The Best Ways to Eat Pork Rinds
Here are 4 best Carnivore pork rinds recipes to help you include pork rinds in your Carnivore meals:
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- Chicharrones (Pork Rind) Nachos
- Pork Rind Pizza Crust
- Carnivore Schnitzel
- Pork Rind Tortillas
Chicharrones (Pork Rind) Nachos
Chicharrones (pork rind) nachos are a crunchy and flavorful low-carb recipe for traditional nachos.
Ingredients
- 10 oz. pork rinds
- 4 oz. Mexican-style cheese
- 2 tbsp of crema or sour cream
- 3/4 cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Put a layer of pork rinds on a baking tray.
- Season them with BBQ sauce, then cover with cheese.
- Put the tray under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until the cheese melts and the pork becomes hot.
- Top with a drizzle of crema sauce or sour cream.
- Enjoy!
Learn More: The Carnivore Diet and Fruits: Can I Eat Fruits on Carnivore?
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Pork Rind Pizza Crust
Pork rind pizza crust is a delicious low-carb dish that combines the flavors of pizza and pork rinds into one meal.
Ingredients
- 1 cup crushed pork rinds
- 4 large eggs
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded Italian blend cheese
- 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220 degrees.
- Grease a pizza pan or baking sheet with butter.
- Mix cream cheese, eggs, crushed pork rinds, and shredded cheese in a bowl.
- Place the mixture on the greased pan.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Top with sugar-free pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and your favorite toppings.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake until the sauce and cheese are melted.
- Enjoy!
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Learn More: Can I Have Mayonnaise on Carnivore? How to Make It?
American Heart Association (AHA):
"Pork rinds are high in saturated fats and sodium, which can contribute to cardiovascular risk factors if consumed in large quantities. Those following any diet should be mindful of these components."
Carnivore Schnitzel
Carnivore schnitzel is a low-carb and grain-free version of the classic German breaded and fried cutlet dish.
Ingredients
- ½ cup pork rind crumbs
- 4 chicken cutlets
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Mix the egg and heavy cream in a bowl.
- Mix the parmesan cheese and pork rind crumbs on a plate.
- Heat the oil in a 10-inch or larger skillet.
- Dip each cutlet into the egg mixture, then dredge it through the cheese mixture.
- Place the cutlet into the oil and fry it for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown.
- Enjoy!
Learn More: Can You Have Coconut Water on the Carnivore Diet?
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Pork Rind Tortillas
Here are the ingredients and instructions to make Pork rind tortillas.
Ingredients
- 4 oz. pork rinds
- 8 eggs
- 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Mix cream cheese, eggs, and pork rinds in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- Add water and blend again.
- Add more water if the mixture is too thick until it reaches the consistency of pancake batter.
- Heat the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Scoop about 3 tbsp of the batter into the pan and spread it thinly.
- Cook the first side for about a minute until it starts browning. Carefully flip and cook the other side for another minute.
- Repeat the cooking process with the remaining batter.
- Enjoy!
To use pork rinds in these recipes, you must choose the best Carnivore pork rinds from reliable brands that use high-quality ingredients.
Learn More: Can You Freeze Liverwurst? For How Long?
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The 5 Best Pork Rinds Brands
Here are the top 5 best Carnivore pork rinds to buy. They are selected based on brand reputation, product features, and overall customer reviews.
To easily access the best pork rinds, you click on the following product links to view them on Amazon so you can see more details and purchase them online.
- Korean Kimchi BBQ Fried Pork Rinds
- Pepe’s El Original
- J. Lee's Pork Rinds
- Utz Pork Rinds Barrel
- Field Trip Crispy Cuts Pork Rinds
Korean Kimchi BBQ Fried Pork Rinds
Korean kimchi is a tasty pork rind that tastes sweet and spicy. Southern Recipe Small Batch seasons their pork rinds with hot peppers, vinegar, and garlic for lots of flavor.
These gluten-free pork rinds are high in protein and have 30-40% less sodium than regular pork rinds. The table below shows the nutritional values of Korean Kimchi BBQ Fried Pork Rinds per ½ oz. (14 g).
Calories | 70 kcal |
Fat |
4.5 g |
Carbohydrates |
1 g |
Protein |
8 g |
Cholesterol |
15 mg |
Pepe’s El Original
Pork rinds were a popular Mexican snack before becoming popular in the US. In Mexico, they're called chicharrones and are known for their satisfying crunch. Pepe's El Original pork rinds taste like traditional Mexican chicharrones with traditional habanero and Chile y Limon flavors.
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These chicharrones have no gluten and are low in carbohydrates, so they are good options for low-carb diets.
Pepe’s El Original’s nutritional values in 1 ½ oz. (14 g) are provided in the table below.
Calories | 70 kcal |
Fat |
4.5 g |
Carbohydrates |
1 g |
Protein |
8 g |
Cholesterol |
15 mg |
J. Lee's Pork Rinds
If you like the raw taste of pork rinds with no extra flavor, Lee’s Pig Skins can be a good choice. Lee's provides pork rinds for people who like the natural pork taste with little seasoning so you can taste the real pork skin flavor.
