How to make authentic homemade Chicharrones de Harina, the popular Mexican street food snack! Deep fried and doused in hot sauce or chili powder and lime these vegan snacks are irresistible.
SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE and I’m making Chicharrones de Harina to celebrate!
Can you tell I’m excited?
Memorial Day is supposed to be the unofficial beginning of summer so I’m unofficially going to declare that we get this party started.
I’ve got a looooooooong list of things I want to accomplish so I need to get going if I’m serious about making things happen.
Want to join me?
Here’s what we’re going to do:
1. Spend a lot, A LOT of time at the pool/beach (whatever water source you rely on for straight chillin’).
2. Make/eat more food on sticks. I’m thinking fruit, paletas, kebabs, corn, corn dogs, s’mores you name it….but no Twinkies people, please have some decency.
3. Two words: Water Guns.
4. Two more words: Tomato Sandwich.
5. Eat our weight in pie.
6. Play endless games of tag to burn off said pie.
7. Take down a margarita or two.
8. Outdoor movies are a must.
9. Sparklers…..sparklers are definitely in order.
10. And of course a ton of crispy snacks to keep us energized.
what are chicharrones?
Chicharrones de harina (also known as duros de harina) are the addictive, crunchy wheat chips in the ever-adorable wheel shapes, doused in lime juice and generously sprinkled with tongue-tingling spice mix.
They come in different shapes, the classic ones are rectangular and a dead-ringer for crispy, fried pork skins or chicharrones (hence the name).
These fried wheat crisps with that signature potato chips crunch are a popular street food in Mexico.
I found the dried wheels in the Mexican section of our local grocery store so I’m almost positive you can find them in yours.
If you live near a Mexican grocery store, even better!
Chicharrones de harina are really simple to make.
The first step is to combine your spice mix in a small bowl. If you don’t want to make your own spice mix you can use Tajín or hot sauce instead.
Next, heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot.
Fry a few at a time in the hot oil until they puff up to twice their size and become crisp.
Remove to a plate lined with paper towels and drain the excess oil. Then toss with fresh lime juice and the spice mix.
Enjoy immediately, they get soggy quickly.
tips for deep-frying at home
Deep-frying at home can be intimidating, very hot oil can be dangerous.
But if you follow a few simple tips, you can safely and easily fry your favorite foods with no trouble at all.
First, make sure your pan in very dry. Water and hot oil are enemies and can cause the oil to violently pop and sputter when it gets hot.
Next, only fill the pan up half-way full with oil. Once you add the food the oil bubbles up and you don’t want it to be so full that it boils over.
Use a deep-fat thermometer to measure the oil temperature. You want the oil to be between 350°F-375°F for this recipe. Adjust the heat so it stays in this range.
Don’t have a deep-fry thermometer? You can tell when the oil is ready by inserting a chopstick into the hot oil. If it is immediately covered in bubbles, the oil is hot enough.
After frying your chicharrones, let the oil cool down completely. Then pour it into an empty resealable bottle (I usually pour it back into an empty bottle I have in the recycling) seal it back up and throw the oil in the garbage—don’t pour it down your sink.
Last, and most importantly, keep a box of baking soda within arm’s reach at all times. Baking soda will put out a grease fire. Water will only make it worse.
Want to try a healthier version? If you really don’t want to fry your chicharrones, you can also pop them like popcorn. Check out this video on make duros in the microwave!
more mexican snack recipes to try!
- Spiked Mango Margarita Salsa
- How To Create a Mexican Appetizer Board
- Super Simple Salsa Verde
- Shrimp and Melon Ceviche Tostadas
- Salsa de Cacahuate
- Guacamole Deviled Eggs
- Tomatillo Avocado Salsa
drinks + snacks
A simple Sparkling Blood Orange Margarita is the perfect compliment to these salty, spicy snacks.
clean up tips
Need help with the clean up? Check out these 6 Kitchen Cleaning Hacks that really work, and take less than 5 minutes.
mexican street food in your own kitchen!
Homemade is always better than store bought so when you make your own chicharrones de harina at home snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) !
Chicharrones de Harina {Fried Mexican Wheat Crisps with Chile and Lime}
How to make homemade chicharrones de harina or Mexican fried wheat crisps—the ultimate crunchy street food snack. These crispy wheels are totally addictive.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground arbol chile
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 1/2 cups dried chicharrones de harina
- 1 lime
Instructions
- Mix the spices. Combine salt, cumin, chile, and cayenne in a small bowl.
- Heat the oil. Heat about 3 inches of oil in a deep pot over medium heat until it reaches 350°F on a deep fat fry thermometer or until a piece of bread browns in 30 seconds. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set near the pot.
- Fry chicharrones. Once oil is hot, carefully add the chicharrones a few at a time. Fry on one side until they poof open (about 30 seconds), flip and cook for another 30 seconds or until they have opened completely and are beginning to brown.
- Drain with a bamboo skimmer. Remove with a slotted spoon or a bamboo skimmer to the paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicharrones checking occasionally that the oil is maintaining a constant temperature.
- Season. Squeeze the lime over the top and sprinkle with the spice mixture. Serve immediately.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 71Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 219mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 8g
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You have taken me to my childhood years. I use to eat tons of them with lots of salsa Valentina and lime juice. Yum!!
Oh that makes me so happy Silvia!
My mouth waters! Mexican snacks are so good!
Seriously addictive!!
They are just the best! Love them!!
I know!! I always forget how simple and delicious they are.
But are these churros fattening. They are made of wheat?
Hi Patricia, yes they are made of wheat. They are better for you than traditional chicharrones which are made from pork skin, but they are certainly not health food.
Hola
Some great Cinco de Mayo ideas!! I love your top you are are wearing in the first picture. Where did you get that top…it’s beautiful. I’m fairly new to your blog, I’m enjoying your post.
Hi Diane! Thank you! The top is from Anthropologie.
Hi there! My husband sent me this recipe after purchasing a huge bag of these at our local Vallarta Market. They are definitely addicting! I am so excited to try your recipe but am wondering: how do you shape the batter into these pinwheels after adding the dried chicharrones de harina to the salt and spice mixture? Will the lime juice be enough to moisten the dry ingredients? I seem to be missing a few steps between combining the ingredients to the frying. Thank you for your help!!
Hi Cristina! All you need is the ingredients in the third image down. There is no batter required. You simply drop the dried wheels from the bag into the hot oil and they puff up into the larger wheels. After they are fried and have puffed up, then you sprinkle them with the lime juice and spice. Hope this helps!
I love duros and will try this recipe. I have only used salt. After they are deep fried how many days are they still good?
Hi Judy! They don’t keep fresh for very long, maybe a day or so, then they get stale so only make what you think you’ll eat right away.
This is not a recipe for homemade chicharrones. It is a recipe for syore-bought chicharrones. You literally call fpr chicharrones in the “recipe”….