Follow us 148.4k
Just like Chicken Cracklings, Pork Cracklings (aka Pork Rinds aka Chicharrones) are incredibly easy to make, delicious and are virtually zero-carb. The main advantage of making your own pork rinds is that you will avoid preservatives, MSG and other junk.
How to Use Pork Rinds
Pork rinds are great for snacking and I love using them to make all sorts of keto-friendly recipes. They work great for "breading" (see Roasted Strawberry & Goat Cheese Salad) and even instead of flour to make savoury pies (see Savory Keto Pie Crust, Easter Keto Quiche and Chicken Pot Pie).
Pork rinds are also great with dips such as Guacamole or Marinara sauce, as topping in salads and soups. As a bonus, if you leave them unseasoned, you can use them in sweet recipes like these pancakes!
How to Trim Excess Fat to Make Pork Rinds
Use instructions here to cut the fat off the skins. You can use leftover fat and render it to make lard for frying.
Please note: Nutrition values are estimated, the fat & protein content may vary depending on how much fat you trim off the skin.
Update: Based on your feedback, I'm happy to say that keto pork rinds can also be done in an air-fryer!
Hands-on Overall
Serving size 1/2 cup, 30 g/ 1 oz
Nutritional values (per serving, 1/2 cup, 30 g/ 1 oz)
Net carbs0 grams
Protein16.3 grams
Fat2.6 grams
Calories121 kcal
Calories from carbs 0%, protein 73%, fat 27%
Total carbs0 gramsFiber0 gramsSugars- gramsSaturated fat1 gramsSodium34 mg(1% RDA)Magnesium1 mg(0% RDA)Potassium46 mg(2% EMR)
Ingredients (makes about 4 trays)
- pork skins, trimmed - cut as much fat off as possible (900 g/ 2 lbs)
- lard for frying
- Optional: seasoning of choice: salt, pepper, paprika, garlic or onion powder, chili powder, dried herbs, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to low, about 100 °C/ 210 °F (fan assisted), or 120 °C/ 250 °F (conventional).
- I get about 4 pounds of ready-to-be-used pork skin from my farmer every month. If you buy pork skin with fat and meat on it, you'll need to cut it off. To do that, cut the meat into strips and score every 2-3 inches. Be careful not to cut through the skin.
- Then, insert the knife between the skin and the fat and carefully cut it off. You will end up with some fat still attached to the skin. That's fine and will add flavour to the pork rinds. Cut the pork skins into 1-2 inch pieces. The more fat you cut off, the fluffier they will get when deep fried!
- Lay the pork skins over a baking sheet in a single layer and place in the oven. I usually make pork rinds in batches and end up using four trays. Bake for about 4-6 hours or until dehydrated.
- When done, pour the excess lard into a pan.
- You can use the rendered lard to fry the cracklings. Use a small deep pan and add more lard if needed. Heat the lard up until hot enough for deep frying. Use a slotted spoon and add your cracklings in small batches. They will significantly increase in volume as they puff up.
- If the skins are properly dehydrated, it should take just about 30 to 60 seconds for the batch to puff up. Then, use a slotted spoon to remove the cracklings onto a tray lined with kitchen towel.
- Repeat for the remaining pork skins.
- Leave to cool down.
- Optionally, season with salt, pepper, dried herbs, chili powder or your favourite spices. I'd usually season half and have them for snacking and then I'd leave the other half of the batch unseasoned so I can use it in recipes for breading or even instead of flour to make pies (tips included at the top of this post).
- Try with Guacamole, Marinara sauce, soured cream or your favourite cheese dip.
Ingredient nutritional breakdown (per serving, 1/2 cup, 30 g/ 1 oz)
| Net carbs | Protein | Fat | Calories |
|---|
| Pork skins - used to make cracklings |
| 0 g | 16.3 g | 2.6 g | 121 kcal |
| Total per serving, 1/2 cup, 30 g/ 1 oz |
| 0 g | 16.3 g | 2.6 g | 121 kcal |
Follow us 148.4k
Do you like this recipe? Share it with your friends!
Let us know what you think, rate this recipe!
