Chicharrones (fried pork cracklings) remind me of summer back home, when we would have pool parties at my parent’s house and we would deep fry them in our backyard and eat them while everyone was in the pool. During Christmas, we eat the crispy cooked skin straight from the pork we make during Noche Buena (Christmas Eve), but during the rest of the year this is obviously much easier to make.
Moving to New York, I crave things from back home all the time, which leads me straight to the kitchen. I created this recipe by combining my parent’s recipes and adding a little more flavor to the meat with seasoning. It is obviously not one of the healthiest snacks out there, but it is definitely worth the calories.
There are many ways to make chicharones, some people like to season the meat and boil it for a few hours prior to frying it. My parents like to season the chicharones and then cover them with harina de trigo (wheat flour), to prevent them from splashing so much when they are being fried. I personally, just like to season them and then fry them directly. I will say that if you do it this way, be careful with the oil splashing when the chicharones are frying. If your fryer doesn’t have a lid, I recommend getting a splash guard.
Let me know how it goes in the comments below! I hope you enjoy your Frito Friday!
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs Pork belly
- 1 tbls Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
- 1/2 tsp Oregano
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1 Lime cut into wedges
- Spray Cooking Oil
Instructions
- Pre-heat your air fryer to 400°F.
- Add the garlic powder, salt, black pepper, oregano, and cumin. Stir the pork belly cubes to mix in all the seasoning.
- Place the season pork belly into the tray of the air fryer with cooking spray.
- Cook in the air fryer for 12 minutes, turning half way. Remove and serve with lime wedges!
Equipment
- Deep Frier
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs Pork belly
- 1 tbls Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
- 1/2 tsp Oregano
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1 Lime cut into wedges
Instructions
- Heat up oil to 325°F.
- While the oil is heating up. Cut the pork belly into cubes and place in a bowl.
- Add the garlic powder, salt, black pepper, oregano, and cumin. Stir the pork belly cubes to mix in all the seasoning.
- Once the oil is hot. Place the seasoned pork bellys into the fryer and fry for 5 minutes. Until the outer part is crispy and brown.
- Serve with a side of lime and enjory!
I love that you have both the air fryer version and deep fryer version.