Chicharrón

Chicharrón is pork skin that has been salted, dried and fried in lard until it puffs into a crisp, brittle sheet. Eaten as a snack, in salsa verde and in tacos, it is one of the most common foods in Mexico; its pressed by-product, chicharrón prensado, is a separate taco filling.

Production

Larousse describes a long process. The scalded pig is scraped of bristles, the skin is removed with a little meat left on the belly for buyers who want it, scored in a grid, salted and air-dried two or three days. It is then rinsed and cooked slowly in lard that is not yet hot enough to fry, hung another day until it turns hard, reddish and translucent, and finally fried in very hot lard, where it puffs in seconds. Some makers add evaporated milk to the lard for a pinker, softer result.

Types

Thin chicharrón, very crisp and brittle, is preferred in central Mexico; thick chicharrón is harder. In Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí it is called cuero or cuero duro. It is sold in dedicated chicharronerías, at carnitas stalls, butcher shops and supermarkets. Larousse says most Mexicans eat it at least once a week.

Uses

It is eaten in tacos, simmered in salsa verde, in salads, with refried beans and inside tamales. Chicharrón prensado is different: El Financiero explains it is made from the fried residue at the bottom of chicharrón pans, refried and pressed into blocks, and is usually stewed with guajillo and tomato as a filling for gorditas and quesadillas.

Etymology

Salvador Novo linked the word to the Nahuatl chichinoa, to scorch, an etymology Larousse treats as doubtful.

Reviews

See also

• Tacos de chicharrón prensado
• Lard
• Pork cuts for tacos
• Salsa verde
• Cazo

References

1. "Chicharrón". Larousse Cocina (Diccionario enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
2. "¿De qué está hecho el chicharrón prensado?". El Financiero. Retrieved 2026-10-10.