How To Make Pork Rinds (Chicharrones) | Wholesome Yum (2024)

Pork rinds (a.k.a. chicharrones) taste amazing no matter what — and are a common staple for a keto diet — but making them yourself takes them to a whole new dimension. We recently got back from a trip to Mexico, where a restaurant served homemade chicharrones… and they tasted so much better than store-bought, that it got me thinking about making my own pork rinds recipe. After some experimentation, it turned out much easier than I imagined, and I’m ready to show you how to make pork rinds yourself!

What Are Pork Rinds?

Pork rinds are a keto snack made from the skin of a pig. They are commonly found in grocery or convenience stores (sometimes with artificial flavors or preservatives added), in the snack foods section. You can make your own by baking and then deep frying to remove all moisture in the skin and puff them up, creating a crispy texture. They have a crunch similar to potato chips, but with more protein and low carbs!

Ingredients You’ll Need

This section explains how to choose the ingredients for the best pork rind chips, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

You only need a few ingredients to make this delicious zero-carb snack, but further below I’ll explain how to make different flavors, too.

• Pork Skin – This is the exterior skin only, trimmed of any excess meat and fat. (Not to be confused with pork belly, which has both meat and skin included.) Admittedly, I had some trouble finding pig skin in my area, but eventually found it at a local butcher. You may also be able to find it at international markets, a local farm, or online. If you can’t find pork skin on its own, you can buy pork belly and trim off the skin to use in this homemade pork rinds recipe.
• Sea Salt – The best basic seasoning for chicharrones. Kosher salt is also fine to use.
• Avocado Oil – Used for deep frying, which makes the end result airy and crispy.

How To Make Pork Rinds

This section shows how to make chicharrones, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

1. Prepare pan. Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Cut pork skin. With a sharp knife or kitchen shears, trim any excess lard off the pork skin, if present. Cut skin into bite-sized pieces (these are the shears I used, pictured below — they cut effortlessly through anything!).

3. Bake. Arrange skins in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until dried, crispy, and golden. Remove and drain remaining fat from the rinds on paper towels.

SHORTCUT: You can complete the cooking process here. However, the following frying step in this pork rinds recipe will create a lighter, crispier texture. You can also bake them, store in the fridge, and then fry them later.

4. Fry. Heat about 2 inches of oil in a large pot, saucepan, or dutch oven (I used this one) to 350 degrees F. Fry pork skins in small batches, until puffy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain again. Repeat with remaining rinds.

Flavor Variations

If you’re not a fan of their plain flavor and want to know how to make pork rinds taste better, try one of these seasoning variations to make flavored pork rinds. Simply add the seasonings right after frying, while the rinds are still hot — the residual oil will make the seasonings stick.

• Cajun – Toss in your favorite cajun seasoning, or make your own homemade cajun seasoning.
• Ranch – Sprinkle homemade ranch seasoning on the chicharrones.
• Cinnamon Sugar – Add equal amounts of cinnamon and sugar alternative (or sugar, if you choose) to coat the rinds.
• BBQ – Stir together 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (this combo is based on my sugar-free BBQ sauce recipe). Add Besti sweetener to taste. Toss pork rinds in the seasoning mixture.
• Cheesy – Toss in cheddar cheese powder. These remind me of cheese puffs!
• Simple Spices – If you don’t have a specific seasoning mix, you can add anything you like from your pantry, such as paprika, garlic powder, or onion powder.

Storage Instructions

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 3 days, or zip-top bag in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Allow them to come to room temperature before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you never tried chicharrones before, you probably have a lot of questions! Here are answers to the most common ones:

What Do Pork Rinds Taste Like?

Chicharrones have a very light pork flavor and crispy texture. They taste delicious seasoned with only salt, but their flavor profile makes them the perfect canvas for other seasonings.

What Is The Difference Between Pork Rinds, Chicharrones, and Cracklins?

Regular pork rinds have no fat attached to the skin, so they cook up puffy. Chicharrones is a term for pork rinds in Spanish — no difference in the cooking process. Pork cracklings are typically less puffy and have a meatier texture, because they are cooked with some fat left on the skin.

Chicharrones Nutrition Overview

Here is a breakdown of nutritional values for a 1/2-cup serving of store-bought fried pork skins [*]:

• 80 calories
• 5 grams fat
• 9 grams protein
• 0 grams carbohydrates, fiber, and sugar

Homemade pork rinds nutrition may vary slightly, depending on how much fat they retain.

Are Pork Rinds Healthy?

