chicharron

noun

chi·​char·​ron ˌchē-chä-ˈrōn 

variants or chicharrón

plural chicharrones ˌchē-chä-ˈrō-ˌnes 

ˌchē-chä-ˈrōnz

also chicharrónes

: a small piece of pork belly or pig skin that is fried and eaten usually as a snack : pork rind

The highlight … was the chicharron, a length of skin-on pork belly so crispy that the plastic utensils I was given did nothing to cut through.

—Alice Levitt

Let the experts show you the best places for quesadillas, seafood ceviche, pork chicharrones, and jumbo shrimp enchiladas.

—David Hudson

also : a piece of food that resembles a chicharron

The frying turns the head and the tail into a crunchy fish chicharrón, and the skin and flesh cook evenly, keeping the flesh moist and the skin crisp.

—Von Diaz

Examples of chicharron in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The quesadillas look like tacos, overflowing with carne asada, chicharron prensado or chicken tinga, a mound of shredded lettuce on top, and a zigzag of crema and crumbles of cotija cheese. —Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2023

Guerrero state, which comes with potato taquitos, tostados and chicharron. —Jean Trinh, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2021

When dining was restricted throughout 2020 and 2021, the pork belly and chicharron tacos (among other options) helped sustain the business and the downtown community. —Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2022

Noisy as chicharron, the skin fills the role typically played by croutons in a Caesar salad. —Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2023

Fish crudo with squid ink chicharron. —Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Aug. 2022

Almost all breakfast entrees are made with mashed green plantains, with cheese ($10); pork ($12); cheese and pork ($14); cheese, eggs and beef stew ($16); chicharron, eggs and beef stew ($17); a mix of them all ($18); and the stew alone ($15). —Susan Dunne, Hartford Courant, 8 July 2022

Even more surprising was the addition of horchata and chicharron in 2021, two words that have seemingly forever been part of the Southern California vernacular. —Jenn Harris Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2021

Porky’s Point, an erstwhile Italian restaurant in a now largely Latin American neighborhood of North Philly, serves a roast pork with chicharron bits and a murder scene’s worth of marinara. —oregonlive, 5 June 2021

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Spanish chicharrón "crackling," of expressive origin

Note: As pointed out by Joan Coromines (Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico), comparable words with varying suffixation exist in Aragonese dialects, Gascon, Basque and, though more distant phonetically, Italian (cicciolo). Coromines suggests that the word is imitative of the sound of cracklings as they fry.

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above