Pork rinds and chicharrones are not the same thing although they are very similar.
The difference between pork rinds and chicharrones are that pork rinds are made from only skin.
Chicharrones on the other hand are made with skin that still has the fat and most often the meat attached.
Pork rinds refers to a snack food commercially sold in plastic bags.
The pork rinds are made in a two-step process: pork skin is first rendered and dried, and then fried and puffed.
These are also called by the Spanish name, chicharrón, a term from Latin America.
Regular pork rinds have no fat attached to the skin, so they cook up puffy.
Chicharrones is a term for pork rinds in Spanish — no difference in the cooking process.
Pork cracklings are typically less puffy and have a meatier texture, because they are cooked with some fat left on the skin.
Chicharrón is a dish generally consisting of fried pork belly or fried pork rinds.
Chicharrón may also be made from chicken, mutton or beef.
In the northern part of Mexico, chicharrones are meaty chunks of juicy fried pork belly with shatteringly crisp skin, often cooked in its own rendered fat.
Chicharrones are a pretty healthy snack with some healthy fats and are not as high in cholesterol as one might think.
If prepared well and properly seasoned, you got yourself a pretty paleo-friendly snack for the whole family.
Pork rinds are often seen as a healthier and more guilt-free alternative to potato chips because they contain fewer calories, saturated fat, and carbohydrates.
They also have high levels of protein and, specifically, collagen protein.
And with 80 calories and 5 to 6 grams of fat per serving, many nutrition experts are claiming natural pork rinds (a.k.a. chicharrones and cracklins) are a way better way to satiate your salty, savory, crunchy cravings than other snacks, like potato chips.