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By now, we all know that pork rinds (AKA Chicharrones) are crunchy little keto nuggets bequeathed to us by the gods. A chip that has collagen, protein, healthy fat, and no carbs? There has to be a catch, except there isn’t.
Traditionally, pork rinds are made by heating the rendered pig skin until it expands into a hot and crunchy meat cloud. However, the methods or techniques to make homemade pork rinds varies widely depending on culture, cuisine, and the available cooking appliances.
This article will walk through our techniques for preparing America’s favorite all-natural puff.
But first, we need to talk about preparation methods!
Getting the pork rind ready for frying can be accomplished multiple ways. Our recommendation is to acquire ready-to-cook pork rinds from PorkRinds.com. This allows you to avoid a number of painstaking steps and can yield fresh pork rinds in as little as 5 minutes!
Even better, our pop-at-home pork rinds undergo a proprietary smoking, curing, and rendering process that produces a much better taste than other options.
The secret preparation is said to give our pork rinds an extra crunchy, smoky bite that is missing from other pork skins.
We didn’t cut any corners with these chicharrones, which means you can! They're antibiotic free, keto and paleo friendly, carnivore, and dang good! Take a look at how easy our pop-at-home pork rinds (chicharrones) recipe is to cook in an air fryer.
5 minutes
2 servings per batch
30 minutes
2 servings per batch
If you were to make pork rinds from scratch though, first you will need to buy pork skin from your local butcher (or international markets if not available locally). Regular pork rinds have no fat attached unlike pork cracklings. However, if you can't find pork skin, another option is to buy pork belly with the skin on it and separate the skin yourself with a sharp knife. It is recommended to trim excess lard off the skin.
Second step is to carefully cut pork skin into bite sized pieces. Place the skin pieces on baking sheet (you can also use parchment paper for easy cleaning). Bake at low temperature until dried, crispy, and golden. You can remove and drain remaining fat from the skins with the help of paper towels.
Next step is to deep fry your homemade chicharrones to make them even crispier and puff! Fry them up in small batches in hot oil. Depending on your choice, you can also use previously rendered lard or another heat-safe oil such as coconut oil or peanut oil (unless you have nuts allergy). Avoid olive oil as it's not safe for high heat. You can use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked pork skin batch which will allow the excess oil to drip off. Repeat until you fry all the remaining pork skins.
Now it's the time for seasoning! Although the main seasoning is just salt, this can vary depending on recipes you use or simply your taste buds! Common seasonings are pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cajun, or onion powder. Just make sure to season them while hot because the residual oil will make the seasonings stick and taste delicious. Voila, your homemade pork rinds are ready to munch on!
Store leftover pork skin chips in the fridge in an airtight container.
When it comes to making keto-friendly pork rinds, there is no wrong answer. Both methods will produce a delicious, crunchy paleo snack with around 7g of collagen protein, monounsaturated fat, and low carbohydrates.
Most keto enthusiasts are strapped for time and want fresh-cooked pork rinds fast. That’s why our ready-to-cook pork rinds are air-fryer compatible, shelf stable, and cook a single serving within minutes inside of your trusty air fryer.
Don’t have an air fryer or a bunch of frying oil? Our cook-at-home pork rinds can also be made in the oven. Just drop ‘em on a tray and cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-7 minutes. Keep a close eye on you delicious keto snack and remove once the pork rinds are fully expanded and golden brown!
Lastly, don't skimp on the seasoning. Original pork rinds are just fine, but why stop there? We've come up with a bunch of seasoning ideas that you need to try. Our favorite? PorkRinds.com's "Ranch Adjacent" seasoning recipe.