I admit it. Cajun cracklins are addictive, I am a recovering cracklin’ addict and am now in a 12-step program on the way to enlightenment. Okay, so I am embellishing a bit. But, just a bit. Hear my story.
Crispy, crunchy, and addictive, Cajun cracklins are one of the most popular of all Cajun recipes. (All photos credit: George Graham)
I was first grabbed by the demon porcine pleasure at a later stage of life when I should have known better. What is essentially fat fried in fat should have been an obvious clue to anyone with a college education. Or the little grease-stained brown paper bags should have certainly been a tip-off.
I was hooked fast.
The fact that most every little store around Acadiana sells pork cracklin’ (also known as grattons) at the register certainly bodes well for how far this porky addiction has spread. Oh, I tried to quit, but Earl’s Cajun Market, my neighborhood pusher, drew me back in every time I opened the front door and breathed in the heady siren call of bits of pig frying in a black iron cauldron of lard. I can’t resist the bacony flavor or the contrast of crunch with the smooth ooze of pork tallow.
Cajun cracklins are described by most as the by-product of the boucherie, a Cajun celebration of the slaughter of a whole hog.
I disagree.
I believe it to be the main product, and everything else is an afterthought. The skin and tasty bits of fat surrounding it are lovingly boiled in oil, tended gently and brought to the peak of crispness. It is an art form.
Cajun cracklins are not for everyone. These little taste bombs will decimate your diet, derail your noble sensibility and send you down the path of sinful consumption. Be warned. These little bags sold on every street corner in Cajun country are just the start. Soon you’ll be smothering a sausage-stuffed pig’s stomach, roasting a boudin-stuffed pork loin, and Lord forbid, making a fried pork jowl BLT. Don’t say I didn’t caution you.
Over the years, I’ve embarked on a healthier lifestyle that no longer includes this delicacy, but, from time to time, I have been known to come home with grease-stained fingers and a look of guilt on my face. And from the acrid smell of my clothes, my wife knows immediately that I’ve fallen off the wagon once again.
Curse you cracklin’!
Curse you for being so decadent and deliriously delicious.
Cajun cracklins – relapse in a bag!
Cajun Cracklins
Prep time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 1 to 2 hours
Serves: A party or one addict
Cracklin’ is more an artisan craft than a Cajun recipe. There are varying methods for Cajun cracklins as with gumbo, and they are all correct, as long as they achieve a quality product. Some like to start the cubes of fat off in water, but I am going with the “fat-in-fat” method. You’ll need a very large pot – I use a deep, 20-quart black iron pot — and an outdoor burner with a paddle. After that, the only main ingredients are rendered hog lard and pork belly. But, that’s where the simplicity of cracklin’ comes to a screeching halt. It takes trial and error to get it right, and in South Louisiana there are generations of families that pass down this time-honored Cajun cooking tradition.
Basic ingredients for a simple recipe of Cajun cracklins.
At least 4 to 6 pounds hog fat back or pork belly, cut into 3/4 inch by 4-inch strips
Hog lard (amount varies with the pot size)
Salt
Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
Before you begin:
Find a butcher that understands pork and the art of the recipe for Cajun cracklins. There needs to be just the right amount of skin, fat and meat. Some prefer the back fat and some prefer the belly. Have the butcher cut the cracklin’ fat into strips. They will shrink to approximately thumb size during the cooking.
If you live in an apartment, forget it. This is an outdoor adventure only since both the overwhelming smell of fat frying in fat along with the risk of a pork fat inferno are prime reasons to take it outside. A big black iron pot, long-handled spoon or paddle, oven mitt, a variable heat source and a thermometer are the key equipment needed. Oh, and you might want to wear a long-sleeved shirt and protective eyewear.
Be careful of popping grease in the first fry.
The first fry:
With the pot on a low fire, add all the pieces of pork fat to the pot. Pour in enough lard to come 3/4 of the way up to the top of the fat. Be careful in this first phase of cooking as the moisture trapped in the fat cubes will burst and create little grease bombs (thus the long-sleeved shirt and glasses).
Here, the long slow process of the first rendering of fat is crucial as you begin to reduce the raw pieces of pork revealing the meat. The lard should be on a low fry around 225 to 275ºF, and the continual movement of the fat by stirring with the long-handled spoon will keep it from sticking together. Repeatedly stir the pot every 3 minutes or so.
As the Cajun Cracklins cook, continually check the temperature of the oil.
There are some important physical principles to remember. The grease will get hotter and will increase in quantity as the fat melts off the pork. It is important to use a thermometer to check the temperature of the lard since the longer it cooks the hotter it gets. Lower the fire to lower the temperature. Ladle off some of the lard if it increases to a dangerous overflow level. Continue to cook for what might be close to 1 hour or more.
