If you are on the keto diet and are craving a crispy snack to quest your salt craving without getting kicked out of ketosis, nothing beats pork rinds. They are a tasty snack that is high in protein, moderate in fats, and low in carbs, making them one of the best keto-friendly snack.
They are a healthier alternative to potato chips or tortilla chips while on keto. Almost 300 Million Americans eat potato chips in 2020. The crunchiness and saltiness make chips truly addictive, The good news is with pork rinds you don’t have to give up your crunchy and salty treats when you go keto.
What are pork rinds?
Before we get into the best pork rinds for keto, we have to define, for those who don’t know what they are what exactly are pork rinds.
Pork Rinds are basically the skin of a pig. Before you vomit with disgust, remember pork rinds have been a delicacy for many years and are a crunchy salty, and delicious treat.
You can find these treats in different flavors and varieties in most grocery stores. This makes choosing the best pork rinds for the keto diet challenging. That’s why we compiled the list of the best pork rinds you can eat while on the ketogenic diet.
How are pork rinds made?
Pork rinds aren’t easily made from home, that’s why most people purchase pork rinds from retail stores. The first step is to boil the pork skin and then cut into small bite sizes called pellets. The Skin pig pellets are then cooled down before being baked in an oven on low heat for several hours.
The next step is to deep fry the pork skins which results in the crunchy pork rinds we all love. Pork rinds can be deep-fried in coconut oil, peanut oil, canola oil, vegetable oils, or olive oil.
The final step is to season, sea salt, Chilli, black pepper, and onion powder are commonly used in flavoring pork rinds
Are pork rinds keto?
No, Not all Brands of Pork Rinds are Keto-friendly some manufacturers use filler ingredients, sugars, or even starches in manufacturing their pork rinds. Therefore I recommend you check the label for a list of ingredients and nutritional information if you are on keto.
Traditional pork rinds are however keto friendly since they are low in carbs, and contain a high amount of fats and proteins which help with satiety and weight loss compared to a potato chip which causes a spike in blood sugar leading to sugar cravings.
List Of the Best Pork Rinds for the keto diet
Better Made Flavored Pork Rinds
This crunchy snack is available in different flavors; Regular pork rinds, BBQ Pork rinds, Salt & vinegar pork rinds, and Hot & spicy pork. However, the original flavor remains the favorite of many people, im not surprised as the original Better-made pork rinds are really delicious. You can find these on amazon packaged in 2.5 oz bags for $29.99.
A bag has 2 servings of 15g each, and 160 calories. A serving of this pork rind has 0g of carbs, 9g of proteins, and 5g of fat making them perfect for any low carb diet such as keto or paleo. However, they contain about 270mg of sodium per serving which is relatively high compared to The American heart association’s recommended daily intake of 2300mg.
Baken Ets Hot & Spicy Fried Pork Skin
Are the perfect choice for keto dieters who like their pork rinds spicy. This is a delicious keto snack you should definitely try out. According to the packaging, they are flavored fried pork skin colored with paprika. You can find them at your local grocery store or you can buy them online from amazon here.
Baken Ets Fried Pork rinds are packed in 0.625 oz pack and are available in two flavors; traditional and hot & spicy. They are low in carbs making them perfect keto snack and otter low carb diets.
A pack of Baken Ets fried pork skin has 100 calories, 6g of total fat with 0g of saturated fat, 9grams of protein, and zero carbs. However, this salty snack contains a high amount of sodium at 280mg.
Pork King Good Pork Rinds
They boast of being the best-tasting pork rinds and can be found in six flavors. Pink salt & vinegar, white cheddar, Nacho cheddar, onion & sour cream, salted butter, and pizza. They are packed in 1.7 oz sachets, you can find a 6-variety pack on amazon for $20.99.
The company behind the brand is owned by a woman from Ohio who is not only passionate about pork rinds but also has achieved and maintained a 100lb weight loss by following the keto diet.
Pork King Pork rinds are fried in their own animal fat before being flavored, they have 0g of carbs and 32g of protein per bag making them perfect for any low-carb diet.
