Pork Rinds Vs Chicharrones: What's The Difference?

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 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.

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.

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.

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.