Once the cubes of pork have rendered and achieve a tan brown color remove the cracklin’ to a metal wire rack on a tray.
Think you’re done? Think again.
Checking a batch of Cajun cracklins for crispness; this is just part of the way through this Cajun cooking process.
The second fry:
It’s just like twice-fried potatoes. The science of heating oil to varying temperatures and returning the product to a higher, flash-fry heat achieves something miraculous in taste and texture. Once-fried cracklin’ can become extremely tough and difficult to bite through the exterior skin. This second fry will crisp the skin — some say “pop” the skins — that literally defines Cajun cracklins. (Note: Some folks like to add a handful of ice to the oil at this stage, but I haven’t experienced that technique. It supposedly makes the grease boil rapidly and “blisters” the skin crisp. If you try it, be careful.)
Make sure the quantity of oil still approximates the original amount and turn the fire on high until your thermometer reads between 375 to 400ºF. Add the rendered pork back into the pot and turn the fire off.
Crispy, crunchy Cajun cracklins — a Cajun recipe tradition for hundreds of years.
Continue to cook until they begin to achieve a rich, golden brown color. This is a crucial stage since some of the cracklin’ will cook faster than others so remove in stages based on color. Remove the cracklin’ to a large tray with a wire rack lined with paper towels to soak up the grease. Season with salt and Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend (see recipe here).
Open an ice-cold can of beer and enjoy.
You deserve it.
Hot out of the pot and ready to eat. Try this recipe for Cajun cracklins.
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Sounds like cracklins’ are a bit like crack.. I probably won’t be making them but sure enjoyed reading about them. Next time I am in your area of the country, I will have to indulge. Thanks for the warning.
My dad was a butcher and brought home some strange (to a 7 year old ) pieces of animal. There was always a huge slab of pork fat that was used to make cracklins. He had a huge restaurant pot that used 2 burners, and yes he did this in the kitchen. My mom used them in cooking and baking. I did not like them. Recently we were in Kentucky at a flea market and my husband bought a bag, fresh out of the grease and they were delicious. I am hooked and my dad is shaking his head and laughing as he looks down on me from heaven.
God Bless You, our tastes can change!
Your article and pictures brought to mind so many memories, and made me yearn for my childhood when family and neighbors gathered in the Fall for the annual boucherie. The ritual started very early in the morning and by the time we got home from school, sausages were hanging over broom sticks propped between chairs on the front porch and Mom had hot cracklins’ and cane syrup waiting for us to have a snack. Cane syrup was for dredging the hot cracklins’ in case you were wondering. At the end of the day everyone went home with a share of the bounty.Thanks for the memories.
Looking forward to getting to try all your recipes. ! K-BO !
Your recipe is awesome. My dad used to have a packing plant several yrs.ago and we made lard…we would sometimes make 20 to 30 stands of 50lbs of lard. Cracklins were best with a fresh sweet potato and when I was a little boy I used to make me a nutty buddy out of the cracklins and sweet potato. Good food. Don’t know how good it is for you, but good.
Hey Ted – Love the cracklins and sweet potato idea…and my motto is “everything in moderation.” Praise the lard! George
Came across your site while eating crackins. Almost choked I was laughing so hard. Hail to Southern comfort foods! I’m a fan.
Great crackling receipe
Thanks for the well written article…
It brought back childhood memories of a large cast iron pot filled with lard and cracklings over an open fire in my grandparents back yard. I have been an addict since early childhood and my only salvation is that I now live at least 3 hours away from the first place I can get them. But even then, I will make the trek as often as I can to satisfy the urge. I believe us Cajun descendants have a genetic predisposition to becoming addicts… But it’s oh so good!!
Hey Ricky-
Thanks for the kind comments. Having a large cast iron pot filled with memories is what being a Cajun is all about. All the best to you.
Has it been said and I missed it. Cracklins and cold beer. It don’t get no better din dat.
Hey Bob-
It has now. And no truer words have been spoken. Thanks for sharing your bayou philosophy.
This article brought me back 30 years. When I was a teenager I made cracklin with my papa just this way. We would dice the back and belly fat slabs till my wrist gave out. Cooked it in a huge cauldron. He owned a liquor store where he sold cracklin in 2 sizes on the counter. Some people came in just for the cracklin. It was the combination of crispy skin, soft fat and chewy meat that made every piece an experience. There is nothing in the stores that comes close. Once you’ve had real Cajun cracklin, nothing else will ever satisfy the same way.
Thanks for sharing this recipe. Maybe now the pleasures of being Cajun and growing up with these amazing foods can be experienced by others not so fortunate.
