Guatemalan chicharrones are pieces of pork skin, belly and sometimes ribs fried slowly in lard until they turn golden and crisp, and the meatier pieces from the same pot are called carnitas. In Mixco, which Prensa Latina places 15 km from Guatemala City, the agency reported in 2025 that people prefer them “recién salido de la manteca, envuelto en una tortilla de maíz caliente, y rociado con jugo de limón”, that is, straight out of the lard, wrapped in a hot corn tortilla and sprinkled with lime juice. This recipe makes a home batch of both.

Chicharrón or carnitas?

Wikipedia’s chicharrón entry draws the line this way: a chicharrón is, strictly speaking, skin and fat, while in Guatemala carnitas means skin with some meat as well. The same entry lists tortillas, lime, guacamole and moronga sausage as what chicharrón is eaten with, and sometimes chirmol.

The method below follows what a group of chicharroneros described to Rudy Girón of AntiguaDailyPhoto in 2009: pork skin, meat and ribs cut into big pieces, salted and spiced the night before, then fried in one large pot and stirred until golden. They also told him that 25 lbs of raw meat gives about 15 lbs of finished chicharrones and carnitas, so expect to lose about 40 percent of the raw weight.

Where chicharrones are a local pride

  • San Felipe, Retalhuleu. Prensa Libre wrote in 2014 that “La venta de chicharrones es parte de la identidad de San Felipe, Retalhuleu” (selling chicharrones is part of the town’s identity). Vendors there cook chicharrones and carnitas in front of the customers and sell them with avocado, chirmol, radish, yuca and lime.
  • Mixco. The municipality has organised a Feria del Chicharrón since 2015, according to Prensa Latina. La Hora reported that the 12th edition was scheduled for 18 July 2026 in Mixco’s Centro Histórico, as part of the town’s 500th anniversary.

For what pork costs in Guatemalan markets, see our pork price page.

Ingredients

For the Pork

  • 2 lb (900 g) pork belly with the skin on
  • 1 lb (450 g) pork skin with a layer of fat attached
  • 1 lb (450 g) pork ribs, cut into short pieces (optional, for costilla)
  • 1 tablespoon coarse salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

For Frying

  • 4 cups (about 800 g) pork lard (manteca de cerdo)
  • 1/2 white onion, cut into thick slices
  • 2 whole jalapeños
  • 4 green onions (cebollines), trimmed

To Serve

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Cut the pork. Cut the belly, skin and ribs into pieces about 2 inches (5 cm) across. The chicharroneros in that account cut theirs to fist size; smaller pieces cook through faster at home. Pat everything very dry with paper towels.

Step 2: Salt ahead. Rub the pieces with the salt and pepper. Refrigerate them uncovered for at least 1 hour, or overnight. The open air dries the skin, and dry skin spatters less and crisps better.

Step 3: Warm the lard. Melt the lard in a heavy, deep pot (cast iron or a Dutch oven) over medium heat. The melted lard should come no more than halfway up the side of the pot, because the pork will bubble hard when it goes in.

Step 4: Add the pork slowly. Pat the pork dry once more. Lower it into the warm lard a few pieces at a time with a slotted spoon, standing back from the pot.

Step 5: Cook low and steady. Keep the lard at a steady, gentle bubble for about 40 minutes. Stir and turn the pieces often so they do not stick to the bottom. The fat in the belly and skin melts into the pot as they cook.

Step 6: Add the aromatics. Halfway through, add the onion slices, the whole jalapeños and the green onions. They flavour the lard and are good to eat alongside.

Step 7: Crisp and colour. For the last 15 to 20 minutes, raise the heat slightly and keep stirring until the skin puffs and the meat turns deep golden and crisp at the edges.

Step 8: Drain and serve. Lift the pieces onto a rack or a tray lined with paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt. Serve hot, wrapped in corn tortillas with a squeeze of lime, chirmol, guacamol and radishes.

Como Lo Hacemos en Guatemala (Local Tips)

Keep the pot moving. The chicharroneros who spoke to AntiguaDailyPhoto stir constantly so the meat does not stick. A long wooden spoon keeps your hand away from the hot lard.

Strain and save the lard. Once it cools, strain the lard through a fine sieve into a jar and refrigerate it. It carries a pork flavour that suits frijoles volteados.

Leftovers become a salad. Chop cold chicharrón and mix it with radish, onion, mint and lime, the salpicón de chicharrón that Prensa Latina described in Mixco. Our salpicón recipe uses the same dressing with beef.

Safety first. Never add wet pork to hot fat, keep children and pets away from the stove, and let the lard cool completely before you move the pot.

Find Ingredients in the US

IngredientWhere to FindSubstitute
Pork belly with skinButcher counters, Latin and Asian grocery storesPork shoulder with its fat cap
Pork skinLatin grocery stores, butcher counters (ask ahead)Use more skin-on belly
Pork lard (manteca)Latin grocery storesNeutral high-heat frying oil
Jalapeños and green onionsAny supermarket produce sectionSerrano chiles

For Guatemalan restaurants and bakeries in the United States, see our Guatemalan food in the US directory. For more of the country’s cooking, browse all Guatemalan recipes.

Sources