Chicharrones de Pollo

What are chicharrones de pollo?

Chicharrones de pollo is a common dish in the Caribbean. It’s popular in Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Every cook puts their own spin on it of course, but in essence, chicharrones de pollo are chicken pieces that are cut into chunks, seasoned, dredged in flour and fried until crispy.

Should you use dark meat or white meat?

Using dark meat chicken pieces is best to make the chicharrones. The pieces will be smaller and dark meat stays juicier than white meat. Chicken drums and thighs can both be used. If you rather have chicken breast, cut it into several pieces instead of two or three.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds Chicken Pieces, bone in, skin on, cut into 2-3 pieces (about 8 or 9 pieces before cutting) we used chicken thighs here but drumsticks work really well too
• 3 teaspoons Salt, divided (2 teaspoons for the chicken and 1 teaspoon for the flour) plus a pinch for the fried chicken at the end, if desired
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper, divided (½ teaspoon for the chicken and ½ teaspoon for the flour)
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• Dash Cayenne Pepper, optional
• ½ cup Milk
• Canola Oil for frying, or use your favorite oil but choose something with a high smoke point - you will need enough oil to cover the bottom of a large, deep skillet by about 1 inch – we used 2½ cups
• Chopped Parsley or Cilantro for garnish, optional
• Lime Wedges, for serving
• Hot Sauce, for serving

You will also need:

• Large baking sheets
• Large cooling rack to line a baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Large, clean kitchen towel
• Plastic wrap

Recipe tips

When frying chicken, I like to preheat the oven to 350°F just in case the coating browns too quickly and the inside is not cooked all the way through. If things don’t run smoothly I have a back-up plan.

Place the fried chicken on a baking sheet that’s lined with a cooling rack (to allow air to circulate) and place it in a preheated oven for 15 minutes at a time until the internal temperature of the thickest piece is at least 165°F.

Cut the chicken

We’ll start by preparing the chicken. Trim off any large pieces of fat and loose skin. Then, cut each piece into two or three chunks depending on the size of the chicken. We had pretty large chicken thighs, we cut some into three pieces, some into two pieces.

1. Work with one piece at a time; place the chicken on a cutting board. Use a large knife to cut through the meat until you reach the bone.
2. Place a kitchen towel over the knife (it makes it more comfortable).
3. Firmly pound the knife with your fist or the flat side of a meat mallet until the bone gives.
4. Repeat with the remaining pieces. Remove any bones that splinter, just cut them out using kitchen shears or a knife.

Coat the chicken

The chicharrones de pollo are going to get a double coating of flour so the outside gets nice and crispy. Get more information on dredging and breading here.

Add the flour to a baking sheet or large casserole dish. Sprinkle the flour with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, paprika and cayenne pepper (if using). Use a fork to stir well.

Add the milk to a medium bowl. Use a bowl that is large enough to fit the largest chicken piece.

Line a large baking sheet large baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan once coated.

Coat the chicken

1. Work with one piece at a time. Lightly coat the chicken with the flour, shake off any excess.
2. Dip the chicken into the milk bowl; make sure the entire piece is evenly moist.
3. Next, place the chicken back in the flour.
4. Coat it completely with flour and gently shake off excess.

Set it on the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces. When you're all done, discard any leftover flour and milk.

Fry the chicken

Add enough oil to a large, deep skillet to cover the bottom by at least 1 inch.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Check if the oil is hot enough by adding a small test piece to the skillet. If the oil begins to bubble around the chicken, and it doesn’t sink all the way to the bottom, it’s ready.

Next, add about a third to half of the chicken pieces. The size of the pan you are using will determine how many pieces to add. Don’t overcrowd the skillet, fry in batches.

Fry the chicharrones de pollo for approximately 7-10 minutes, turning occasionally until the coating is a nice golden brown color on both sides.

Remove the chicken from the skillet and place them on a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack. The cooling rack will elevate the fried chicken and allow air to circulate, preventing a soggy coating.

Use an instant read thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the largest, thickest piece is at least 165°F. Then take the temperature of a few other pieces. If everything is up to 165°F Good! Continue frying the remaining pieces.

If the chicken is not cooked through, then place the baking sheet in the preheated oven (see recipe tips section above).

Fry the remaining chicken pieces. It may be necessary to lower the heat just a notch for the 2^nd or 3^rd batch. Also, remove the skillet from the heat between batches. Carefully move it to an empty burner until ready to resume frying.

Serve the chicharrones de pollo appetizer-style with plenty of lime wedges and hot sauce like we do here. Or, serve them with white rice and black beans for a delicious Cuban-style dinner.

You may also like these Cuban food recipes:

• Fricase de Pollo (Chicken Fricassee)
• Bistec de Palomilla
• Cuban-style Red Beans
• Ajiaco
• Frituras de Malanga
• Lechon Asado (Cuban Roast Pork)
• Ropa Vieja