Burger King's Pickle Fries Review: The Humble Side Order That Became An Instant Main Attraction

Burger King continually tries to find new ways to top its signature Whopper, and in 2024, the fast-food chain let its customers come up with ideas. The brainstorming session was dubbed the Million Dollar Whopper Contest, which drew over a million submissions. Three of those entries have now been turned into handheld realities: the Mexican Street Corn Whopper, the Maple Bourbon BBQ Whopper, and the Fried Pickle Ranch Whopper. The latter is apparently such a winner at BK HQ that management is also launching Pickle Fries as a side order. 

Deep-fried pickles are widely recorded as becoming a thing when Bernell "Fatman" Austin dreamed them into being, at his Duchess Drive-in in Atkins, Arkansas, back in the summer of 1963. His son David Smith shared the story with THV11 in a 2014 interview. "He thought, well, there's got to be a way to cash in on that pickle," Smith recalled. "Of course, this is the South — where did it go? In the deep-fryer." Over the decades since, this creation has proven to be a winning side dish, although there's some debate about whether elongated spears or circular chips are the best shape of fried pickles. While plenty of restaurant chains have picked up on the awesomeness of this Southern specialty, it's taken a while for industry executives to realize that fried pickles should be on every fast-food menu.

Before we applaud Burger King for finally picking up the mantle and offering their own Pickle Fries, we wanted to find out something important: Are they actually any good? The Takeout staked out a seat at our local BK to find out. This chew and review is based on taste, fried goodness, value, and overall lovability. 

In addition to its November 14 debut of three Million Dollar Whopper offerings, Burger King is now selling Pickle Fries for a limited time only, at participating locations. Last year, the introduction of Burger King's new side-dish menu item Have-sies was actually just a combo of fries and onion rings, but Pickle Fries provide something genuinely novel to the chain's offerings.

Pickle Fries are apparently available in one size only, and my order came with a side of Hidden Valley Ranch, a dipping sauce that scored well in a blind taste test to determine the best ranch dressing. At the New York City Burger King location where I purchased them, the Pickle Fries retailed for $6.59. An additional sauce cup of ranch cost $.25. Prices may vary by location.

The fries can be found under the "Sides" submenu, and ordered in-store, at the counter, or at the drive-thru where available. Advance ordering for dine-in, pick-up, or delivery is available through Burger King's app or website. Additional fees may apply for delivery. The app and website both allow for customization, like swapping out Hidden Valley Ranch for a different dipping sauce. While the Million Dollar Whoppers can be made into a combo with a choice of drink and side, unfortunately, the Pickle Fries cannot be chosen as a side in a combo. 

The Pickle Fries start as dill pickle spears, which are battered and breaded with an unspecified seasoning, and then deep-fried. A standard order of Pickle Fries packs 380 calories, 21 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, a whopping 2,280 milligrams of sodium, 41 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, and 7 grams of protein.

Hidden Valley Ranch sauce is made up of soybean oil, water, and ranch flavorings that include buttermilk, garlic, and onion, among other ingredients. A cup of the Hidden Valley Ranch dip sauce nets 110 calories, 11 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 1 gram of carbohydrates, and 1 gram of sugar. Allergens for the pickle fries were not publicized, but the ranch sauce contains milk, soybean, and egg.

As I opened the box, the fried batter of the Pickle Fries came into focus. This exoskeleton looked like a cross between an onion ring crust, clam strips, and the exterior of seasoned hushpuppies. I leaned in for a whiff, and my nose was happy to inhale the smell of warm pickles mixed with a fried batter.

The fries ranged in size, shape, and consistency. Some maintained the fried-batter exterior from tip to tip, while others were split open, exposing its forest-green pickle within. While the fried batter was not particularly thick, it maintained a lovely crunchiness with every bite. The pickle spears were probably at some point rather firm, but the juices inside the fried batter turned them rather mushy. While normally this would be a drawback, nothing could stop this side item from being super-delicious. Between the breading and pickle, they had an extra-salty appeal, and the dill taste of the pickle made this quite a zesty treat.

The Pickle Fries were so darn good, they didn't even really require a dipping sauce. What they did require was a lot of napkins to wipe up the grease they contained. Alas, there was a side of Hidden Valley Ranch included, so the Pickle Fries naturally went for a dip. While the signature creaminess of the ranch acted as a welcome coolant to the warm fries, it also made the duo almost too savory, requiring soda sips between each bite. 

If there is one non-french-fries accompaniment for burgers that you make a point of ordering during the remainder of this year, please make sure to try Burger King's Pickle Fries. I am here to happily crown these greasy beauties a bona fide winner, and I'm sure you will feel the same way. The price may be a bit high, but they were well worth whatever the cost may be. 

I also suspect that if these fries find a following, there's no way Burger King could cast them out of the castle for good after their limited-time run. If Chicken Fries and Mozzarella Sticks remain on Burger King menus, why not deep-fried pickles? And if this dish catches on at Burger King, then other rival chains will have to follow suit, right? Maybe one day, fried pickles could be the standard side order to a burger. Are you shaking in your boots yet, french fries?

As a standalone item, the Pickle Fries rule. Yet, I wondered how they fared in the burger that gave birth to them — the Fried Pickle Ranch Whopper. Well, while a decent amount of Pickle Fries awaited under the bun, they didn't really add to the taste of this burger all that much. Sure, the fried batter added an additional crunchy texture alongside the bacon, but its salty and dill flavoring basically disappeared within every bite. The Whopper was still a solid entree to order, but the Pickle Fries are a side item that has instantly become a main attraction.