If you love crispy chicken then you must try these Puerto Rican Chicharrones de Pollo. They can be a delicious appetizer, lunch, or dinner done in only 30 minutes!
I love making Puerto Rican fried chicken without flour but when I want extra crispy chicken I make Chicharrones de Pollo.
Chicharrones de Pollo is small pieces of chicken that are seasoned in adobo all-purpose seasoning, sazon with achiote for color, and a few spices.
Then they’re lightly breaded and fried until golden brown and super crunchy.
I like to serve these with white Puerto Rican rice and pink stewed beans. And always with a mayonnaise & ketchup sauce to dip in or a cilantro garlic sauce if I have any in my fridge.
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Why This Recipe Works
- This recipe is different because it makes chicken that stays crunchy for a long time!
- You can make it without the breading, air fry it and it will still be crispy!
- It is the perfect game day chicken recipe and party food just like garlic chicken wings.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken thighs- I used 4 pieces of chicken that were 2 ½ pounds with the bone in and the skin on.
- Lemon- I use 1 lemon juice but you can also use a lime.
- Seasonings- The seasonings are salt, onion powder, black pepper, dried oregano, adobo, and sazón. You can also add some heat by adding red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
- Flour & Cornstarch- I used 1 cup of all-purpose flour with ½ cup of cornstarch. I find that this combination gives the perfect crispiness to the chicken.
- Oil- I used vegetable oil but you can use the frying oil that you prefer. You can also use lard to give this chicken a really good flavor.
Variations
- Seasonings- Some people use garlic paste or add some green sofrito. Some people avoid using sazon and use oil with achiote to give color.
- Air Fryer- You can make these in the air fryer if you’re trying to avoid frying in oil. Season the chicken, add a tablespoon of oil, and cook for 20 minutes over 360°F. Finish off 5 minutes at 400°F to get extra crispy skin.
How To Make Chicharrones de Pollo
- Photo 1: Cut the chicken thighs into smaller pieces which is about 3 pieces. What I do is chop the chunk without the bone first, then cut the other piece with the bone in half.
- Photo 2: Mix all the seasonings. Save a tablespoon of the seasonings to add to the flour. Squeeze 1 lemon over the chicken. Add the rest of the seasonings and mix.
📓 Note: You kneed a sharp knife to cut through the chicken’s bone. Or you can have your butcher cut the meat into pieces for you.
- Photo 3: Add the cornstarch, all-purpose flour, and the tablespoon of seasonings and mix. Bread all of the chicken pieces. Remove any excess flour by shaking your chicken.
- Photo 4: Fry for 6-7 minutes on each side over medium-high heat. If you have a small frying pan, this will need to be done in several batches.
Recipe Tips
- You can season your chicken to your liking but what is important is to bread and fry it as the recipe to get very crispy chicken.
- Preheat your oven to 200°F and then turn it off. Then put your chicharron in the oven to keep it hot for about 20-30 minutes.
- Chicharrones are popular chinchorro food. Sometimes served as picadera (small bites of food) in a tray. This usually includes foods like Puerto Rican carne frita, a few fried plantains, sorullos de maiz, and fried cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
You don’t need to use eggs for the breading to stick. You just need some type of liquid. For this recipe that marinade is enough liquid for the breading to stick.
While thighs are preferred you can also use chicken breast. But you must cut them into 1-inch to 1 ½ 1-thick strips so they can cook properly.
Some people like to use flour or cornstarch. The best combination is both. If you only use flour is not crispy enough. But if on the other hand, you only use corn starch the chicken can get way too crispy and hard.
The most important step in storing chicharron de pollo or any fried chicken is to cool the chicken completely. To avoid the steam from making the skin soggy and the breading from falling off, Use an airtight container for 3 months in the freezer or up to 4 days in your fridge.
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Chicharrones de Pollo
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Ingredients
- 1 cup oil
- 2 ½ pounds chicken thighs
- 1 lemon
- 1 ½ teaspoons sazón
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoon adobo
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
Instructions
- Cut the chicken thighs. If your thighs are big cut it into 3 pieces. If small, cut it into 2 pieces. Transfer the chicken into a large bowl. Squeeze the lemon over it and mix it well.
- In a small bowl add salt, sazón, adobo, onion powder, black pepper and dried oregano. Mix it well and save a tablespoon of the mix to put into the flour. Season all the thighs with the rest of the seasoning. Mix it well until all the pieces are completely covered.
- In a large bowl add your flour, cornstarch, seasoning and mix it well. Bread every piece of chicken and make sure it is well coated. Pull the skin up whenever possible and make sure the flour gets in there too. Shake off any excess flour.
- In a large pan add your oil over medium high heat. Fry the chicken pieces for 6 minutes on each side. Do this in 2 batches. If you want crunchier chicken, then fry for an extra minute per side. Remove from oil. Serve and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
- I used 2 ½ pounds of chicken thighs. This was 4 big thighs which I cut into 3 pieces each.
- In this recipe I used chicken thighs with the bone in. You can also use boneless but it is important for them to have the skin on.
Stephenie says
Hi Roxy, the way you cut the thigh into 3 pieces is by first cutting the biggest part that has no bone in. Then the part that is left with the bone in, you cut in half. So you will have 1 piece without any bone and 2 with the bone in. Thank you for the visit.
Roxy Tinajero says
How do you cut a bone in thigh into 3 pieces? Do you have to remove the bone first? I don’t think they sell boneless chicken with the skin.