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Some recipes get handed down. This one got handed over, and the whole team has been better off since.
Dill pickle dip is a creamy, tangy no-cook dip built on grated dill pickles, fresh herbs, and a mayo and sour cream base, meant to be scooped with thick-cut potato chips. This version comes from the SEASON cookbook by way of a team member's family tradition, and it earns its keep at picnics, tailgates, backyard tables, and any gathering where a bowl needs to sit out and fend for itself. Think of it as the secret sauce of the spread, the dollop that goes on the plate and then ends up on everything else: the crudités, the bread, the leftover chicken. It also happens to be the rare dip that improves overnight, and the rare dip with an obvious wine answer. A cold glass of Kendall-Jackson AVANT Chardonnay has the citrus lift to cut the richness without flattening the brine.
Ingredients for Dill Pickle Dip
Seven ingredients, no cooking, and nothing that requires a special trip.
- Dill pickles are the whole point, so use ones worth eating straight from the jar. Refrigerated pickles stay crunchier and taste fresher than shelf-stable. Grate them fine and drain them well, which matters more than anything else on this list.
- Mayonnaise and sour cream make the base. Together they stay creamy and scoopable straight from the fridge, which is exactly what a cream cheese base will not do.
- Fresh dill and fresh tarragon are the quiet upgrade. Dill doubles down on what the pickles bring, and tarragon adds a soft anise note that keeps the dip from tasting like ranch dressing with pickles in it. Fresh, not dried, on both.
- Powdered ranch seasoning ties it together with garlic, onion, and a little salt in one spoonful.
- Thick-cut potato chips for serving. Krinkle cut or kettle style, sturdy enough to survive a real scoop. Salt and pepper is the flavor to look for.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
How to Make Dill Pickle Dip
1. Grate and drain the pickles. Use the fine holes on a box grater and set the grater on a few folded paper towels to catch the juice as it comes through. Grated pickles hold a surprising amount of liquid, and getting it out now is the difference between a dip that mounds on a chip and one that slides off it. Press the grated pickles gently against the towels before they go in the bowl.
2. Chop the herbs. Fresh dill and fresh tarragon, minced fine enough to disappear into the base rather than sit on top of it.
3. Mix everything together. Pickles, dill, tarragon, mayonnaise, sour cream, and ranch seasoning go into a medium bowl. Stir until the color is even and no streaks of sour cream remain. A spoon handles this fine, and a whisk makes it faster.
4. Cover and chill. The dip is edible immediately and considerably better after a rest. An hour works. Overnight is the move. The salt pulls moisture from the pickles, the herbs bloom, and the ranch seasoning finally stops tasting like powder.
5. Stir and serve. Give it one more stir before it goes out, since a little liquid can separate as it sits, and serve it cold with thick-cut potato chips.
Dill Pickle Dip Recipe
Recipe Type:
Appetizer
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 1⁄2 cups firmly packed, finely grated, and well-drained dill pickles
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 3⁄4 cup mayonnaise
- 1⁄2 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons powdered ranch
- seasoning mix
- 1 large bag good-quality potato chips
Instructions
- When grating the pickles, use the fine holes on a box grater and place the grater on folded paper towels to help absorb the pickle juice.
- In a medium bowl, combine the pickles, tarragon, dill, mayonnaise, sour cream, and ranch mix and stir to mix well.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. The dip tastes best if made 1 day in advance. Serve with the potato chips.
What Wine to Serve With Dill Pickle Dip
There is a rumor that vinegar and wine do not get along. It is half true. Brine flattens a soft, low-acid wine, but a wine with real acidity meets it head-on and comes out brighter for the trouble.
Vintner's Reserve Sauvignon Blanc is the sure bet. Citrus, cut grass, and a wire of acidity running directly parallel to the dill.
AVANT Chardonnay is the richer answer. Lightly oaked, so green apple and citrus meet the tang while a rounder texture flatters the sour cream.
Vintner's Reserve Brut Cuvée is the one people underestimate. Bubbles scrub salt and fat off the palate, which matters when the delivery vehicle is a potato chip.
A red works too, as long as it is low in tannin and served cool. Vintner's Reserve Pinot Noir at 58 degrees has the red cherry lift to sit beside a tangy dip without steamrolling it. Between crisp whites, Rosé, sparkling, and approachable reds, the Kendall-Jackson portfolio has a pour for the guest who only drinks white and the one who only drinks red, and both can reach for the same bowl.
