Homemade pork rinds are easy to bake in the oven. They are salty, crunchy, and savory- the perfect low-carb solution for a snack attack!
These homemade chicharrones are so good and so easy to make! I make this recipe whenever I get a chance to visit the local Hispanic market, where I can buy pork skin. It's a great way to make the tough skin of a pig edible and use the entire animal. I use skin with a little bit of fat still attached. I enjoy the combination of crispy skin and chewy fat.
Ingredients
You'll need three ingredients to make this recipe. See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on the ingredients.
Raw pork skin: It's not available in U.S. supermarkets. If you have a Hispanic market nearby, you should be able to find it there. Another option is to buy skin-on pork belly and use a sharp knife to remove the skin, as I do in the photo below:
The third option is to order pig skin online. The last time I made this recipe, I ordered it at Vincent's Meat Market. It came rolled in a vacuum package, as shown in this image:
After you open the package and unroll it, this is what it looks like:
Unlike the skin I get at the Hispanic market, Vincent's skin has almost no fat attached to it, so there's no need to trim it.
Olive oil cooking spray: I love the taste of olive oil. And while its smoke point is fairly low, in this recipe, we're using low heat, so it shouldn't be an issue.
Kosher salt: I highly recommend using Diamond Crystal kosher salt in this recipe. Fine salt will not be as good. You can use up to two teaspoons. If using any other salt (including other brands of kosher salt), use just one teaspoon.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
You start by cutting the pork skin into bite-sized pieces. You'll need a sharp knife. If the skin has a thick layer of fat attached to it, trim it, but don't remove it completely. It's super tasty!
Arrange the skin pieces on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, skin-side up and fat-side down. Spray them with olive oil and sprinkle them with kosher salt.
Bake the pork skin chips at 325°F until golden and crispy. Depending on your oven, this should take 1.5 - 2 hours. For the best flavor and texture, it's important to let the pieces cool completely before enjoying them. I place them skin-side up on paper towels and allow them to cool for about 20 minutes. They will continue to crisp up as they cool, and their flavor will greatly improve.
Made this several times, love the crunch and the extra fat on the skin. Great snack for a keto diet. No sugar or carbs!
King James
Read more comments
Made this several times, love the crunch and the extra fat on the skin. Great snack for a keto diet. No sugar or carbs!Recipe Tips
- Be liberal with the oil and salt. I start with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, but sometimes I go up to two teaspoons. The salt greatly enhances the flavor of the chips.
- While you might be tempted to bake chicharrones for a shorter time in a hotter oven, keeping the oven nice and low and baking them for about two hours is key to the success of this recipe.
- Don't expect the light and puffy texture of commercial pork rinds. These are more like cracklins.
Serving Suggestions
Chicharrones are excellent all on their own. They're also very good when dipped into any of the following:
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Sour cream dip
- Greek yogurt dip
- Cream cheese dip
- Baked brie
- Cheese fondue
I also use them to scoop out chunky dips like spinach artichoke dip, pimento cheese, and pizza dip.
Storage
Unlike the store-bought snack, homemade pork rinds should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. I don't recommend keeping them at room temperature.
I usually keep them in the fridge in a glass food storage container (as shown in the image below) for about five days and find that they stay delicious for that long. Although they're good right out of the fridge, it's best to remove them from the fridge about 30 minutes before enjoying them.
Recipe Card
Homemade Pork Rinds Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound raw pork skin
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the pork skin into bite-size pieces. If the skin has a thick layer of lard attached to it, trim some of the fat, but don't go nuts about it - it's OK and very tasty to leave a thin layer of fat attached to the skin.
- Arrange the pieces on the prepared baking sheet, skin side up and fat side down, in a single layer. Make sure they don't touch each other.
- Generously spray the pork skin squares with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt.
- Bake until crispy and golden. Depending on your oven and the pieces' thickness, this should take between 1.5 and 2 hours, but please start checking after an hour. When overbaked, they become hard. The photo should give you an idea of what they look like when they are ready.
- Transfer the chicharrones to paper towels, skin side up, and allow them to cool for at least 20 minutes before enjoying them. They greatly improve in taste and texture after they cool.
Notes
- When calculating the nutrition info for this recipe, I used the widely available nutrition info for commercial deep-fried pork rinds.
- I season these delicious snacks very simply, with just kosher salt. But you can add more seasonings, including black pepper, paprika (or smoked paprika), ground cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder. You can use ¼ teaspoon of black pepper and ½ teaspoon of any other seasoning.
- If using Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, you can use up to two teaspoons. If using any other salt, stick with one teaspoon. Here's why.
- Unlike the store-bought snack, homemade pork rinds should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. I don't recommend keeping them at room temperature. I usually keep them in the fridge for about five days and find that they stay delicious for that long. Although they're good right out of the fridge, it's best to remove them from the fridge about 30 minutes before enjoying them.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
mh says
Wonderful recipe. They came out wonderful and I ate too much......
Vered DeLeeuw says
Haha of course you did! I do too, every time. 🙂