone at the table is happy. Plus, with a few swaps, this sandwich can be made vegan and gluten-free, which is perfect for accommodating different dietary preferences.
Latest Recipe Video!
🥘 Ingredients
My melty grilled cheese and pickle sandwich is made with just 5 simple ingredients! Here’s what you need:
Whole Wheat Bread: I use wheat bread instead of the traditional white bread for this cheese and pickle toastie because it’s a healthier option with more whole grains and fiber. Honestly, it tastes just as good as white bread when it’s grilled! However, you can use any kind of bread for this sandwich—white bread, gluten-free bread, sprouted wheat bread, buckwheat bread, or slices of sourdough bread are all great options.
Mayo: Mayo adds creaminess and a subtle tangy flavor to my grilled cheese pickle sandwich. For a lower calorie and lower fat option, I use light mayo.
Mild Or Sharp Cheddar Cheese Slices: I prefer cheddar cheese for its sharper, more powerful flavor compared to other types of cheese like American cheese, which is typically used for grilled cheese sandwiches. I find that sharp cheddar melts beautifully, creating a gooey, smooth texture that binds the sandwich together perfectly. The contrast between the bold cheddar and the other ingredients makes each bite more flavorful and satisfying. Whether I’m using a classic cheddar or a more aged variety, the key is to pick one with a strong flavor profile that holds up well during grilling.
Dill Pickles: Hamburger dill chips are the star of the show! Bread and butter pickles are also an option. Check the variations section below for other tasty ideas!
Softened Butter: Butter is what makes a grilled cheese and pickles sandwich perfectly crispy and golden brown on the outside.
🔪 How To Make A Grilled Cheese With Pickles
Learn how to make my dill pickle and grilled cheese sandwich recipe! See the recipe card below for the complete steps.
Dry Dill Pickles: I pat dry the sliced dill pickles with a kitchen paper towel and set them aside.
Begin Assembly: I start assembling the sandwiches by placing two slices of bread on a chopping board and spreading a layer of mayo on each slice.
Add Pickles: I layer the sliced pickles and a slice of cheese on top of the mayo.
Top Sandwich, Butter Bread: I top each sandwich with the remaining bread slices and butter the outside of each piece of bread with the softened butter.
Heat Skillet, Cook Sandwich: I heat a large skillet over medium-low heat, place the sandwiches on the skillet buttered side down, and cook for approximately 3-5 minutes, or until the bread is lightly golden.
Flip, Cook, Serve: I use a spatula to gently flip the sandwiches over, continue to cook until the other side is lightly golden brown and the cheese has started to melt. I then remove them, cut them in half, and serve these pickle sandwiches immediately.
My #1 Secret Tip for this dill pickle sandwich recipe is to cook it on low heat to avoid burning the bread while the cheese melts.
I find that the secret to a good grilled cheese is the butter on the outside of the bread, and cooking it low and slow in the pan so the cheese has enough time to melt.
From experience I found that when my skillet was too hot, I ended up with a burnt outside and a non-melted inside! Make sure your butter is soft and easy to spread, so you’re able to get a thin layer of butter on your entire sandwich (too much butter will make it greasy).
Some people use mayo instead, but either one will add a nice flavor to your sandwich and help it crisp up. You can even use a combination of mayo and butter to get the best of both worlds and a perfect crispy sandwich!
Other Tips To Keep In Mind:
- Make Sure To Dry The Pickles: I make sure to dry my pickles thoroughly. Otherwise, the excess moisture can make the bread soggy.
- Don’t Use Too Much Cheese: Even though it might seem like more cheese would be better, too much cheese can overpower the other ingredients. I find that one thick slice of cheddar cheese per sandwich is perfect for this recipe!
- Pre-Toast Your Bread: I lightly pre-toast my bread if I want an extra toasty sandwich. This step also helps prevent the bread from getting soggy.
- Use Sharp Cheddar: Sharp cheddar has a more intense flavor compared to mild or medium cheddar, which really makes the sandwich stand out. The sharpness adds a depth of flavor that complements the creamy, rich butter and the tangy dill pickles.
- Ensure The Butter Has Softened: I make sure the butter is softened to room temperature so it spreads easily on the bread. If the butter is too hard, it may tear the bread when spreading it.
- Try A Panini Press: I will sometimes use a panini press for an easy way to grill this sandwich – my kids think the grill marks are fun, and it ensures the bread and cheese get cooked perfectly every time with no risk of burning the bottom of the bread!
- Serve Immediately, And Serve Hot: I always serve the pickle cheese sandwich immediately while it’s hot. I don’t recommend grilling it, storing it, and serving it later because the bread won’t be as crispy and the ingredients won’t be as melted and gooey after reheating.
📖 Variations
When I want to shake up my grilled cheese sandwich with pickles even more, I’ll try out these variations:
Grilled Cheese With Jalapenos: For more spice, I swap the pickles for jalapenos. Alternatively, I add jalapenos along with the pickles. For even more heat, I can include hot sauce or crushed red pepper.
