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Chicharrón mixto
Chicharrón mixto
Course Appetizer
Place of origin Spain
Region or state Andalusia
Serving temperature Hot or cold
Main ingredients Pork
Other information Popular throughout:
Andalucia, Latin America
North America
Cookbook: Chicharrón  Media: Chicharrón
Chicharrón from Huaraz, Ancash Region, Peru.

Chicharrón (Spanish pronunciation: [tʃitʃaˈron], Andalusian pronunciation: [ʃiʃaˈron], Portuguese: Torresmo [tuˈʁeʒmu] or [toˈʁezmu], Filipino: tsitsaron, Chamorro: chachalon) is a dish generally consisting of fried pork belly or fried pork rinds; chicharrón may also be made from chicken, mutton, or beef.


Chicharrón is popular in Andalusia, Spain, and in Latin America and other countries with Spanish influence. It is part of the traditional cuisines of Bolivia, Portugal (where it is called torresmo), Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guam, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and others. The singular form, chicharrón, is also used as a mass noun, especially in Filipino, in which stand-alone plurals do not exist. They are usually made with different cuts of pork, but sometimes are made with mutton. In Costa Rica, they are usually made from pork ribs or similar cuts rather than rinds; it is also used in the traditional dish "chifrijo".

National variants[edit]




 Chile – Chicharrones are made of meat fat, and are typically served with homemade bread.

 Costa Rica – Chicharrones are made by frying pork (usually rib) in fat and are associated with several dishes. Most ticos usually eat them with lime juice (but preferably rangpur) and fried yuca accompanied by tortillas. It is also a main ingredient in a popular dish called "chifrijo" which also combines red beans, rice, and "pico de gallo". Another popular dish in Costa Rican cuisine that includes chicharrones is the "vigorón".

 Denmark -"Flæskesvær" or in translation pork swords is pork skin deep fried with or without a layer of fat. It is usually eaten like snack like crisps or popcorn. At Christmas time it is also normal to eat pork belly with crispy pork skin on and eat them with the meat or save it to eat it by it self .



 Guatemala - A simple pleasure in Guatemalan cuisine is eating chicharrón with tortilla, some salt, and maybe a pickled Jalapeño pepper. Also known as "carnitas" in Guatemala, these refer to a meatier part of the pork rind. Where a chicharrón is, strictly speaking, more the skin part of the pig, carnitas denotes a skin with some meat as well.

 Mexico – Besides chicharrón made from pig skin, snack-food companies Barcel and Sabritas have commercialized vegetarian versions with chile and lemon flavorings since the 1980s. Chicharrón de cerdo are also distributed by many salty snack companies in Mexico, sold in supermarkets, and made and sold in markets, tianguis and street vendors. Tacos de chicharrón (chicharrón wrapped in a tortilla, with some avocado, creamy cheese (such as queso panela, queso blanco or queso fresco), and sometimes, hot sauce) are popular as snacks, appetizers or main dish. Popular dishes that make use of chicharrón as main ingredient are chicharrón in salsa verde and gorditas de chicharrón.

 Peru – Chicharrón in Perú is made using what is called "country-style pork rib" in the US. The rind is not used at all. The meat is boiled with seasonings and spices until no water remains, and then fried in its own fat. It is often served as a breakfast or brunch food on a baguette with a relish made of red onion and lime juice. Chicharrón can be eaten as an appetizer or snack, and the chicken variant can taste like fried chicken found in the United States. Sides include a kind of red onion relish, fried yuca, and other regional variants. Chicharrón can also be prepared with fish rather than pork.


 Puerto Rico – Chicharrón de pollo is popular around the island. Chicken is marinated in rum, lemon juice, tabasco, and seasoning. The chicken is then tossed in flour, rice flour and tapioca flour that has been seasoned. Mofongo is a popular dish in which green plantains are fried then mashed with chicharrón and other ingredients. Chuleta kan-kan is a popular dish in Puerto Rican fondas. A pork chop (chuleta) with rib, fat, and skin still attached calling this cut chuleta kan-kan. The skin is cut stopping at the meat and marinated. Chuleta kan-kan is then deep-fried ,forming chicharróns on top of the rib and pork chop.

The city of Bayamon is famous for the chicharrón produced locally, as is the Guavate barrio in the city of Cayey. The city of Bayamon is known as "City of chicharrón".[3]

 United StatesChicharrón is usually made from pig skin. It is commonly sold in plastic bags as a snack food item and may be referred to as "pork rinds" as well as chicharrones and cracklings. It is made in a two-step process: the pork skin is first rendered and dried, and then fried and puffed.[4] In New Mexico, the term is often taken to mean just fried pork fat, sometimes with incidental bits of lean meat.


Pork rind is also eaten in many other countries, unrelated to the chicharrón tradition.

See also[edit]


  1. ^ Cuisinegineer (3 February 2011). "Reel and Grill: Tsitsaron or Chicharon Bulaklak (Deep Fried Pork Mesentery)". 
  2. ^ Santos, Kara (19 March 2017). "5 reasons to visit Cagayan this summer". ABS-CBN News. 
  3. ^ "Buenapetito! - Base de recetas y restaurantes de Puerto Rico". 