How to make authentic homemade Chicharrones Chips, the popular Mexican street food snack! Deep fried and doused in hot sauce or chili powder and lime these vegan snacks are irresistible.
Recipe first posted on September 22, 2021 and last updated with new photos on December 8, 2023.
If there’s one thing my family universally loves, it’s chicharrones chips. We make these flour chicharrones at least once a week.
I’ve been making them at home since we lived in North Dakota and the kids were little. We lived nowhere near any street vendors that might be selling them already fried, so we had to do it ourselves.
They quickly became our favorite snack and now, living in Southern California finding already fried chicharrones is easy, I still regularly make them at home.
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 or hot sauce (my favorite is Valentina).
They come in different shapes, the classic ones are rectangular and a dead-ringer for crispy, fried pork rinds (pig skin) or chicharrones, hence the name. Fried pork skins or pork skin chips are another favorite crunchy snack but these flour-based wheat snacks are much easier to make at home and a bit healthier too.
These fried wheat crisps with that signature potato chip crunch are a popular street food in Mexico. You will find them everywhere sold in a large plastic bag. The vendor will sprinkle the duritos with Cholula and lime and shake everything up in the bag until they are well coated. They are better than the best potato chips.
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 Latin grocery store, even better!
Ingredients
- Mexican pinwheel chips. You can find them at Mexican grocery stores or online.
- Kosher salt
- Ground cumin
- Ground chile de árbol chile powder. Look for this in the Mexican spice aisle.
- Ground cayenne pepper
- Vegetable oil
- Key limes or regular limes
How To Make This Recipe
step one
Combine the spice mix. Mix all the spices together in a small bowl. If you don’t want to make your own spice mix you can use Tajin or hot sauce like Tapatio instead.
step two
Next, heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Fry a few at a time in a single layer in the hot oil until they puff up to twice their size and become crisp.
step three
Remove the fried chicharrones with a slotted spoon letting the excess oil drain back into the pan. Place on a plate lined with paper towels. Then toss with fresh lime juice and the spice mix. Enjoy immediately, they get soggy quickly.
*CHEF’S TIP: To make them in advance, fry the chicharrones chips but don’t add the spices or lime. Let cool completely then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Add the spices and lime when you are ready to serve them.
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! Or try frying them in the air fryer.
Top 5 Most Popular Snack Posts
- Mexican Cheese Board
- Tomatillo Avocado Salsa
- Charred Tomatillo Salsa
- 25 Mexican Appetizers
- Citrus Seafood Ceviche
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, let me know. 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) ! Also, sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!
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.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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
In support of this small business, ¡Hola! Jalapeño earns revenue in a few different ways. Several sponsored posts are published each month. I also earn an affiliate commission on the sales of products I link to— there are a few of those links in this post. I only feature items I genuinely love and personally use on a regular basis. This commission is an arrangement between the retailer and ¡Hola! Jalapeño (readers never pay more for products). This income allows me to run the site. Thank you for reading!