Pork King Good Pork Rinds Breadcrumbs
While technically this isn’t a pork rind. These pork rinds breadcrumbs can be used in many keto-friendly recipes as a low carb breadcrumb substitute, you don’t have to spend time crushing pork rinds to make keto-friendly bread crumbs
EPIC BBQ Pork Rinds
Epic pork rinds are offered in 5 flavors; Sea Salt & Pepper Chili Lime, BBQ, Pink Himalayan Sea Salt, and Crackling Maple Bacon.
They are the perfect low-carb snack as they are low in carbs and high in protein. We love all these flavors and why choose when you can get them all. You can buy a variety pack from amazon at $26.99.
They are packaged in a 2.5oz bag. According to the packaging, these pork rinds don’t contain any antibiotics.
Mac’s Salt & Pepper Pork Skins
If you are the kind that likes trying unique flavors you should go with Mac’s brands of Pork rinds. They have three flavors available in most convenient stores, these are; Original. Bar-b-q and salt and vinegar
The mac’s pork skins come packaged in a 1oz (28.3g) sachet which contains two serving of pork rinds per bag. They also have 80 calories, 0g of carbs, 7 grams of protein, and 5g of fats in a single serving. They are also gluten-free, U.S.A inspected and passed by the department of agriculture. You can buy a variety pack online at Walmart for $5.98
Golden Flake Sweet Heat Barbecue
These are manufactured by Utz Brands inc. The company has been around for over a century and started out as UTZ potato chips inc. Today the brand is responsible for multiple snack brands including Utz®, ON, and Golden Flake®, among others.
The Golden flake Sweet Heat Barbecue is my favorite from the company they taste the best. The golden flake brand has three keto-friendly varieties; Old Fashioned, Barbecue, Sweet Heat Barbecue
You can buy The Golden Flake variety pack online from amazon for about $18.99
Field Trip Pork Rinds Island BBQ
These are the perfect keto snacks for the road, They are tasty and crunchy with a healthy amount of protein with low amounts of sodium compared to other popular pork rinds on this list. The island BBQ pork rinds are my favorite but two other varieties exist; Parmesan Peppercorn and Sweet Chipotle
I find all flavors tasty and would recommend you get a variety pack online. You can find a 3-pack variety pack on Amazon for about $26.99. Field Trip rinds are also referred to as crispy cuts pork rinds.
UTZ Pork Rinds
Another pork rind from UTZ Brands Inc , this pork rind is perfect for people that love classic snacks with no artificial flavors. This southern recipe is a delicious snack and contains healthy proteins and fats recommended on the keto diet.
They are rated 4.4 stars out of five on Amazon, according to the reviews, the pork rinds taste great, are fresh, and are mildly flavored. You can buy an 18 oz jar on Amazon for around $11.79. According to the packaging, the only two simple ingredients used in making these rinds are salt and fried plain pork rinds.
4505 Meats Fried Pork Rinds
These Pork Rinds are made from the pig skin from the belly and back area. The fat is removed in the cooking and frying process resulting in an airy snack that melts in your mouth. They are available in flavors; Jalapeno Cheddar, Sea Salt, En Fuego, Smokehouse BBQ, and Classic Chili
They are packaged in 2.5-ounce sachets which you can buy on amazon. Each Pack contains 5 servings, the rinds contain 0g of carbs and 7g of proteins per serving. According to the manufacturer these Pork Rinds are made from humanely grown pigs that are hormone-free and raised in a stress-free environment. They are also naturally gluten-free, keto and paleo certified.
Southern Recipe Sunflower Fried Pork Rinds
Southern Recipe is one of the largest pork rinds manufacturers. They produce different pork rinds brands with different varieties and flavors; Korean Kimchi BBQ and Sea Salt Cracked Black Pepper.
They are packed in a 25g sachet that has 1g of net carbs and 160 calories. These pork rinds are fried with sunflower oil, a healthier option as compared to vegetable oil. This low-carb snack is also gluten-free. You can buy them online on amazon.
Southern Recipe has other pork rinds product line commonly referred to as small batches; baked pork rinds and pork cracklings. The difference between pork rinds and pork crackings is that pork cracklings are fried pork skins with the fat still attached. Their baked pork rinds brand has 3 flavors; while their pork crackling product line has 2 flavors; Honey Chiptole and Cuban mojo.
