Can You Eat Pork Rinds on the Carnivore Diet? (2024)

Highlights

What Are Pork Rinds?

Pork rinds, also known as chicharrones, are a popular snack made from pig skin that has been fried and crispy. To make pork rinds, the skin is taken from a pig, cut into pieces, and then fried.

One of the main appeals of pork rinds is their nutritional profile. Unlike many other snack foods, pork rinds are packed with protein while being very low in carbohydrates. It makes them a good option for those following low-carb diets like Keto and Carnivore Diets.

Pork rinds have a savory and salty flavor and they also can be seasoned with many ingredients like chili powder, vinegar, and barbecue seasoning.

If you’re on the Carnivore Diet, you may want to know, “Can you eat pork rinds on Carnivore Diet”. Well, the answer is yes, because pork rinds are a good source of protein and fat with very low levels of carbohydrates.

Can You Eat Pork Rinds on the Carnivore Diet?

The Carnivore Diet focuses on animal-based foods like meat, fish, eggs, and animal-based fats and oils with high levels of fat and low levels of carbohydrates. Plant-based foods are eliminated from this diet.

Pork rinds fit perfectly into the Carnivore Diet guidelines because they are rendered and fried pork skins, contain no plant ingredients, and are 100% animal-based.

Additionally, the nutritional profile of pork rinds aligns well with Carnivore Diet principles. They are high in protein and fat while being low in carbohydrates.

The table below summarizes the nutrients in 100 grams of pork rinds [1].

This rich nutrition profile has many health benefits for skin health and muscle growth.

Learn More: The Carnivore Diet: Is it Healthy? Benefits and Side Effects

The Benefits of Eating Pork Rinds

Pork rinds can help

• Support Muscle Maintenance and Growth
• Promote Satiety
• Support Skin Health
• Provide Anti-inflammatory Features
• Support Ketosis

Support Muscle Maintenance and Growth

The high protein content of pork rinds can help provide the amino acids needed to maintain and build muscle mass on a low-carb diet like the Carnivore Diet [2].

Promote Satiety

Protein and fat in pork rinds can increase feelings of satiety and fullness, which can help in appetite control and prevent overeating. When protein is consumed, it releases hormones like cholecystokinin, peptide YY, and glucagon-like peptide 1 which signal satiety to the brain [3][4].

Also, fat increases satiety through different mechanisms. Fats take longer to digest, which prolongs feelings of fullness. Fats also trigger the release of satiety hormones like cholecystokinin [5].

Support Skin Health

As we get older, our body's natural collagen production decreases, which leads to drier skin, the formation of lines and wrinkles, and loss of firmness. Pork rinds can help improve skin elasticity, health, and aging as a source of collagen protein [6].

Also, the amino acids in collagen like glycine and proline are important building blocks for the production of new collagen fibrils in the skin [7].

Provide Anti-inflammatory Features

The high glycine content of collagen proteins found in pork rinds can have anti-inflammatory effects on the body [8].

Support Ketosis

Pork rinds are low in carbohydrates, which makes them compatible with low-carb diets like Keto and Carnivore Diet. Eating low-carb and high-fat foods like pork rinds can help maintain ketosis, a metabolic state where the body burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates [9].

So, if you like to have pork rinds in your Carnivore Diet, there are many recipes that you can learn and use. Also, you can find many low-carb recipes by checking these Carnivore Diet recipes.

Carnivore Transformation Results

Best Ways to Eat Pork Rinds

Here are 5 best Carnivore pork rinds recipes to add pork rinds to your Carnivore meals:

• Chicharrones (Pork Rind) Nachos
• Pork Rind Pizza Crust
• Keto Schnitzel
• Pork Rind Tortillas
• Low Carb Squash Casserole

Chicharrones (Pork Rind) Nachos

Chicharrones (pork rind) nachos are a crunchy and flavorful low-carb recipe for traditional nachos.

Ingredients

• 10 oz. pork rinds
• 1/2 onion
• 3/4 cup pickled jalapenos
• 3/4 cup BBQ sauce
• 4 oz. Mexican-style cheese
• 1 avocado
• 2 tbsp of crema or sour cream

Instructions

• Put a layer of pork rinds on a baking tray. Then add onions and pickled jalapenos on top.
• Season everything with BBQ sauce over it all, then cover with cheese.
• Put the tray under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until the cheese melts and the pork is hot.
• Top with fresh jalapeno slices, fresh avocado, and a drizzle of crema sauce.
• Enjoy!

