Bolivian chili and tomato sauce (llajua)Set a bowl in the middle of the table and spoon it on as you go.
Chili and lime seasoningDust it over plain puffed rinds straight from the bag.
Chopped green chileScatter it over the pieces once they are wrapped up with beans.
Coconut vinegar with garlic and chiliDip only the edge of each piece so it stays crisp.
Fermented fish or shrimp paste (bagoong)A dab on each piece is plenty. It is very salty.
GuacamoleUse a crisp piece as the scoop in place of a tortilla chip.
Hot sauceShake on a few drops, then add lime.
Lechon sauce (the gravy for roast pig)Pour it into a small dish for dipping.
Lime wedgesSqueeze one over the pile just before eating.
Pickled green papaya (atchara)Eat a forkful between pieces to freshen the mouth.
Red onion and lime relishHeap it on top. The sharp onion cuts through the fat.
Salsa verdeSpoon it over the pieces in a tortilla, or dip them one at a time.
In a tortilla, an arepa or a pupusa 4
ArepasChop the chicharrón and pack it inside a split arepa.
GorditasSplit the warm corn cakes and stuff them.
PupusasHave them hot from the griddle with the chicharrón already inside.
Warm corn tortillasFold a few pieces inside with salsa and eat it at once.
Yuca, corn and plantain 6
Boiled corn kernels (mote)Spoon the soft corn beside the pork to balance the crunch.
Fresh corn pancakes (cachapas)Fold one over a few pieces while it is still hot.
Fried yucaServe a handful alongside and squeeze lime over both.
Mashed plantain (mofongo)Press it into a bowl, turn it out and eat it with a fork.
Twice-fried plantain slices (tostones)Salt them while they are hot and serve them on the same plate.
Yuca bun boiled in leaves (bollo de yuca)Unwrap it, slice it and eat it with the pork at breakfast.
Plates it is part of 4
Belizean onion soup (escabeche)Serve the pork beside the bowl and dip it in the broth.
Colombian platter (bandeja paisa)Order it to share. The chicharrón is one part of a very full plate.
Meat and tuber stew (sancocho)Ladle the stew into bowls with the pork in it.
Red beans, rice and pico de gallo (chifrijo)Layer them in a bowl and put the chicharrón on top.
As a topping, the Philippine way 2
Mung bean soup (ginisang munggo)Crumble a handful on top just before serving so it stays crisp.
Pork noodle soup (batchoy)Add the crushed cracklings at the table.
Drinks 3
Cane sugar drink (aguapanela)Serve it hot at breakfast or over ice with lime later in the day.
Guava juicePour it cold. Its sweetness suits the salt.
Purple corn drink (chicha morada)Serve it cold over ice.
How it works
What to eat with chicharrones depends on where you are. Mexico wraps them in a tortilla with salsa verde, and the Philippines dips them in spiced vinegar. These 31 ideas cover salsas, wraps, yuca, corn, plantain and drinks.
Read the full guide
What to eat chicharrones with, country by country
Chicharrones are fried pork belly or fried pork rinds, eaten as a snack, a side dish or a main course. Guatemala eats them with tortillas, lime and guacamole, and Bolivia with a chili sauce called llajua and boiled corn. On Colombia's Caribbean coast they are eaten at breakfast with a yuca bun or boiled yuca, and in central Venezuela with fresh corn pancakes.
Something sharp, something soft
Chicharrones are salty, rich and crisp. Lime, salsa, vinegar or pickled papaya cuts the fat. A soft starch, such as a warm tortilla, an arepa, yuca or plantain, makes them a meal.
Dip, do not soak. A piece left sitting in salsa goes soft.
Crush the broken pieces from the bottom of the bag over soup, beans or noodles.
Questions and answers
What do you eat with chicharrones?
Salsa verde, guacamole, lime and hot sauce are the quick answers, with warm corn tortillas to wrap them in. For a plate, add fried yuca, twice-fried plantain slices or boiled corn.
What sauce goes with chicharrones?
Salsa verde in Mexico, llajua in Bolivia, a relish of red onion and lime juice in Peru, and spiced coconut vinegar in the Philippines.
How do you eat chicharrones in a taco?
Wrap them in a tortilla with avocado and a creamy fresh cheese, and add hot sauce if you like it. In Mexico these tacos are eaten as a snack, an appetizer or a main dish.
What dishes are topped with chicharrones?
In the Philippines chicharon is a topping for vegetable and noodle dishes, such as mung bean soup and the noodle soup called batchoy. In Costa Rica it goes into chifrijo with red beans, rice and pico de gallo.
What do you drink with chicharrones?
Without alcohol: guava juice, chicha morada, a purple corn drink from Peru, or aguapanela, a Colombian drink made from panela, which is hardened sugar cane juice.