These Porkitos, or crispy prosciutto chips, are perfect on their own as a snack or topped on salads! Just bake thinly sliced prosciutto and you’ll end up with these crunchy, porky, salty chips!
A crispier alternative to bacon!
I prefer crispy prosciutto chips to bacon bits ’cause they cook evenly and there aren’t any unappetizingly flabby parts. These “Porkitos” also add a terrific salty crunch to creamy soups, salads, and purées. Just crumble them on!
Or you can just stuff your face with them. ’Cause really – who doesn’t like crispy, porky chips?
What is prosciutto?
Prosciutto is the Italian word for ham and prosciutto crudo refers to a specific type of uncooked, unsmoked, salted, and dry-cured form of Italian ham that is normally served and sold in paper thin slices. Good quality prosciutto tastes salty, nutty, buttery and with slightly sweet notes. Just a little bit of prosciutto goes a long way as a flavor booster.
Although prosciutto is normally served as-is, you can definitely change the texture and concentrate the saltiness by baking prosciutto and turning them in crispy chips!
What is the best kind of prosciutto to use for this recipe?
Although I buy freshly-cut paper-thin slices of fancy prosciutto di Parma from my local Italian deli when I serve it on a charcuterie board, I like to go with pre-sliced packaged prosciutto when making crispy prosciutto chips. For this recipe, it’s not necessary to buy the super expensive stuff; these days, the pre-packaged stuff is cut uniformly paper-thin and the subtle notes of the priciest prosciutto varieties get lost when you bake it anyway.
Can you make crispy prosciutto in the air fryer or microwave?
I’ve tried making crispy prosciutto chips in the air fryer and the microwave but it never turns out as well as in the oven.
When I’ve cooked the prosciutto chips in an air fryer, the prosciutto slices gets blown around in the basket and the chips don’t come out as flat chips. It’s pretty frustrating and you can’t make more than a few at a time. That said, if you insist on cooking them in the air fryer, you can air fry them at 325°F for about 6 to 8 minutes or until crispy.
I love my microwave, and I know some folks have suggested nuking prosciutto to make these chips, but I don’t think it’s a great tool for making crispy prosciutto. Most recipes say to microwave the slices in between two pieces of paper towel for 30 to 45 seconds or until done, but you can only make one or two slices at a time and it’s hard to check if the prosciutto is ready. Plus, the chips comes out more rubbery than crispy.
Trust me, just bake the prosciutto in a large tray in the oven!
How to make crispy prosciutto
Preheat the oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper, and place the prosciutto in a single layer on top. Don’t overcrowd the swine or it won’t crisp properly.
Once the oven is ready, place the the tray in the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes (depending on the thickness of your prosciutto slices) or until crunchy. Watch your chips like a hawk to make sure they don’t burn. Burnt chips make Nom Nom wanna smash things.
When the chips shrink a little bit and are mostly crisp, remove them from the oven. Transfer the chips to a wire rack to cool.
They’ll actually get crunchier as they cool, so it’s better to err on the side of under-baking them. Look – like stained glass (only swine-ier)!
With Brussels sprouts chips, kale chips, mushroom chips, and now PORKITOS, who needs boring old potato chips?
How to store crispy prosciutto
These porkitos are best eaten the same day you make them, but you can definitely store them in a sealed container in the fridge or on the counter for up to 2 days. I throw in a dessicant packet just to keep them extra crispy.
[Originally posted on June 19, 2012. Updated with new information and photos on April 18, 2022.]
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Crispy Prosciutto Chips (Porkitos)
Ingredients
- 3 ounces Prosciutto di Parma thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper, and place the prosciutto in a single layer on top. Don’t overcrowd the slices or it won’t crisp properly!
- Once the oven is ready, place the the tray in the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes (depending on the thickness of your prosciutto slices) or until mostly crispy. Watch your chips like a hawk to make sure they don’t burn.
- Transfer the chips to a wire rack to cool. (They’ll actually get crunchier as they cool, so it’s better to err on the side of under-baking them.)
Dana says
These are delicious! I’m wondering how to best store them? I’m guessing out of the fridge is okay but I’m really just not certain.
Michelle Tam says
I don’t have leftovers! I’d probably keep them in the fridge but you may need to crisp them up again when you eat them.
Gail says
Fantastic! We first had these on a Caesar salad @a Lombok resort many years ago. I make a killer C salad and have used them ever since, especially when the salad is the entrée. But I broiled the prosciutto and walked the fine line between crisp-enough and burned, until now! Your crispalicious swiney bits were the hit last night. Only problem is keeping the Hub’s hands out of the stash.
Madonna Bolek says
Such a delicious snack from so simple of a recipe. I’ll definitely make these for appetizers. They would be an excellent addition to a charcuterie board if I didn’t eat them all myself.
Gabe says
Made the mushroom chips yesterday for the first time; made these again after not having made them in a couple years. Ooh mami tastes like the fiiiiirst time. Tastes like the very first time!
Seriously though, a huge heartfelt thank you for your work/cookbooks. I shudder to think of where my folks and I would be without your tantalizing recipes dragging me away from the junk food stores.