Grilled Cheese With Tomato: If I’d rather tone it down and add a cool, fresh, and mild flavor to my sandwich, I replace the pickles with fresh sliced tomato.
More Dill Flavor: To enhance the dill flavor, I sprinkle some fresh or dried dill over the mayo or add several slices of red onion before layering with the remaining ingredients.
Lower Calorie Option: I use light mayo instead of regular mayo to save about 60 calories and 7 grams of fat per sandwich. Additionally, using olive oil cooking spray instead of butter saves about 100 calories and 12 grams of fat. However, olive oil cooking spray won’t provide the same moist and crispy crust as butter.
Different Bread Or Cheese: I use any of my favorite breads for this cheese and pickle sandwich recipe and can substitute any kind of cheese. Mozzarella, provolone, pepperjack, monterey jack, or even Swiss cheese all work well. I can also use a combination of cheddar and another cheese for added flavor.
Gluten-Free Option: To make my grilled cheese gluten-free, I simply use my favorite gluten-free bread.
Vegan Option: To make this pickle and cheese sandwich recipe vegan, I use vegan bread, vegan mayo, and vegan cheese. The best vegan cheese I’ve found for grilled cheese is Violife’s Smoked Provolone.
Other Condiments: Fig jam, red pepper jelly, ranch, honey, dijon mustard or yellow mustard, fruit preserves, marmalade, and different relishes are all great variations that I experiment with. My husband actually loves to make grilled cheese with pickles and mustard!
🍽 Serving Suggestions
This sandwich is perfect on its own, but also tastes great when paired with these side dishes or a cup of soup! Here are some of my recommendations for pairing:
Soups: For a classic grilled cheese and soup lunch combo, my vegan minestrone soup, spaghetti squash soup, or vegan chicken noodle soup are all comforting pairings.
Lighter Side Dishes: I like to pair this sandwich with my tomato avocado cucumber salad, roasted green beans and potatoes, this roasted cauliflower salad, or this spinach and arugula salad for a light side dish.
🧊 Storing And ♨️ Reheating
This sandwich is really best eaten fresh, but here are a few storage options I recommend:
Refrigeration: Using pickles in grilled cheese can create some sogginess so it is best to eat this sandwich immediately. When I do have leftovers, I store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 day.
Reheating: I reheat a leftover sandwich in a skillet or toaster oven until warmed through.
Make Ahead: Sometimes, I’ll make these ahead of time (and don’t butter the outside). Then, I store them in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to 24 hours before cooking. When I’m ready to eat them, I butter the outside, grill the sandwiches, and serve.
❓Recipe FAQs
Using butter (or mayo) on the outside of your grilled cheese is critical to getting it to toast evenly and get that golden brown crispy crust. You need some sort of fat as it drastically improves the flavor and texture of the bread as it cooks.
If you don’t butter your grilled cheese, your bread will get toasted, but your sandwich will turn out dry and may not cook evenly (and may also burn quicker). If you absolutely don’t want to use butter and need a lower calorie option, try olive oil cooking spray or avocado oil cooking spray instead.
I check if the sandwich is done by looking for a golden-brown crust and by pressing gently on it to see if the cheese inside is melted. If both sides are crispy and the cheese is gooey, it’s ready to enjoy.
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📋 Recipe Card
Ultimate Grilled Cheese With Pickles (Tangy & Delicious!)
My grilled cheese with pickles is the ultimate choice for pickle lovers and anyone craving a classic grilled cheese with a twist. The perfect combination of crunchy toasted bread, tangy pickles, and melted, gooey cheese makes this quick and easy lunch irresistible.
Servings: 2 sandwiches
Calories: 483kcal
- It’s really important to dry the sliced dill pickles before preparing the sandwiches so be sure not to skip this step otherwise the liquid will make the bread soggy.
- Any bread can be used for the sandwiches such as sourdough, white, multigrain or gluten-free.
- Do not have the heat up too high as the bread will burn too quickly and the cheese won’t have time to melt.
- You can use other other cheeses instead of cheddar — mozzarella, provolone, pepperjack or even swiss would all work well.
- To add some extra taste you can try sprinkling some fresh or dried dill over the mayo or add several slices of red onion before layering with remaining ingredients.
- Ensure the butter has softened to room temperature so it spreads easily on the bread. If the butter is too hard, it may tear the bread when spreading it.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute the wheat bread for gluten-free bread.
- To make this vegan-friendly, substitute the mayo, cheese and butter for vegan friendly options.
- Sandwiches can be prepped ahead of time and stored, in airtight container in the fridge, for up to 24 hours before cooking.
Note: Using light mayo will cut the calories and fat. Here is the nutritional information for using light mayo instead of regular mayo: 422 Calories, 27g Carbs, 16g Protein, 22g Fat (11g Saturated Fat), 45mg Cholesterol, 1121mg Sodium, 9g Fiber, 4g Sugar.
Serving: 1sandwich | Calories: 483kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 1094mg | Potassium: 245mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 3g
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