These homemade pork scratchings are the crispiest scratchings I’ve ever eaten. They take just over half an hour to bake in an air fryer, and you only need three ingredients to make them. You will often find pork scratchings served as a pub snack, but as they are so easy to make at home, you can enjoy them anytime!
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Disclaimer – I cannot be held responsible for any teeth that you may break while eating these delicious pork scratchings 🙂
The crunchiest pork scratchings
Do you like pork scratchings? I do, but I find the pork scratchings you buy in packets in the shops don’t always live up to my expectations.
- they can have too much fat underneath the skin;
- I find they can be quite salty;
- they can be very hard and you stand a very good chance of breaking a tooth!
I’ve been playing around with my Ninja air fryer, and I think I might just have come up with the perfect pork scratching.
- These pork scratchings are made with pork skin or pork rind, which has had most of the fat removed, and I was surprised at how little fat had cooked out of the scratchings once I’d cooked them in my air fryer.
- You can add salt (or other flavourings) to your own taste. Why not try adding paprika, or garlic salt for a different taste?;
- They are light and crispy, with a delightful crunch when you bite into them.
Fun fact – while the pork scratchings are cooking in the air fryer, they make a sound similar to popcorn popping. That is the fat exploding and forming little crunchy bubbles on the skin.
I have to mention that I’ve tried making these pork scratchings previously in the oven and failed dismally. I don’t know if I had the temperature right, or perhaps I had too much oil on the tray, but they didn’t turn out very crispy at all, and they ended up in the bin.
Cooking the pork scratchings in the air fryer was a revelation. You can set the temperature to exactly what you want it to be, and because it’s an air fryer you don’t need much oil. The heat from the air fryer extracts the oil from the pork skin and crunches these pork scratchings to perfection!
Want to try one? Read on for my step-by-step guide to preparing pork scratchings at home.
What you will need
Equipment
I used the air fryer function on my Ninja multi-cooker, but you can use any air fryer really. As long as the basket is large enough to hold your chopped-up pork skin it should be OK. You will have to shake the basket halfway through the cooking time whichever air fryer you use.
You will also need a VERY sharp knife to cut through the pork skin – pork skin can be quite tough. And you will also need a chopping board to protect your work surface.
If you find you need to sharpen your knife, this knife sharpener works well. It’s similar to the one I use, and all you have to do is pull the knife through it a few times and you will find your knife slides through the pork skin like a knife through butter.
Ingredients
This recipe makes approximately 160 grams of cooked pork scratchings, which is around five and a half ounces.
**You can get the complete list of ingredients and full instructions for making these pork scratchings on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**
Pork skin (or pork rind) – this is simply the skin of a pig that has had the inner fat removed. I buy it in rolls in my local supermarket and it’s normally labelled as ‘pork rind for crackling’. It costs next to nothing to buy. The pack that I bought for this recipe weighed 440 grams (about one pound) and it cost me £0.88.
Salt – this is for flavouring. I like to add salt while the pork rind is cooking so that it can pick up some of the flavour. Any other flavourings that you may want to use should be added once the scratchings have been cooked.
Sunflower oil – I added one teaspoon of oil to the crackling, just to start off the cooking process. You can use any neutral-flavoured vegetable oil, such as canola, but don’t use olive oil – the smoke point is too low and it may burn.
What to do
Make sure your knife is very sharp – pork rind is tough and you will need an extra sharp knife to cut through it.
Cut the pork rind into strips approximately half an inch wide.
Turn the pork strips around and cut them into approximately one-inch pieces. The size doesn’t really matter. If you want larger pieces cut them longer.
You should end up with a pile of evenly sized pieces of pork rind.
Put the pork rind into a bowl and add the salt and oil. Mix it with your hands so that all the pork rinds are evenly coated with salt and oil.
Set the function of the Ninja to ‘Air Crisp’ and set the temperature to 200C/400F and the timer for 5 minutes. Press ‘Start’. This will preheat the air fryer to the correct temperature.
If you are using a different air fryer, preheat it to 200C / 400F.
Arrange the pork rind pieces in the air fryer basket, then place the basket in the air fryer.
Leave the temperature set to 200C and the function on Air Crisp. Set the timer for 20 minutes.
After 10 minutes, open the air fryer and stir the pork rind. Shake the basket if you are not using a Ninja multi-cooker. Continue to air fry.
As the pork rind cooks, you should hear a sound similar to popcorn popping. That is the sound of the skin forming bubbles and popping.
This is what the pork scratchings look like after 15 minutes in the air fryer. You can see how the skin has started to bubble and crisp.
Once the 20 minutes are up, check the pork scratchings. If they do not look like the picture above you should continue to cook them for 5 minutes at a time until they are dry and crispy.
It took me another 3 x 5 minutes in the Ninja air fryer, making the total cooking time 35 minutes. Your model may differ.
Tips for the best pork scratchings
- Do make sure that you cook them long enough to get them really crispy. Mine looked done after 30 minutes, but when I tried to snap one in half I could feel that it wasn’t crispy enough.
- Do be careful not to burn yourself when opening the lid of the Ninja. There is hot steam inside which will be released when you open the lid.
- Don’t worry about the popping noise you hear while the scratchings are cooking. This is perfectly normal and to be expected.