Pork Rind Pizza Crust

Pork rind pizza crust is a creative and delicious low-carb dish that combines the flavors of pizza and pork rinds into one snack.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 cups shredded Italian blend cheese
• 1 cup crushed pork rinds

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 220 degrees. Grease a pizza pan or baking sheet.
• Mix the cream cheese, eggs, garlic powder, crushed pork rinds, and shredded cheeses in a bowl.
• Place the mixture on the prepared pan.
• Place the crust in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Then let rest for 10 minutes.
• Top with sugar-free pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and your favorite toppings. Return to the oven and bake until the sauce and cheese are melted.
• Enjoy!

Keto Schnitzel

Keto schnitzel is a low-carb and grain-free version of the classic German breaded and fried cutlet dish.

Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp heavy cream
• ¾ cup parmesan cheese
• ½ cup pork rind crumbs
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 cup avocado oil
• 4 chicken cutlets
• 1 cup sauerkraut
• 1/4 lemon
• 1 tbsp minced parsley for topping

Instructions

• Mix the egg and heavy cream in a bowl.
• Mix the parmesan cheese and pork rind dust 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!

Pork Rind Tortillas

Here are the ingredients and instructions to make Pork rind tortillas.

Ingredients

• 4 oz. pork rinds
• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese
• 8 eggs
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tbsp granulated garlic
• 1 tbsp ground cumin

Instructions

• Put pork rinds into a food processor for about 10 seconds.
• Add all other ingredients to the food processor and blitz for about 45 more seconds. Until you have a smooth batter.
• Preheat an electric griddle to high.
• Spray the cooking surface with a little spray oil and pour 1/3 cup of batter onto the griddle.
• Gently spread the batter as thin as you can with a rubber spatula and cook for about 2 minutes until golden brown.
• Flip the tortilla and continue to cook for about 45 more seconds.
• Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Low Carb Squash Casserole

To make a low-carb squash casserole, you only need the following ingredients and instructions.

Ingredients

• 2 yellow squash
• 8 ounces mushrooms
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 8 ounce cream cheese
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 2 cups cheddar cheese
• 1 cup pork rinds

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 170 degrees and spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
• Heat olive oil, add mushrooms, and cook In a large skillet.
• Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and garlic powder in a large bowl,
• Transfer the mixture to the casserole dish and spread evenly.
• Top casserole with shredded cheese and pork rinds.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

To use pork rinds in these recipes, you must choose the Best Carnivore pork rinds from reliable like J. Lee's and Pepe’s El brands with high-quality ingredients.

The 5 Best Pork Rinds

Here are the top 5 best Carnivore pork rinds to buy. They are selected based on brand reputation, product features, and overall customer reviews.

• 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 flavor that tastes sweet and spicy. Southern Recipe Small Batch seasons their pork rinds with hot peppers, vinegar, and garlic for lots of flavor. These pork rinds are gluten-free and high in protein. They also have 30-40% less sodium than regular pork rinds. The pork rinds are crispy and the pieces are big. Every bite has a satisfying crunch and texture.

The table below shows the nutritional values of Korean Kimchi BBQ Fried Pork Rinds per ½ oz. (14 g).

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. These chicharrones have no gluten and low carbs, which is good for low-carb diets.

Pepe’s El Original’s nutritional values in 1 ½ oz. (14 g) are provided in the table below.

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. The BBQ Flavored is seasoned with a bit of red pepper and tastes a little like bacon.

Here are its nutritional values in ½ oz. (14 g).

Utz Pork Rinds Barrel

UTZ sells big barrels of pork rinds with over 36 servings which are a good option for parties or if you don't want to run out. UTZ also makes plain pork rinds without seasoning.

The barrels are affordable, but the lower price means the quality, texture, and taste may not be as good as other brands.

Here are Utz Pork Rinds Barrel’s nutritional values in ½ oz. (14 g).

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 use natural ingredients and are gluten-free, so they can replace regular chips as a snack. The seasonings make Field Trip's pork rinds stand out, but the flavors have a special taste to more familiar pork rind flavors on the market.

Here are the nutritional values of Field Trip Crispy Cuts Pork Rinds in ½ oz. (14 g).

Although pork rinds are pig’s byproduct and may taste like meat, but they can’t be classified as meat.

Are Pork Rinds 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.

Pork bacon and chicken skin are two alternatives for pork rinds that you can use in recipes but they are different in some features, like taste and texture.

Learn More: What Is The Best Meat Dehydrator for Jerky? The 5 Best for Home

Pork Rinds vs. Pork Bacon

Pork rinds and pork bacon are two popular 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.

Pork Rinds vs. Chicken Skin

Pork rinds and chicken skin are both made from the skin of an animal and they have many differences.

Summary

In conclusion, the answer to the question “Can you eat pork rinds on Carnivore Diet?” is yes, because of pork rind’s good nutritional profile.

Since pork rinds are 100% animal-based and contain high levels of fat and low levels of carbohydrates, they can be added to the Carnivore Diet and other low-carb diets.