Chicharron Recipe

Prepare pork

Trim excess loose connective tissue but keep skin and a good layer of fat on the pork belly. Cut into 1–1.5 inch cubes, leaving skin intact so pieces will blister and puff when fried.

Pat the pork pieces dry with paper towels. In a bowl toss pork with sea salt, black pepper, minced garlic and lime juice until evenly coated. Let rest at room temperature for 20–30 minutes (or refrigerate up to 2 hours). Pat dry again just before frying to remove surface moisture — this helps achieve crispiness.

Choose a heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet and add enough vegetable oil to come about 1.5–2 inches up the side (about 2–3 cups). Attach a thermometer to the pot if you have one. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 325°F (163°C).

Working in a single layer and in batches to avoid crowding, carefully add pork pieces to the oil. Maintain oil temperature around 300–325°F (149–163°C). Fry for 12–18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fat has rendered, pieces are tender and skin has started to blister.

Increase heat slightly and fry another 1–3 minutes (or raise oil to 350–375°F / 177–190°C) to crisp and puff the skin. Watch closely to prevent burning. Use a slotted spoon to transfer chicharrones to a paper towel–lined tray to drain. Season immediately with a light sprinkle of kosher salt while hot.

While pork rests after marinating (or while it fries), assemble the salad. In a bowl combine thinly sliced red onion, diced tomato, thinly sliced jalapeño, diced cucumber and chopped cilantro.

Season the salad with the remaining 0.5 tsp kosher salt, 0.25 tsp black pepper and a squeeze of the lime wedges. Toss gently to combine. Taste and adjust salt or lime as needed.

If using pickled red onions, drain them and fold a small amount into the salad or serve on the side for extra brightness.

Serve the hot chicharron immediately with the fresh salad and cilantro on top. Offer lime wedges alongside for extra acidity.

For tacos: place a few pieces of chicharron on warmed corn tortillas, top with the onion-tomato-cucumber mix, extra cilantro and jalapeño slices. For a tostada: spread a little of the salad onto a crispy tostada and pile chicharron on top.

Leftovers: Refrigerate cooled cooked pork in an airtight container up to 3 days. Re-crisp in a hot oven (400°F / 200°C) for 5–8 minutes or in a skillet over medium-high heat.