TREND BITES:
Pickle
In a surprising turn of events, what might possibly be our biggest food trend of 2023 has been hiding in plain sight all along. Somehow, our common, average dill pickles have risen from their assigned, well-accepted space in grocery store aisles, restaurant coolers, and home pantries, and turned into the hottest trend of the year. So… how did that happen?
A Brief Pickle History
Pickles can be traced back as far as 2030 BC, and, unlike other foods that rose and fell in popularity through passing centuries, they remained steadily popular throughout each new empire shift and medical discovery. Due to their cheap price and long shelf-life, pickles were often stockpiled for travels and long winters. Their acidic flavor was a welcome addition to otherwise bland diets. When Jewish immigrants came to the US in the late 1800s, they brought the dill pickles we know today, and now they're found all over American menus!
The Rise of the Pickle Trend
According to Datassential, pickle is on nearly 50% of menus across the country and is loved by 69% of consumers. In 2023 alone, we’ve seen several viral TikTok trends involving pickle. They've been in spicy challenges, featured on pizzas, wrapped in candy, fried in cheese, and even emblazoned on an uber popular sweatshirt on the TikTok shop. The TikTok trends led to fast food giants releasing pickle slushies, fries, and pizzas. With all the pickle excitement, Google searches for pickle have increased by 23% so far this year.
Pair pickle with chicken!
Our culinary team came up with a couple easy ideas to include pickle on your menu. The trendiest way to use pickles right now is on pizza, and to serve the perfect pickle pizza, you need a white sauce or olive oil to add richness to the pizza that balances well with the acidity and crunch of pickles. We used garlic dill sauce and popcorn chicken in this pickle pizza recipe.
An even simpler way to serve pickle is in a chicken sandwich! Our version of the ideal "Chicken Sandwich Wars" sandwich is a Brakebush Signature Crispy Filet, pickles, and mayo on a toasted bun. Or, for something with even more pickle flavor, our Southern Select™ Chicken Filet is a fully cooked, breaded filet with tasty dill flavor in the marinade, so it's perfect for calling out pickle on your menu! We cut it into small pieces for this fresh, tangy dill pickle chicken salad.
Try these pickle applications!
Dill Pickle Chicken Salad
The salty, sour taste of pickles blends with savory chicken and creamy Greek yogurt in this Dill Pickle Chicken Salad. It works great on sandwiches and wraps or with crackers—perfect for c-store fresh cases and prepared, grab-and-go snacks!
Pickle Pizza
Here's our take on the viral pickle pizza trend! This Pickle Pizza uses garlic dill sauce, sliced pickles, cheese, and popcorn chicken. It's easy to make, and your patrons will love it!
Dill-Seasoned Wings
Offer a fun, trendy chicken wing option by topping wings with dill seasoning or fresh dill. We recommend using unbreaded, bone-in wings for the perfect savory bite of chicken and dill on your wing nights!
Seasonal Ideas
As we approach colder weather, your customers will be on the hunt for game day snacks. Whether they're watching the game in your dining room or at home, you can promote your dine-in, take-out, and delivery pickle menu items! We're sure this pickle pizza recipe and dill seasoned wings will be a hit among sports fans this season!
Will the craze end?
Our trend research (and our cravings) strongly suspect pickle applications to be a safe bet on menus for… ever. Even when pickle is no longer considered a food trend, people will still want it because they loved it before it was popular. As we look toward 2024 trends, we anticipate many more innovative pickle menu ideas across the foodservice industry, and we can't wait to try them!
Other Pickle & Chicken Ideas from our Recipe Library
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