Can You Eat Pork Rinds on the Carnivore Diet?

What Are Pork Rinds?

Pork rinds, also known as chicharrones, are a popular snack made by frying pieces of pig skin until they are crispy and golden brown.

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

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

If you’re on the Carnivore Diet or are considering starting it, you may ask, “Can you eat pork rinds on the Carnivore Diet?”.

Can You Eat Pork Rinds on the Carnivore Diet?

You can use pork rinds on the Carnivore Diet because they are a good source of protein and fat with very low levels of carbohydrates.

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.

Why? Because the main goal of this diet is to push the body into a ketosis state, in which the body burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates.

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.

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, but that’s not all.

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, and
• Support Ketosis.

Supporting 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 Carnivore [2].

Promoting 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].

Supporting 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 producing new collagen fibrils in the skin [7].

Providing Anti-inflammatory Features

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

Supporting Ketosis

Pork rinds are low in carbohydrates, which makes them compatible with low-carb diets like Keto and Carnivore. 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 to enjoy these benefits, you need to learn and use various recipes given below. Also, you can find many low-carb recipes by checking these Carnivore Diet recipes.

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:

• 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

1. Put a layer of pork rinds on a baking tray.
2. Season them with BBQ sauce, then cover with cheese.
3. Put the tray under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until the cheese melts and the pork becomes hot.
4. Top with a drizzle of crema sauce or sour cream.
5. Enjoy!

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

1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees.
2. Grease a pizza pan or baking sheet with butter.
3. Mix cream cheese, eggs, crushed pork rinds, and shredded cheese in a bowl.
4. Place the mixture on the greased pan.
5. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
6. Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes.
7. Top with sugar-free pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and your favorite toppings.
8. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the sauce and cheese are melted.
9. Enjoy!

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

1. Mix the egg and heavy cream in a bowl.
2. Mix the parmesan cheese and pork rind crumbs on a plate.
3. Heat the oil in a 10-inch or larger skillet.
4. Dip each cutlet into the egg mixture, then dredge it through the cheese mixture.
5. Place the cutlet into the oil and fry it for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown.
6. Enjoy!

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

1. Mix cream cheese, eggs, and pork rinds in a blender or food processor until smooth.
2. Add water and blend again.
3. Add more water if the mixture is too thick until it reaches the consistency of pancake batter.
4. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Scoop about 3 tbsp of the batter into the pan and spread it thinly.
5. Cook the first side for about a minute until it starts browning. Carefully flip and cook the other side for another minute.
6. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining batter.
7. Enjoy!

To use pork rinds in these recipes, you must choose the best Carnivore pork rinds from reliable brands that use high-quality ingredients.

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).

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 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.

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).

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.

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 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).

You might wonder if pork rinds, with their various flavors and rich nutritional value, count as meat or can be a meat substitute.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.