- Tip the pork scratchings out of the air fryer into a bowl, and allow them to cool slightly before tasting. Add extra salt (or other flavourings) to your own taste.
- Store the pork scratchings in an air-tight container in a cool, dry place in the kitchen. Avoid storing them in the refrigerator as the moisture can make them soft and chewy.
- They should stay crispy for one to two weeks. However, they are best consumed within a few days while they are at their freshest and crunchiest.
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Pork scratchings FAQ
There are many different seasonings and flavourings you can use to add flavour to pork scratchings. If you are using anything but salt I would be inclined to sprinkle it on after the scratchings have been cooked.
Here are a few ideas:
Paprika: Paprika adds a smoky, slightly sweet flavour to pork scratchings. Use sweet or smoked paprika depending on your preference.
Garlic powder: Garlic powder adds a savoury, umami flavour.
Chilli powder: If you like a bit of heat, chilli powder is a great seasoning for pork scratchings. Use mild or hot chilli powder depending on your spice tolerance.
Barbeque seasoning: You can buy a bottle of barbeque seasoning in any supermarket.
Cheese powder: If you like cheesy snacks, try adding some cheese powder to your pork scratchings. You could also add some onion salt and make cheese and onion flavoured scratchings.
Adjust the seasoning to your own taste and mix it well with the pork scratchings.
I’ve never frozen them so I’m afraid I can’t answer that one. If you do try to freeze them I’d love to know whether they were still crispy once defrosted.
Yes, you can do that. Just cut them to size and follow the recipe instructions. Depending on how much fat is on them you may need to add a few minutes extra to the cooking time.
Pork scratchings are said to have originated in the West Midlands area of the UK, during the time of the industrial revolution. Many working-class families in the area would raise pigs in their homes to eventually be slaughtered for food. In times of food scarcity, it was important that no part of the pig went to waste. Therefore, the fat was extracted to make lard, which resulted in the creation of pork scratchings as a by-product. Since then, this snack has continued to evolve and become a popular delicacy.
Pork scratchings are a popular snack food in many countries, and they are known by different names depending on the region. Here are some of the names that pork scratchings are called in other countries:
United States: pork rinds or pork skins
Canada: pork rinds or cracklings
Australia and New Zealand: pork crackle or crackling
Mexico: chicharrones
Philippines: chicharon
Spain and Latin America: torreznos or torresmos
Portugal: torresmos or tremoços
Italy: ciccioli
Greece: apaki
South Africa: kaiings
While the names may vary, the basic process of frying pig skin to make a crispy snack food is similar across many different cultures.
Why not leave me a comment and let me know what you call pork scratchings in your country.
Save for later
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Other recipes
If you enjoyed these pork scratchings, here are some other snack-type recipes you may enjoy:
- Cheese and onion pork sausage rolls – crispy puff pastry pork sausage rolls flavoured with cheese and onion.
- How to make blinis – mini yeast-based pancakes topped with smoked salmon or your favourite topping.
- Chicken liver pate – a deliciously smooth and creamy pate to spread on crackers or crusty bread.
The recipe
Homemade pork scratchings in an air fryer.
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Knife sharpener optional
Ingredients
- 1 pound / 450 grams pork skin or pork rind fat removed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sunflower oil or other neutral-flavoured oil
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 200°C / 400°F for 5 minutes
- Cut the pork rind into strips approximately half an inch wide.1 pound / 450 grams pork skin or pork rind
- Turn the pork strips around and cut them into approximately one-inch pieces. The size doesn't really matter. If you want larger pieces cut them longer.
- Put the pork rind into a bowl and add the salt and oil. Mix it with your hands so that all the pork rinds are evenly coated with salt and oil.1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sunflower oil
- Arrange the pork rind pieces in the air fryer basket, then place the basket in the air fryer.
- Cook for 10 minutes at 200°C / 400°F. If you are using a Ninja multi-cooker make sure the function is set to Air Crisp. Shake the air fryer basket.
- Cook at the same temperature for another 10 minutes, then stir the pork rind again.
- Cook for 3 more intervals of 5 minutes each. This was for a Ninja multi-cooker – other models may differ. Use your own judgement.
- The pork scratchings will be done when they snap in half easily. See actual post for pictures.
Notes
- Do make sure that you cook them long enough to get them really crispy. Mine looked done after 30 minutes, but when I tried to snap one in half I could feel that it wasn’t crispy enough.
- Do be careful not to burn yourself when opening the lid of the Ninja. There is hot steam inside which will be released when you open the lid.
- Don’t worry about the popping noise you hear while the scratchings are cooking. This is perfectly normal and to be expected.
- Tip the pork scratchings out of the air fryer into a bowl, and allow them to cool slightly before tasting. Add extra salt (or other flavourings) to your own taste.
- Store the pork scratchings in an air-tight container in a cool, dry place in the kitchen. Avoid storing them in the refrigerator as the moisture can make them soft and chewy.
- They should stay crispy for one to two weeks. However, they are best consumed within a few days while they are at their freshest and crunchiest.
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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Well done Veronica! I’m making these today for Father’s Day in Cape Town, to go with our Poerk roast done on the Braai. What a success!
Ooh – love a good braai – don’t get too many over here in the UK! Have a lovely time and hope you enjoy the pork scratchings!