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Chicharrón Boliviano

Name: Chicharrón Boliviano
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 90 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 3 lb pork belly, skin on, cut into large chunks; 1 cup beer or water; 1 tbsp salt; 1 tsp ground cumin; 4 cloves garlic, crushed; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 2 cups cooked hominy (mote), for serving; 6 medium potatoes, boiled, for serving; 1 cup llajwa or hot salsa, for serving; 2 cups water, as needed

Crackling-crisp pork belly simmered in its own fat until golden — served with hominy and a blazing llajwa for the ultimate Bolivian Sunday lunch.

⏱ 20 minPrep time

🔥 1 hr 30 minCook time

🍽 6Servings

🏷 AppetizerCategory

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Bolivian chicharrón is less about deep-frying and more about patient confit-style cooking: pork belly simmers in its own rendered fat with a little beer and salt until the skin shatters and the meat turns meltingly tender. It is the centerpiece of weekend feasts in the valleys of Cochabamba and Sucre.

Pork Cooked in Its Own Glory

The contrast is everything: a glassy, crackling skin that snaps under your teeth and meat so tender it pulls apart. Served with mote, boiled potatoes, and the inevitable llajwa, it is rich, salty, and utterly irresistible — best with a cold beer.

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Step by stepInstructions

Rub the pork chunks with the salt, cumin, pepper, and crushed garlic and let them sit for 30 minutes.
Place the pork in a wide, heavy pot, skin side down, with the beer, and cook over medium heat until the liquid evaporates and the fat begins to render, about 20 minutes.
Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, turning occasionally and adding a splash of water if needed, until the meat is tender and the skin is golden and crisp, 60 to 75 minutes.
For extra-crisp skin, uncover and raise the heat for the last 10 minutes, basting with the rendered fat.
Serve hot with the hominy, boiled potatoes, and llajwa on the side.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Pat the skin bone-dry before cooking — moisture is the enemy of crackling. Chicharrón keeps 3 days in the fridge; reheat in a hot oven or air fryer to bring back the crunch.

Recipe details

Prep20 min

Cook1 hr 30 min

Servings6

CategoryAppetizer

PublishedAugust 17, 2026

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

Chicharrón Boliviano

Pork Cooked in Its Own Glory

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💡 Chef tips & storage

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Chicharrón Boliviano

Pork Cooked in Its Own Glory

Step by stepInstructions

💡 Chef tips & storage

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Recipe details

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

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