The Crunchy Pork Snack That Belongs In Your Salads

Salads often get a bad rap for being boring, but with limitless ingredient combinations, it's time to put that myth to bed. From warm quinoa salads to mayo-based medleys, a salad can be as adventurous and unconventional as your tastebuds desire. Although Ron Swanson might assert that salads are better suited for rabbits, he's never had one topped with crispy, umami-blasted pork rinds.

Pork rinds are well-seasoned and deep-fried or oven-roasted pig skins. Sold in chip bags and typically enjoyed as a snack, pork rinds can turn a boring salad into a crunchy, savory, totally upgraded masterpiece. Flaunting a puffy, airy, and crumbly texture, pork rinds complement the tender and delicate quality of veggies and imbue a meaty taste for a more complex mouthfeel and flavor. 

It's not just veggies that can benefit from pork rinds. Despite their bold flavor, the taste marries well with many other salad provisions, ensuring that you never have to omit or compromise on your favorite fixings. And, because many varieties are dusted in a fiery, tangy, umami-forward spice blend, pork rinds double as a seasoning agent.

For a heartier, more substantial bite, you can also use you can also use chicharrones. While the term chicharrones is often used interchangeably with pork rinds, the former sometimes includes layers of meat and fat for added richness alongside the crispy skin.

Pork rinds are a great topping or crouton substitute for many types of salads, but with so many potential combinations, it can be hard to know where to start. Pork rinds are perfect for adding heft to lighter salads. They can provide a smoky, savory dimension to the fresh and creamy essence of a Caesar salad or transform an average house salad with an uppercut of meaty machismo. For an ultra-satiating dish, use pork rinds to bolster the savory notes of a Cobb salad. Or, try them in a fried chicken–crowned romaine salad garnished with cajun-spiced pork rinds.

Don't limit yourself, either, as pork rinds are especially great companions to seared fish, roasted corn, tangy pickled produce, creamy avocado, and sharp, crumbly cheeses. Though it might go against your first instincts, you'd be surprised just how well they work with sweet ingredients, such as cranberries, watermelon, roasted sweet potatoes, and dressings like honey mustard. Mix and match to discover the combination that transforms the way you enjoy salads. And, if you can't get enough of this snack hack, try using pork rinds to top your soup next.