Pork grinds

Pork Rinds Vs Chicharrones: What's The Difference?

NEWS

By HILARY WHEELAN REMLEY

Pork rinds
Pork rinds are pieces of pork skin that have been boiled and rendered of all fat, then fired, baked, or roasted to produce a puffed-up snack product.
Chicharrones on a plate
Chicharrones have a similar flavor, but while pork rinds only consist of pig skin, chicharrones can also include pieces of fat and meat, making them meatier than pork rinds.
Chicharrones in bowls
However, chicharrones do not always include these bits of meat or fat. They are not bound to include them because chicharrones are more varied in their preparation methods.
Crispy pork rinds
Another key difference is that sometimes — though not often — chicharrones are made from proteins other than pork, such as beef, mutton, sheep, and even chicken.
A bag of chicharrones on a table
Although pork rinds and chicharrones aren't interchangeable, they are very similar. If prepared without fat or meat, chicharrones can be identical to pork rinds.