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Complete with crunchy dill pickles, creamy ranch, and a crispy breadcrumb topping, this easy Fried Pickle Dip appetizer takes just 15 minutes of prep time and zero deep-frying to make.
If you’ve ever visited the South, chances are you’ve sampled fried pickle chips. Made by battering and deep-frying coins of dill pickles until they’re hot and golden, these tasty little beauties are served with ranch dipping sauce for a true flavor explosion.
For more tasty appetizer dips, try my Spinach Artichoke Dip or my Spicy Sausage Dip.
Pin this recipe for later!Why I Love This Recipe
This fried pickle ranch dip has all the flavors I love, but without any of the fuss! This easy appetizer recipe is:
- Quick & Easy. Takes just 15 minutes worth of prep time to make this easy cream dip. The hardest part is waiting for it to chill in the fridge!
- Budget-Friendly. Depending on where you do your shopping, you should be able to make a full batch for less than $5.
- Crowd-Pleasing. Pretty much everyone I know — kid or adult — loves both ranch dressing and dill pickles. Combine the two in one obscenely delicious dip and you’ll have a room full of admirers!
RECIPE WALK-THROUGH
Before You Begin
Gather all of your ingredients and chop the pickles. Set out the cream cheese so it can come to room temperature; it will take about 30 minutes to an hour.
How To Make Fried Pickle Dip
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Drain Pickles. Set the chopped pickles out on paper towels to drain as much liquid as possible. Pat dry with a paper towel.
Mix Dip Base. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the sour cream, cream cheese, pickle juice, and Ranch mix using a hand mixer or a wooden spoon. Stir in the pickles, fresh herbs, and garlic.
Chill. Cover tightly and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
Pan-Fry Breadcrumb Topping. For the topping, melt butter in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, gently stirring to completely coat with the butter. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until breadcrumbs are toasted and browned. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool completely.
Garnish & Serve. Just before serving, garnish the dip with the breadcrumbs, a few dill pickle slices, and fresh herbs. Serve with potato chips, crackers, or veggies.
Serving Suggestions
Frickles are a Southern tradition, so I tend to pair this dip with other Southern-inspired dishes like:
Also, make sure you have plenty of things to dip in your creamy, pickle-y ranch like crackers, tortilla chips, pretzels, and crudites!
Variations
It’s hard to improve on the perfection of fried pickles and ranch dip, but there are a few possible customizations that I endorse. Make your pickle ranch dip:
- Spicy. Use spicy ranch seasoning mix, spicy pickles (maybe even a few pickled jalapeños if you’re feeling adventurous!), and a dash of cayenne pepper to amp up the heat.
- Dairy-Free/Vegan. Use your favorite plant-based sour cream, cream cheese, and butter, and be sure to use a dairy-free ranch seasoning like Farrell brand. Vegan pickle ranch dip FTW!
- Cajun. Swap out half of the sour cream for an equal amount of mayo, add a 1.5 teaspoons of cajun seasoning (like Tony Chachere’s), a squeeze of fresh lemon, a few shakes of hot sauce, some minced red onion, and a teaspoon of ketchup to the mix for a Creole-approved twist to this delicious pickle dip. Bonus points for adding some blue cheese crumbles into the mix.
Storage Tips
The Best Way to Store Leftovers
- Once the pickle ranch dip is mixed up, it will last in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- If possible, store the breadcrumbs and dip separately (breadcrumbs in an airtight container at room temp) to ensure they stay nice and crispy for the topping.
- Due to the high dairy content, I don’t recommend freezing this dip.
Recipe Tips
Making this ranch & pickle dip is much easier than making actual fried pickles. That said, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Only add the breadcrumbs when you’re ready to serve. The appeal of the breadcrumb topping is that it helps to mimic the crunchy fried batter you’d find on regular fried pickles. However, the breadcrumbs can’t possibly stay crispy forever once they’re surrounded by all the moisture in the dip! Keep the two separate until your guests begin to arrive.
- Refrigerator pickles have a better crunch than shelf-stable ones. Most refrigerator pickles haven’t been cooked, which means they retain more of their fresh cucumber crunch. I prefer having the extra texture in my dip, but use whatever pickles your family prefers.
- Chop your own pickles instead of using relish. Yes, relish is made from chopped pickles, but those pickles are super finely chopped and they’re pretty much impossible to dry off. To get the right textural balance, I suggest you chop your own from spears or whole pickles.
More Delectable Dip Recipes
Fried Pickle and Ranch Dip
Ingredients
Breadcrumb Topping
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 1/2 cup Unseasoned Panko Breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
Dip
- 1 cup Sour cream
- 8 ounces Cream cheese softened to room temperature
- .4 ounce Packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dip Mix
- 2 tablespoons Pickle juice from the jar
- 1 cup Chopped dill pickles
- 1 tablespoon Chopped fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon Fresh chopped dill
- 1 Garlic clove minced
Instructions
- Set the chopped pickles out on paper towels to drain as much liquid as possible. Pat dry with a paper towel.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the sour cream, cream cheese, pickle juice and Ranch mix using a hand mixer or a wooden spoon.
- Stir in the pickles, fresh herbs and garlic.
- Cover tightly and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- For the topping, melt butter in a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, gently stirring to completely coat with the butter. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until breadcrumbs are toasted and browned. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool completely.
- Just before serving, garnish the dip with the breadcrumbs, a few dill pickle slices and fresh herbs.
- Serve with potato chips, crackers, or veggies.
Notes
- Once the pickle ranch dip is mixed up, it will last in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- If possible, store the breadcrumbs and dip separately (breadcrumbs in an airtight container at room temp) to ensure they stay nice and crispy for the topping.
- Due to the high dairy content, I don’t recommend freezing this dip.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