Given their high fat content, pork rinds may not be the healthiest choice to eat all the time depending on your wellness goals. However, the fat in pig skins is mostly unsaturated, and we’re frying them in avocado oil — both good things if you’re concerned about cholesterol. They are also a whole food snack that has no carbs and doesn’t contain a long list of ingredients or preservatives.

Are Pork Rinds Keto?

Yes, pork rinds are keto, since they naturally contain 0 grams of carbohydrates.

Are Pork Rinds Gluten-Free?

If prepared with only fat and salt, chicharrones are naturally gluten-free. However, some store-bought flavored varieties may contain trace amounts of gluten — so always check labels to know for sure.

How Many Carbs In Pork Rinds?

Fried pork skins contain 0 grams of carbohydrates per serving.

Do Pork Rinds Have Protein?

Yes, pork skins have 9 grams of protein per 1/2-cup serving. However, don’t rely on them as your primary protein source, because the protein they contain is incomplete protein — which means it doesn’t contain all nine essential amino acids. The good news is, the protein they do have is collagen, which has its own benefits.

Ways To Use Pork Rinds

Chicharrones aren’t just for snacking… find a variety of ways to use them here!

• Use as a breading – After grinding in a food processor or blender, chicharrones can create a delicious crispy coating for chicken tenders, onion rings, mozzarella sticks, and even keto orange chicken.
• Pair with dips – The crunch in these rinds tastes amazing with guacamole, Crock Pot rotel dip, fresh tomato salsa, taco dip, or a cheese ball. Wherever you would serve crackers or chips, you can serve chicharrones!
• Make nachos – Spread the homemade pork rinds on a baking sheet and top with cooked meats (shredded chicken, barbacoa, or ground beef are delicious) and shredded cheese. Bake until hot, then add other nacho toppings, such as jalapenos, diced tomatoes, red or green onions, cilantro, etc.
• Bulk up meatballs and meat patties – Ground chicharrones add rich flavor and texture to salmon patties and turkey meatballs. You can also use them as a binder for keto meatloaf.

More Crispy Snack Recipes

Recipe Card

5 from 16 votes☝️ Click stars to rate or click here to leave a review!

How To Make Pork Rinds (Chicharrones)

Learn how to make the best pork rinds recipe (a.k.a. chicharrones) at home, with just 3 simple ingredients! Plus, get 7 seasoning flavors for this crispy low carb snack.

Prep: 15 minutes

See Also

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Cook: 1 hour 5 minutes

Total: 1 hour 20 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com

Servings: 8 (adjust to scale recipe)

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US Customary – Metric

Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them.

• 1lbPork skin▢
• 1tspSea salt(or 3/4 tsp for less salty)▢
• Avocado oil(for frying)▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (149 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. If the pork skin has lard attached to it, carefully cut off the lard, being careful not to cut through the skin. (It’s okay if a little bit of lard is still attached, but try to remove as much as you can, which will ensure that the homemade pork rinds will turn out fluffy and crispy.)

3. Cut the pork skin into small rectangles, about 1 inch by 2 inches. (I recommend using sharp kitchen shears like these — makes it so much easier.)

4. Arrange the pork skins in a single layer on the baking sheet, without touching each other, with the fat side down. Season with sea salt.

5. Bake for 1 to 2 hours, until dried, crispy, and golden. (Time will vary depending on the thickness of the skin; mine took a little over an hour.)

6. Remove the pork rinds from the pan and drain on paper towels. You can let the pork rinds cool and enjoy them right away, but they are better (and fluffier) if you deep fry them, as described in the next steps.

7. In a large saucepan or dutch oven, heat 1.5-2 inches of avocado oil to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). I use a meat thermometer to check. (You can also use some of the rendered lard from the pan for this, and add oil as needed.)

8. Add the dried pork skins to the oil in small batches, to avoid crowding the pan. Cook for 1-3 minutes, until they puff up. The pork rinds may float, so you can push them down or flip them occasionally if needed. Remove immediately with a slotted spoon or tongs, and drain on paper towels again. Repeat the deep frying process with the remaining pork skins.

9. If adding seasonings (see ideas in the blog post above), toss the pork rinds in seasoning immediately after frying.

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Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1/2 ounce (~1/2 cup), or 1/8 entire recipe

• Makes about 4 cups or 4 ounces.
• Nutrition info was pulled from common store-bought pork rinds, as it’s very difficult to calculate from the ingredients precisely how much of the oil content should be included.

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories80

Fat5g

Protein9g

Total Carbs0g

Net Carbs0g

Fiber0g

Sugar0g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course:Snack

Cuisine:Mexican

Keywords:chicharrones, how to make pork rinds, pork rinds, pork rinds recipe

Calories: 80 kcal

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Homemade Pork Rinds Recipe

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