Cast Iron Fried Pickle Chips with Pickle-Ranch Dipping Sauce
By Mark HuxsollPublished on March 3, 2025
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Pickle-Ranch Dipping Sauce
½ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup buttermilk 3 tablespoons minced kosher dill pickle, plus 1 teaspoon brine2 tablespoons minced fresh chives 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro 2 teaspoons minced fresh dill 1 garlic clove, minced¼ teaspoon table salt ¼ teaspoon pepper ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepperPickle Chips
4 whole kosher dill pickle, ends trimmed ½ inch, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds (3 cups)1 quart vegetable oil for frying1¼ cups water 1 cup all-purpose flour ½ cup cornstarch 1 teaspoon baking powderBefore You Begin
Starting with whole pickles that you slice into chips yourself makes the most crisp fried pickles. You can substitute presliced pickle chips, but they will have a softer texture once fried. Four cups of oil should yield a depth of about ¾ inch in the 12-inch cast-iron skillet.
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
- Arrange pickles in even layer on paper towel–lined baking sheet. Let pickles drain for 20 minutes, then press dry with paper towels.
- Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and line rack with triple layer of paper towels. Heat oil in 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat to 375 degrees.
- Whisk water, flour, cornstarch, and baking powder in large bowl until smooth. Add half of pickles to batter and toss to coat. Using both your hands and working quickly, transfer coated pickles to hot oil, 2 pieces at a time. Fry until light golden on both sides, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally with slotted spoon or spider skimmer to avoid clumping, and adjusting burner as needed to maintain oil temperature between 350 and 375 degrees. Transfer pickles to prepared sheet and season with salt to taste.
- Return oil to 375 degrees and repeat battering and frying with remaining pickles. Serve with dipping sauce.
for the pickle-ranch dipping sauce
for the pickle chips
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Pickle-Ranch Dipping Sauce
Pickle Chips
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Pickle-Ranch Dipping Sauce
Pickle Chips
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Pickle-Ranch Dipping Sauce
Pickle Chips
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Fried pickles were popularized at the Duchess Drive-In in Atkins, Arkansas, in the early 1960s. There, owner Bernell “Fatman” Austin sliced and coated dill pickles in a fried catfish batter. We shallow-fried our version in a cast-iron skillet; shallow frying used much less oil than deep frying (for less waste and easier cleanup), and the cast iron held heat well and had more volume than a traditional skillet. We dipped sliced dill pickles in a simple batter with cornstarch and baking powder for a light, crisp texture and then fried them in two batches. We whipped up a ranch-inspired dip with fresh herbs, raw garlic, a pinch of spice, and a few minced dill pickles for a perfect riff on a classic pairing.
Before You Begin
Starting with whole pickles that you slice into chips yourself makes the most crisp fried pickles. You can substitute presliced pickle chips, but they will have a softer texture once fried. Four cups of oil should yield a depth of about ¾ inch in the 12-inch cast-iron skillet.
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
- Arrange pickles in even layer on paper towel–lined baking sheet. Let pickles drain for 20 minutes, then press dry with paper towels.
- Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and line rack with triple layer of paper towels. Heat oil in 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat to 375 degrees.
- Whisk water, flour, cornstarch, and baking powder in large bowl until smooth. Add half of pickles to batter and toss to coat. Using both your hands and working quickly, transfer coated pickles to hot oil, 2 pieces at a time. Fry until light golden on both sides, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally with slotted spoon or spider skimmer to avoid clumping, and adjusting burner as needed to maintain oil temperature between 350 and 375 degrees. Transfer pickles to prepared sheet and season with salt to taste.
- Return oil to 375 degrees and repeat battering and frying with remaining pickles. Serve with dipping sauce.
for the pickle-ranch dipping sauce
for the pickle chips
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