You’re probably here because you’re craving fried foods, whether it’s breaded porkchop, fried chicken, mozzarella sticks, or onion rings. But there’s just one problem — you’re on the ketogenic diet. Most keto dieters have to say goodbye to breaded food for good because breadcrumbs are incredibly high in carbohydrates — a deal breaker in the keto diet regime.
Luckily, seasoned keto dieters have found a solution — substituting regular high-carb breadcrumbs with pork rind panko. Made exclusively from pork rinds and occasionally, a tiny dash of seasoning, pork rind panko is zero carb and gluten-free, making it approved for those on a carb-restricted diet.
Unfortunately, it’s still quite difficult to find store-bought pork rind crumbs in your local grocery store. The good news is you can make your own. Here’s an easy step-by-step guide to help you whip up a batch of pork rind crumbs to add flavor and texture to your keto meals.
Generally, a bag of pork rinds weighing about 1 ounce will create 1 cup of pork panko bread crumbs. While the ratio in most scenarios is 1:1, you may get less depending on how fine you grind your pork rinds, i.e. how long you grind them in your food processor.
The finer the texture, the less volume of pork panko produced. If you prefer a finer consistency, you might find a bag of pork rinds only producing .8 cups of breadcrumbs.
Now let’s get started turning your bag of pork rinds into freshly ground breadcrumbs. Here’s your complete guide to the entire process.
Start by gathering your ingredients and equipment. To make pork rind panko, you’ll need the following.
Ingredients:
Equipment:
Of course, different types of pork rinds have different types of flavours. Here are some of our recommendations:
To make the process quicker, you’ll want to prepare all your ingredients and materials on your kitchen counter. Once everything’s in place, take the pork rinds out of a bag and toss them in your food processor fitted with an S-blade.
If you’re making more than one bag of pork rinds and your food processor doesn’t have the capacity for them, feel free to work in batches. Note that a 1-ounce bag of pork rinds will get you an equivalent amount of breading as 1 cup of bread crumbs. A finer consistency will yield less volume.
Once the pork rinds are in the food processor, start at 1-second pulses and continue until all the pork rinds have been ground into panko crumbs. If you’re using a blender, use the medium setting to crush your pork rinds.
For those who don’t have a food processor or blender readily available, a rolling pin may work just fine. Place the pork rinds in a zip-lock bag and use the rolling pin to crush them into crumbs.
After a couple of seconds of pulsing, check the texture of your pork rind panko. You’re done when the consistency is slightly larger than regular bread crumbs.
If you want your pork rind panko to be finer, continue pulsing until you achieve your desired texture. Just remember that the finer your crumbs are, the less volume you will produce.
Be careful not to over-process your pork rinds as they can quickly turn into a powder.
And that’s it! You can immediately use your freshly ground pork rind panko for your keto meals. To use it as breading, transfer the pork rind panko onto a plate or tray. Dip your meat, vegetables, or other food into a bowl of beaten egg and coat it with your pork rind breadcrumbs.
If you want to store them for later, transfer the crumbs into a jar or plastic container with an airtight lid. Keep it on your kitchen counter, pantry, or other dry place.
Keto dieters describe pork rind panko as meaty and salty in flavor, which will of course carry over to your dishes. If you want to add a bit more flavor, you can mix in some dry spices or seasoning, such as parmesan cheese, garlic powder, or smoked paprika.
Don’t be afraid to tailor your pork rind panko to your taste preferences or the requirements of the recipe you’re following. There are plenty of opportunities for you to get creative with the flavor of your pork rind breadcrumbs!
Finally, enjoy your pork rind panko! Use it as a substitute for regular breadcrumbs in any recipe — for coating chicken, vegetables, pork, or fish or for frying and baking. Pork rind panko can add a satisfying crunch, unique texture, and delicious flavor to your keto meals (without the guilt!).
Here are some dishes you can make with pork rind panko:
Store-bought pork rind panko isn’t easy to find in your local grocery store. But that’s alright, it’s incredibly easy to make your own batch at home — you only need a bag of pork rinds and a food processor!
The whole process takes less than 10 minutes. So what are waiting for? Head to your kitchen counter, gather your ingredients and materials, and start whipping up a fresh batch of pork rind panko breadcrumbs for your next keto meal.
To grind pork rinds, put them in a food processor and start 1-second pulses until you achieve your desired consistency. You can also use a blender or rolling pin if you don’t have a food processor at home.
Instead of a food processor, you can use a blender to make pork rind panko. Place the pork rinds into the blender and use the medium setting to grind it into a breadcrumb-like consistency.
When stored in an airtight container kept in a dry place, your pork rind crumbs can stay fresh for up to two months. Depending on the storage conditions, they can last longer.
