Faster, and much easier to make, these crispy air fryer chicharrones are the perfect snack or meal for air fryer lovers. Enjoy golden brown crispy pork belly Dominican-style made from scratch, with simple ingredients and all the criollo flavor, with no greasy mess left to clean.
By - Last reviewed . Published Nov 12, 2020
Why we ❤️ it
Chicharrones are our national guilty pleasure not something we make at home or consume often. Personally, the main reason I avoid it is that I hate frying and the mess that comes with it. With an air fryer, you can make a quicker, easier chicharrón without the mess, and enjoy the most popular of our keto recipes, also great for people on a paleo or gluten-free diet.
While not exactly the same as the traditional chicharrones, I think the savings in time and effort make up for the small sacrifice in texture and flavor worth it.
Air fryer cooking
This is one of many new recipes that I wrote because many of our readers requested them. Air fryers have become a very popular appliance in our time-strapped kitchens nowadays, as well as other popular time savers like electric pressure cookers, and slow cookers.
So far, we've added many air fryer recipes, like air fryer tostones, one for chicharrón de pollo, one for yaroa that you can make in the air fryer, air fryer piononos, air fryer croquetas, air fryer chicken drumsticks, and crispy air fryer potato. Check them out.
All of those and this recipe have instructions for alternatives if you do not have an air fryer.
Air fryer pork rind.
Serving suggestions
Tostones, Yuca fries, or Batata frita are the perfect companions for Chicharrones, and we also have air fryer tostones if you want to go that route. Some lemon wedges are great for drizzling over the chicharrones, and while this is not typically served with a dipping sauce, you can make our flavorful Wasakaka to serve with it.
Una fría (very cold beer) is typically found next to this dish, and if you're looking for the perfect dessert, look no further than Dulce de leche cortada or a Dulce de leche dominicano.
Top tips
- Because a combination of fat, seasonings, and meat juices will accumulate at the bottom of the air fryer base, I suggest you line the bottom (not the basket, just the base where the basket sits) with a circle of aluminum foil or parchment paper to make it easier to clean later on.
- Pre-cutting the chicharrones in bite-sized chunks allows them to be cooked through, with crispy skin, and still juicy meat.
- In an air fryer, pork crackling typically takes about 25 minutes until it turns golden brown. However, cooking times may vary depending on the specific air fryer model and the size and thickness of the pork belly. It's important to preheat the air fryer to 350 ºF [175ºC] before placing the meat in the basket to ensure even cooking and crispy results.
About this recipe
Bear in mind that the super crispy chicharrón that we know and love is produced by a time-consuming, arduous process, which is why the vast majority of Dominicans simply buy chicharrones, instead of making them at home.
This recipe simplifies the process but does not yield exactly the same result as fried chicharrones.
Video
Recipe
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Air Fryer Chicharrones [Video + Recipe] Easy, Quick Pork Rind
Ingredients
- 2 pound pork belly, [0.91 kg]
- 2 limes, (plus some extra lime wedges for garnishing)
- 1 teaspoon oregano , (dry, ground)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon pepper , (freshly-cracked, or ground)
Instructions
1. Chopping the meat
Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.
2. Seasoning
- Squeeze the lemon juice over the meat. Combine with all the remaining ingredients. Stir to coat the meat in the seasonings and lime juice.Let it rest covered for 25 minutes in the fridge.
3. Cooking
- To cook in the air fryer, preheat the air fryer to 350 ºF [175ºC]. Place the meat pieces in the air fryer bowl, skin-side up. Cook for 25 minutes, or until they turn a golden-brown color.To cook in the oven, preheat the oven to 350 ºF [175ºC]. Place the meat on a wire rack, skin-side up. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they turn a golden-brown color.
Cook's Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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More pork recipes
Pork recipes are some of the most popular ones on our blog, with recipes like Puerco asado, Puerco guisado, Chuletas (pork chops), and Costillitas (ribs).
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