J. Lee's BBQ pork rinds are seasoned with a bit of red pepper and taste a little like bacon. Here are its nutritional values in ½ oz. (14 g).
Calories | 80 kcal |
Fat |
4 g |
Carbohydrates |
0 g |
Protein |
9 g |
Cholesterol |
300 mg |
Utz Pork Rinds Barrel
Utz sells big barrels of pork rinds with over 36 servings, which are a good option for parties. Utz also makes plain pork rinds without seasoning.
The barrels are affordable, but the lower price compared to other brands in the same size means the quality, texture, and taste may not be as good as other brands.
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Here are Utz Pork Rinds Barrel’s nutritional values in ½ oz. (14 g).
Calories | 80 kcal |
Fat |
5 g |
Carbohydrates |
0 g |
Protein |
8 g |
Cholesterol |
15 mg |
Field Trip Crispy Cuts Pork Rinds
Field Trip provides crispy pork rinds seasoned with different spices and herbs. They have flavors like Sweet Island BBQ, Sweet Chipotle, and Parmesan Peppercorn.
Field Trip's pork rinds are gluten-free and made with natural ingredients that make them a healthier and tastier snack than regular chips.
Here are the nutritional values of Field Trip Crispy Cuts Pork Rinds in ½ oz. (14 g).
Calories | 80 kcal |
Fat |
5 g |
Carbohydrates |
1 g |
Protein |
7 g |
Cholesterol |
15 mg |
You might wonder if pork rinds, with their various flavors and rich nutritional value, count as meat or can be a meat substitute.
Learn More: Can You Freeze Braunschweiger? How Long Can You Store It?
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Are Pork Rinds Meat?
Although pork rinds are pig’s byproduct and may taste like meat, they can’t be classified as meat.
Meat is defined as the flesh or muscle tissue of an animal used as food. So, pork rinds are not considered meat because they are made from pork skins, which are the outer layer of skin from a pig.
While pork skins come from pigs and are an animal product, they do not contain any actual muscle tissue from the animal.
Another rich source of meat that has a high value in the Carnivore Diet is pork bacon, which is more suitable for the Carnivore diet than pork rinds because of more fat and fewer carbohydrates.
Pork rinds and pork bacon have many similar features but there are also differences. The comparison table in the following section can help you decide which one is more suitable for you.
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Pork Rinds vs. Pork Bacon
Pork bacon is a rich source of fat and protein with very low levels of carbohydrates, so it is a good choice for Carnivore meals. Pork rinds and pork bacon are pork-based snacks with savory flavors and crunchy textures.
However, there are differences between these two products in their nutritional values, production methods, and overall features.
Feature | Pork Rinds | Pork Bacon |
Main Ingredient |
Rendered pork skin |
Cured and smoked pork belly |
Production Method |
Pork skins are fried or deep-fried |
Pork belly is cured with salt/smoke and cooked |
Texture |
Puffy, crispy, and light |
Crispy and chewy |
Flavor |
Salty, savory |
Smoky, salty, savory |
Fat (in 100 g) |
32 g |
37.1 g |
Carbohydrates (in 100 g) |
4 g |
0 g |
Cooking Method |
Pre-cooked, ready-to-eat |
Needs to be cooked before eating |
Shelf-Stability |
Long shelf-life |
Shorter shelf-life, needs refrigeration |
Another animal skin that aligns well with Carnivore Diet principles is chicken skin. It has a rich nutrition profile and can be baked and seasoned easily.
Learn More: What Is Hog Head Cheese? What Is It Made of?
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Pork Rinds vs. Chicken Skin
Both pork rinds and chicken skin are made from the skin of an animal and can be consumed in the Carnivore Diet, but they have many differences.
Feature | Pork Rinds | Chicken Skin |
Main Ingredient |
Rendered pork skin |
Chicken skin |
Production Method |
Pork skins are fried or deep-fried |
Chicken skin is baked or fried |
Texture |
Puffy, crispy, and light |
Crispy and crackly |
Flavor |
Salty, savory |
Savory |
Fat (in 100 g) |
32 g |
40.34 g |
Carbohydrates (in 100 g) |
4 g |
0 g |
Cooking Method |
Pre-cooked, ready-to-eat |
Needs to be cooked before eating |
Shelf-Stability |
Long shelf-life |
Shorter shelf-life, needs refrigeration |
Summary
In conclusion, the answer to the question “Can you eat pork rinds on the Carnivore Diet?” is yes, because of the pork rind’s rich nutritional profile with high fat and low carbohydrates.
Since pork rinds are 100% animal-based, they can be added to the Carnivore Diet and other low-carb diets. But if you want to include pork rinds in your diet, it’s best to eat them in moderation because eating them frequently can cause weight gain and high blood pressure, which are two factors that can increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease.