Chicharrón en Salsa Roja is a classic Mexican comfort food that’s packed with bold flavors and simple ingredients.
I’m all about keeping it easy, and this has to be one of the easiest Mexican recipes ever.
It’s made of crispy pork rinds simmer in a smoky homemade red salsa. It comes together quickly, making it perfect for busy weeknights or a satisfying weekend meal.
- Heat a hot griddle over medium-high heat.
- Place the tomatoes on the griddle and cook for 1 minute.
- Add 1 jalapeño and cook for another minute.
- Add the onion and continue turning frequently until the skins are blackened and charred.
- Add the garlic clove last and lightly char it, turning frequently to prevent burning.
- Transf ereverything to a blender.
- Add salt and a pinch of ground cumin.
- Blend until smooth. (You can skip these steps and use store-bought red salsa if preferred.)
Swap out the tomato sauce for Mexican green sauce to make Chicharron en Salsa Verde.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Pour the salsa into the skillet. Finely dice the remaining jalapeño and add it to the salsa.
- For a saucier dish, stir in 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon. Or 1 cup chicken broth. Simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add the chicharrones and stir well to coat them in the salsa. Cook for 4–5 minutes, or until the pork rinds soften and absorb the sauce.
- If using extra dry pork cracklings, add broth and cook up to 10 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve.
Next to costillas en salsa verde, this recipe is one of my favorite fillings for Mexican gorditas. Or top your Mexican sopes with it.
🫙 Storing and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep in mind that the chicharrones will continue to soften as they sit in the sauce.
To reheat, warm the mixture in a skillet over medium-low heat until heated through, adding a splash of water or broth if needed. You can also microwave individual portions in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval.
🙋🏻♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
Chicharrón is fried pork skin, often called pork cracklings or pork rinds. In this recipe, the crispy pork rinds are simmered in salsa until they become soft and flavorful.
Absolutely. Store-bought salsa is a great shortcut when you’re short on time. Add a cup of broth or water to help create a saucier consistency. This is the red salsa I like to buy.
The heat level is mild to medium depending on the jalapeños. For a spicier dish, leave in the seeds or add extra peppers or a couple of rehydrated chile de arbol to the blender.
🍴 Serve With
- Arroz Mexicano
- Frijoles de la Olla
- Arroz Blanco
- Oven-Baked Mexican Potatoes
- Corn Tortillas
- Ensalada de Nopales
This Chicharrón en Salsa Roja recipe is a quick and satisfying meal that delivers authentic Mexican flavors with very little effort. The smoky homemade salsa pairs perfectly with the tender pork rinds for a comforting dish that’s always a crowd-pleaser.
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Chicharrón en Salsa Roja (Pork Cracklings in Mexican Red Salsa)
Ingredients
- 4 tomatoes
- 2 jalapeño divided
- ¼ onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- pinch ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 lbs pork rinds chicharrones (or pork cracklings)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Heat up a hot griddle.
- Add the tomatoes. After 1 minute, add 1 jalapeño.
- After 1 minute, add the onion.
- Keep turning until the skins are black.
- Lastly, add the garlic clove. Char lightly.
- Once the skin on the tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeno are black, remove from the griddle.
- Place the tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, garlic, and 1 cup water into the blender.
- Also add the salt and cumin to the blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- (You can skip all the steps above if using store bought red salsa).
- In a large skillet, heat up olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the tomato sauce slowly, or it will splatter.
- Finely dice the other jalapeño and add to the skillet.
- Cook for 2 minutes.
- Then add the pork cracklings and chicken broth.
- Give everything a good stir.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes, until the pork crackling is soft.
- Top with chopped cilantro.
- Serve with corn tortillas and extra salsa.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
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I often go to the mexican restaurant but never tried this. Will search for it next time. It looks so tasty
Not every Mexican restaurant will make it. Chicharron en Salsa Roja is very authentic Mexican food. Super tasty. Hope you give this a try.
I had Chicharrón when I was in Colombia – and I loved them! So tasty 🙂 will have to try making them at home x
This would have been ideal for a super bowl recipe. I love the pork cracking, so yummy!
This is so bad it’s good! I loveeeeeeee chicharon so this dish is right up my street!
Oh my gosh! I can’t wait to try this Chicharron en Salsa Roja recipe! Looks so flavorful!
This recipe looks very tasty. My husband loves Mexican food and he enjoys trying new things. This would probably be a winner!
I never heard about this food before and its interesting , I want to taste it
This looks so delicious you are serioesly making me hubngry heheh
This looks like a really interesting recipe. I’ve never had anything like this before.
My partner loves to eat pork cracklings. I made him vinegar with lots of chilis and onion for the sauce. This is a great idea for chicharon.
Never thought about using pork cracklings in a recipe! I am loving this idea and also the fact that it’s ready so quick! I would probably follow your directions to make it saucier because I loooove all of that extra flavor.
Wow! I’ve never tried this. This now on my to do list.
Salsa is my husband’s favorite thing to make (and eat!). I will have to show him this recipe; looks delicious!
Just learned about chicharron from this post. It looks something tasty and nice to prepare. Thanks.
Looks delicious and festive! You way is much more simple than one in cook book! Will definitely try it next week
I have never tasted anything like this before, but it sounds so delicious 🙂 I will make your recipe soon.
This sounds like an interesting dish! I never had Chicharrón en Salsa Roja, I must try it!
I love chicharrones but I’ve never made them myself! I can’t wait to try this out.
Never have I seen pork cracklings used in a recipe but this looks great! Love the idea
I literally drooled reading your recipe omg!!! I am def preparing this over the weekend, thank you.
Chad
http://www.mosaicslab.com