Hey Parish-
What a great story about your papa and how food memories are so special to the Cajun culture. Thanks for the comment.
This weekend, I made cracklins for the first time since I was a kid with my family processing a hog. I came across this article after the fact but it seems like I got most everything right. I did not double fry the cracklins, but I will try that next time. I used pork belly, which was 7.99/lb for a 5 pound piece. I found a local farmer that will sell me pork fat with the skin for $2/lb, so I have some on order for a future cracklin endeavor. Will let you know how that goes.
Hey Jay-
Congratulations! You are now a bona fide, kettle-fried member of the Cracklin Club. It is an exclusive fraternity for only the brave and adventurous cooks among us. If anyone else out there fires up a fry pot full of pig belly, please let us know so we can add you to the roster. Thanks, Jay.
Last year at Mardi Gras in Eunice, LA we helped stir the huge pot of cracklins at the booth for the Cajun French Music Association Group who were selling cracklins as a fund raiser. We are from Shreveport and love cracklins and after some time watching them stir the pot, we asked if we could help. Of course, if you’ve stirred numerous batches with 60 lbs of pork fat as long as they had been stirring them, you would be happy to have anyone volunteer to help.
This year we decided to fry cracklins at the camp ground at Lakeview RV Park in Mamou. We had been to Opelousas the previous day and I found a small Cajun cookbook in the old hardware store. The first recipe in the book was one for cracklins—very much like your recipe. I purchased it along with a black cast iron pot and a metal stirring paddle. Having long been told all pork belly is not created equal, we picked up 10 lbs at the Superette in Eunice.
We entertained everyone at the camp because so few had ever seen cracklins being made from scratch. They turned out to be some of the best cracklins we had ever had—mostly because they were hot out of the grease, I would suspect.
Thanks a ton for your article. It is a lot more informative than the recipe in the cookbook and answers many of my questions about the art of cracklin making!!!!
Hey Judi – The “art” of cracklin’ is one that is passed down through generations and takes much trial and error. I applaud you for wanting to know more about this culinary art form and for your adventurous spirit. All the best!
Love reading your recipes George. I am catering to a number of families locally here in my home town of Brunswick in Victoria Australia. Ide love to try some different cuisines. I think I’ll have to come over there to get the feel for it but Jesus this sounds incredible – even just going through the process
Hey Robin – Just hop across the pond and we’ll throw another crawfish on the barbie. Good eating to you, mate!
BTW George what do u mean by “hot sauce” in this recipe? Just chilli sauce? Sweet or no?
in Louisiana, Hot Sauce ALWAYS means Tabasco! 😉
The shrimp and Tasso mac and cheese with cracklin crust recipe
Robin – When I (or any Cajun) refer to “hot sauce” it is a generic term for your favorite bottled vinegar and pepper-based condiment seen on every table in South Louisiana. These hot sauces aren’t really that “hot” but add flavor and a peppery spike of heat to wake up a recipe. There are many commercial brands (Tabasco, Crystal, Louisiana Gold, etc), and many Cajuns make their own sauce. Even in Australia, I’ll bet there are some good ones as well.
It’s not sweet.
I bought some in Vinton Louisiana today. They we’re hot when I got them. How do I store them and can they be reheated?
Hey Mary – Good question, but not one I’ve ever gotten before. Seems that most Cajuns finish off a bag of cracklins before they finish the first beer. But if you have leftovers, I would store them for a short time (a couple of days) at room temperature and then either eat them right out of the bag or heat them in the oven for a few short minutes just until hot. I would not recommend microwaving them at the risk of losing their crunchy texture–the hallmark of a good Cajun cracklin’. Thanks for the question.
As a truck driver having to make quick stops for snacks and driving on, I have on several occasions picked up a few bags of cracklins and stored them in my fridge for a later indulgence. I put them, brown bag and all, in plastic storage containers or zip-lock bags first. I’ve reheated in the microwave as much as ten days later. The trick is to heat in 10-15 second increments over the course of a couple of minutes and not overheat. They are a little more dry but just as tasty, I swear! Love the recipe! Be well!
Hey John – Never tried microwaving cracklins; I thought they might lose their crunch. Glad to hear your method and will try in the future. Thanks for the tip.
Hi George,
Thanks for the great recipe on how to make cracklins. Is there a certain trick to make the seasoning stay on the cracklins. Everytime we are in Louisiana and we get cracklins they are loaded down with seasonings. We have made cracklins once before and couldn’t get the seasoning to stick to the cracklins.
Hey Ilse – It’s all about timing. Have your shaker of Cajun seasoning ready to go, and as you take the hot cracklins out of the grease, pour on the seasoning. Once the spice hits the surface, it will stick and layer each cracklin with peppery flavor. All the best.
