The Daily Plate

Fried Pickle Dip (5-Minute Party Appetizer)

All the tangy, crunchy magic of fried pickles — without frying a thing. This viral dip is a creamy ranch-dill base loaded with chopped pickles and finished with a pile of crispy fried onions for that signature crunch. Five minutes, one bowl, zero leftovers.

Creamy fried pickle dip topped with crispy fried onions and fresh dill, served with ridged potato chips
Prep time5 min
Cook timeNo cook
Total5 min
Yield8 servings
CuisineAmerican
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🧺Ingredients

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 cup finely chopped dill pickles, drained
  • 3 tbsp dill pickle brine (from the jar)
  • 1 tbsp ranch seasoning mix
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
  • ½ cup crispy fried onions, crushed
  • Ridged potato chips, for serving

👩‍🍳Instructions

  1. Beat the base. Beat the softened cream cheese and sour cream together until completely smooth and fluffy. No lumps allowed.
  2. Fold in the pickles. Stir in the chopped pickles, pickle brine, ranch seasoning, garlic powder, and fresh dill until evenly combined.
  3. Chill if you can. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve right away or chill up to 2 days — the flavor gets even better as it rests.
  4. Add the "fried" crunch. Just before serving, pile the crushed crispy fried onions on top. Adding them at the last minute keeps them shatteringly crisp.
  5. Serve. Put out ridged potato chips (the ridges hold the chunky dip best) and watch it disappear.

💡 Dip tips

Room-temperature cream cheese is non-negotiable — cold cream cheese stays lumpy no matter how hard you beat it. Pat the chopped pickles dry so the dip stays thick, and never add the fried onion topping until serving time. Like heat? Stir in a few dashes of hot sauce.

Bowl of creamy fried pickle dip with crispy onion topping and potato chips
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