Fried Dill Pickle Dip

 

For most people, the excitement around Super Bowl Sunday isn’t about the football game. It’s about excellent snacking opportunities. And obviously, everyone loves dips, but they especially shine on Super Bowl Sunday!

I guarantee you’ll see buffalo chicken dip, guacamole, and queso on Sunday, but let me introduce you to my favorite dip: fried dill pickle dip. It is the trifecta of tangy and creamy and crunchy. This dip has easy to find ingredients, and it comes together in about 15 minutes.

All about that base

A combination of sour cream and mayo is the best base! This makes the dip light enough to use with chips and lets the pickle flavor shine. A cream cheese-based dip is too thick and masks the pickle flavor.

Picky about the pickles

As someone who is VERY passionate about pickles, I have tried a lot of different ones. My two favorite pickles are the Kosher Dill Pickle Chips from Trader Joe’s and the dill pickle chips from Whole Foods. Grillo's Pickles and Claussen are also excellent, but they seem to be more expensive. Just make sure you grab your pickles out of the refrigerated section because those are usually the best quality pickles, and we need good quality pickles with a good brine for this recipe.

Dipadee-do-dah!

I recommend serving the dip with a sturdy chip so there's no breakage. Also, some crudités like carrots, cucumbers, and radishes would be great for dunking.

Fried Dill Pickle Dip

Yield: Makes 2.5 cups dip

Time: About 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the crunchy topping

• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 cup (68 grams) panko breadcrumbs

For the dip base 

• 8 ounces sour cream 
• 6 ounces mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup (75 grams) dill pickles, small dice
• 1/4 cup (60 millilters) pickle brine
• 1 ounce ranch dressing mix
• 2 Tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
• 2 Tablespoons chives, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

For the garnish

• Additional chopped dill, chives and pickles

Directions

For the crunchy topping

1. Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat.
2. Add panko and cook until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and pour into bowl. Set aside.

For the dip base

1. In medium bowl, stir together all ingredients of dip base.
2. Transfer to serving bowl and chill until ready to serve.

For the garnish

1. Before serving, top dip with panko and additional chopped dill, chives, and pickles.