BasicsEasyFree

Homemade Lard

Name: Homemade Lard
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 100 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 250 ml Water; 1 kg Pork fat; 1 tsp Salt

100 min (10 prep + 90 cook) Easy 10 servings Nacional

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: Mar 30, 2026 · Updated: May 12, 2026

Homemade lard for tamales, refried beans and Mexican antojitos.

About this recipe

Learn how to make homemade lard from pork fat. Lard is the essential base of traditional Mexican cooking: fluffy tamales, creamy refried beans, and authentic antojitos. Simple, economical, and far more flavourful than shop-bought.

History & Origin

Lard is one of the oldest and most essential ingredients in Mexican cooking, with roots stretching back to the colonial period. Before the arrival of the Spanish in the sixteenth century, Mesoamerican indigenous peoples cooked primarily with vegetable fats, seeds, and oils derived from plants such as avocado and chia. It was with the introduction of pigs by Spanish conquistadors that lard began to radically transform Mexican gastronomy. During the colonial period, pork fat quickly became the most widely used cooking fat in Mexican homes — both in convent kitchens where nuns perfected mestizo recipes, and in the popular kitchens of markets and humble households. Lard made it possible to create softer doughs, fry foods with incomparable flavour, and give texture to preparations that are now icons of the national cuisine. Tamales, perhaps the most emblematic food in Mexico, fundamentally depend on pork lard to achieve that fluffy, light, and flavoursome dough that characterises them. Without well-beaten lard, the dough becomes dense and heavy. Refried beans also owe much of their creaminess and flavour to this golden fat. Chicharrones, carnitas, sopes, gorditas, and dozens of regional antojitos have lard as their culinary soul. Over time, industrialisation brought hydrogenated commercial lard and vegetable oils, displacing homemade lard in many households. However, cooks most attuned to tradition know that homemade lard, made slowly over low heat with fresh pork fat, has an incomparable flavour, aroma, and texture compared to any industrial product. Today, with renewed interest in traditional cooking and artisanal products, homemade lard is enjoying a well-deserved renaissance in Mexican kitchens around the world.

Estimated cost

$3.50

Total cost

$0.35

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on US supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

120

Calories

Protein

Carbohydrates

13g

Fat

Fiber

15mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Cut the pork fat into small pieces approximately 2-3 cm in size. If there are any pieces of skin or meat attached, remove them. The smaller the pieces, the faster and more uniform the rendering will be.
💡 Ask your butcher for back fat or uncured fatback. The fresher the fat, the better quality lard you will get.
2
Place the pieces of fat in a heavy-bottomed pot or casserole over medium-low heat. Add the 250 ml of cold water. The water helps the fat render gradually and evenly without burning. You will hear a lot of bubbling at the start.
💡 The water prevents the fat from burning at the beginning. Don't be alarmed by the initial bubbling — it is completely normal.
3
Leave to cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 60-90 minutes. The water will gradually evaporate. The crackling pieces will start to turn golden and the fat will become clear and liquid. Do not raise the heat or the lard will burn and turn bitter.
💡 Patience is key. Low, steady heat is the difference between golden lard and burnt lard.
4
Once the crackling pieces are golden and crispy and there is no more water (no more bubbling), add the salt and stir. Remove the crackling with a slotted spoon. The lard should be pale golden and transparent. You can eat the cracklings hot as a snack.
💡 The cracklings are ready when they sink in the lard and are completely crispy.
5
Strain the liquid lard through a fine sieve or muslin cloth into sterilised glass jars. Leave to cool at room temperature without a lid. The lard will solidify and turn a creamy white colour. Store in the fridge for up to 3 months or in a cool place for up to 1 month.
💡 Do not seal the jars until the lard is completely cold to avoid condensation.