Skillet Fried Pickle Chips with Quick Ranch

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Crackly cornmeal-crusted dill pickle chips shallow-fried in a cast-iron skillet — no deep fryer, no gallon of oil. The whole trick is patting the pickles bone-dry so the buttermilk dredge grabs on and the coating shatters instead of sliding off. A five-minute sour cream ranch goes together while the oil heats.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp buttermilk, plus more to loosen
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
• 1 tbsp finely chopped chives
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp pickle brine (from the jar)
• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 1 24-oz jar crinkle-cut dill pickle chips
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 3/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more for finishing

• 2 cups vegetable or peanut oil (about 1/2 inch deep)

Instructions

1. Make the ranch: whisk the sour cream, mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons buttermilk, dill, chives, onion powder, garlic powder, and pickle brine in a small bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and several grinds of black pepper, thin with a splash more buttermilk if you want it dippable, and refrigerate while you fry.
2. Drain the pickle chips in a colander for 5 minutes, then spread them in a single layer on a double thickness of paper towels. Lay more paper towels on top and press firmly. Let them sit 10 minutes, changing the towels once. They should feel dry and slightly tacky, not slick — this is the single step that decides whether your coating stays on.
3. Whisk the buttermilk, egg, and hot sauce in a shallow bowl. In a second shallow bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
4. Pour the oil into a 10- or 12-inch cast-iron or heavy skillet to a depth of about 1/2 inch. Heat over medium to medium-high until it reads 360°F on a thermometer, about 6 to 8 minutes. If you don't have a thermometer, a pinch of the dredge should sizzle briskly and float immediately.
5. Working with a small handful at a time, toss the dry pickle chips in the cornmeal mixture to coat, shake off the excess, dip into the buttermilk mixture, then return them to the cornmeal and press the coating on. Set the coated chips on a wire rack and repeat; the double dredge builds a crust thick enough to shatter.
6. Fry in batches of 10 to 12 chips, never crowding the pan, for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side, until deep golden and crisp. Flip once with a spider or slotted spoon. Keep the oil between 340°F and 365°F, adjusting the burner between batches.
7. Transfer to a clean wire rack set over a sheet pan (not paper towels, which steam the bottoms) and season with a pinch of salt while still glistening. Let the oil come back up to 360°F before the next batch.
8. Pile the pickles on a platter and serve immediately with the cold ranch. They are at their best within 5 minutes of leaving the pan.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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