Crispy Chicharrones de Pollo (Puerto Rican Fried Chicken)

Chicharrones de Pollo are perfectly crispy pieces of Puerto Rican fried chicken made with a simple but flavorful marinade and traditional island spices. These bite sized pieces of chicken are crisp and crunchy on the outside, and juicy and flavor-packed on the inside.

If you’ve tried many Puerto Rican recipes, you know that the chicken dishes (like this arroz con pollo and asopao de pollo) are super flavorful.

These crispy chicharrones de pollo take similar seasonings and a classic method of frying chicken for ultra moist and juicy bite sized pieces of Puerto Rican fried chicken.

The name chicharrones comes from the traditional dish made from fried pork belly or pork rinds. Obviously we are frying chicken in this recipe, hence the name chicharrones de pollo!

And if you enjoy crispy fried Puerto Rican recipes like this one, be sure to check out my recipe for bacalaitos, papas rellenas, and sorullos.

I also recommend pairing these with a veggie based side like ensalada verde or guineos en escabeche.

Ingredients

If you do a lot of Puerto Rican cooking and are familiar with the spice profiles, you may have all the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe.

Here’s what you’ll need:

For the Marinade

• olive oil
• garlic, minced
• lime juice
• white vinegar
• sazon seasoning (see note for substitute)
• adobo seasoning (see note for substitute)

For the Chicken

• chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces (about 3 lbs)
• all-purpose flour
• sazon seasoning (see note for substitute)
• adobo seasoning (see note for substitute)
• vegetable oil, for frying

See recipe card for exact quantities.

Instructions

Hint: using a glass bowl for the marinade is important as metal can react poorly with the vinegar in the mixture.

Chicharrones Seasoning

You could easily substitute the seasonings in the marinade and flour mixture for whatever you have on hand.

That said, the seasonings are what truly makes this Puerto Rican fried chicken unique, so I recommend sourcing as many of the spices are you can.

Here are some recommendations for substituting the spice blends:

• buy sazon seasoning or use ½ tsp each of ground annatto seeds, garlic, oregano, cumin, and coriander
• buy adobo seasoning or use ½ tsp each of garlic, onion, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper

Let’s Talk Chicken

As with many Puerto Rican recipes, the methods of preparation vary greatly between households. I’ve heard many cooks swear by making this recipe with bone-in chicken, while others insist on using boneless cuts of meat.

While frying the chicken with the bone in can help to guarantee a super moist, juicy piece of fried chicken, it isn’t the only way to achieve this.

I find that using boneless chicken thighs results in just as juicy, and equally easy to eat chicharrones de pollo.

Equipment

Make sure to use a glass bowl for plastic bag/bowl for the marinade. This step is important as metal can react poorly with the vinegar in the marinade.

Leftover Fried Chicken?

Like most fried chicken recipes, chicharrones de pollo are best enjoyed fresh out of the fryer, for that peak crispy texture.

If for some strange reason you have a large amount of leftovers, you can reheat them in the oven or microwave and enjoy the next day.

Buen provecho!

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