Meat · Cured & processed meats

Chicharrón (fried pork rinds)

Crunchy fried pork skin (chicharrón), puffed and crisp; eaten as a snack or used in stews and fillings.

Also called: chicharron, chicharrones, pork crackling, pork skins, pork scratchings

Around the world: chicharrón, chicharrones (es)

A kind of pork

What it is

Chicharrón is pork skin (sometimes with a layer of fat or meat) that has been dried and deep-fried until it puffs into crisp, airy pieces. Styles range from light puffed rinds to meaty fried pork pieces. British pork scratchings are harder and denser.

How it’s used

Snack with lime and hot sauce
Chicharrón en salsa verde (softened in sauce)
Crumbled over salads, rice and beans
Filling for pupusas
Crushed as a coating

Characteristics

Taste: Salty, porky and rich.
Texture: Light and shatteringly crisp; soft and chewy once simmered.
When cooked: Softens quickly in sauces, which is deliberate in some dishes; add at the end to keep crunch.
Sold as: dried
Cooking uses: Usually eaten raw, Used as a garnish, Commonly cooked
Common in: Mexican, Filipino, Colombian, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Peruvian, British