Instead of the first fry, have you ever tried to smoke the pork belly then fry at a higher temperature in fat? I was tinkering around at a bbq competition a few years ago and did that in a deep fryer after smoking the belly and it was fantastic. I have never tried a large batch like that but was curious to see if you have tried it. I know it’s not the traditional way.
Hey Drew-
That is genius! Smoked fried cracklin’s—I can’t wait to try it. Thanks.
Just finished putting a wild hog up and making pan sausage today. I was remembering my grandmother’s cracklings, but I needed a little direction. Thanks for providing info. Tomorrow we’ll be frying some cracklings!
Darlene – Thanks for sharing with us. All the best.
Thank you for the stories and recipes! When I was little, we would all gather at PopPop & MawMaw’s house way down in Forked Island, La. The men would kill & butcher the pig, then all the women would make boudin, sausage, cracklins & all that good stuff! I never learned to make the boudin & cracklins, and now that hubby moved me to CA I can’t just go down to the corner store & buy them, I’m so glad I found your site! I tried making them w/o a recipe once but they were tough. I didn’t know about frying them twice. Thank you, I will definitely try making them again. Where in La are you from?
Hey Pam-
I live in Lafayette which is smack dab in the middle of boudin and cracklin’ culture. Give the recipe another try because as you know…”if at first you don’t succeed, fry, fry again!” All the best.
Thank you so much for this recipe and article! I enjoyed reading this so much! Whenever friends and family come from New Orleans to Houston, I have them stop in Scott at Dons or Bernie’s to get me some cracklins, but they’re not fresh and kinda tough by the time I get them. Also quite expensive. I’ve tried making them on my own but couldn’t find a way to get the skin crispy and to “pop” so I googled and found your article. I went to the asian market and did what you said with the temp and MAGIC! 6th times a charm! I achieved crispy skin! Sprinkled my homemade seasoning & I literally have been sitting here with only 2 pieces left in the bowl.
Thank you so much for this!
Hey Souny – “POP” goes the cracklin’, and when it does, it is magical. One of life’s little treasures. All the best.
Can I order some of your cracklins? If so, where from and how much?
Stephanie – You might just have to make a trip to Cajun country. Cracklins are sold everywhere in Acadiana, even at gas station counters, but I’ve never seen them shipped mail order. If anyone else out there knows of a source, then let us know.
TBoys in Mamou ships them cooked or raw. They also have boudin & tasso. Just got my shipment in today…. and sitting here with some cracklins and a beer. Mmmmmm good. Like your recipe and I’ll be doing some soon and I ordered some raw cracklin meat. From Ville Platte but living in New York now.
I’m from Larose, Louisiana down the bayou (Lafourche Parish ). I only tried making cracklins about five times. My first batch even the dogs would not eat them. But now, when I’m finished, I take some French bread to get all the crumbs. I use dry ranch dressing and Tony’s to season mine, and I tell you what, it all goes fast. Nothing left. Then I take some the lard and make kettle corn. You have the grease from the fat and sweet and salty taste of the popcorn. Mmmmmmm good!
Being from Louisiana,- (I grew up in Lafayette, later moved to Baton Rouge) I have been privileged to enjoy the amazing cuisine there much of my life. Now that I have been here, on the Big Island of Hawaii, living off-grid in an ohia rainforest for 6 years,- I almost cry when I think of boudin, crawfish boils, and definitely going to Markville to visit family, where I would get some of the best cracklins, from a little boucherie there. Your recipe has brought such joy to me, after being without for so long. Delicious! thank you.
Eternally grateful,
Ms. Reefa McDaniel
When in Beaumont or Port Arthur, TX, look up Cracklin Kings. Cracklin Kings has served cracklins for years at surrounding stores, events, trail rides, and The local State Fair. There is a Cracklin Kings restaurant due to open around August 2021 at 790 Neches St, Beaumont, TX 77701. Cracklin Kings will also be sold at numerous grocery stores including H.E.B. Follow on Facebook for updates.
Thank you for taking time to give us some knowledge on cracklins, I’m just learning how to make myself here in Banquete texas. I’m hoping it be successful, again thank you and God bless.
Love this Cajun cracklins , these are so delicious and amazing and I am sure that my members gonna love this . Thank for sharing this one .
This Cajun cracklins seems delicious and amazing , will love to make this cracklins. Thanks for sharing this one
These Cajun Cracklins seem super delicious and unique too for me, thanks for sharing this one with us. Will love to try this one.
I love these Cajun cracklins, seems delicious, surely be my weekend recipe. Thanks for sharing with us.