Chicharron en Salsa de Chipotle (Pork Crackling in Chipotle Sauce)
Crisp pork crackling simmered in a smoky chipotle tomato sauce until chewy and tender, spooned into warm tortillas.
Made with Chipotle in adobo sauce (homemade) and Corn tortillas from masa harina. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time35 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £1.07 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Put the tomatoes, onion, garlic, water and your ready made chipotle adobo sauce (see the base recipe) in a blender. Blend for 1 minute until smooth.
- 2
Heat the oil in a wide frying pan over a medium heat. Pour in the sauce, which will spit, so stand back. Add the oregano and cook for 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until it thickens and darkens.
8 min - 3
Break the pork scratchings into bite size pieces and stir them into the sauce. Simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes until they soften to a chewy, tender bite but still hold their shape. Add a splash of water if the sauce gets too thick.
9 min - 4
Taste and add a pinch of salt only if needed. Plain scratchings are already salty.
- 5
Warm the corn tortillas (see the base recipe) in a dry pan for 30 seconds on each side.
1 min - 6
Spoon the chicharron into the tortillas. Top with crumbled queso fresco, coriander and a squeeze of lime, and serve straight away.
Tips
- Buy plain, unflavoured pork scratchings or crackling. Flavoured ones add sugar, smoke or spice mixes that fight the sauce, and some contain gluten.
- In Mexico chicharron is fried pork skin sold by weight at markets. Plain UK scratchings are the nearest stand in and they soften in the sauce just the same.
- Keep the sauce loose enough to coat. Chicharron keeps drinking liquid as it sits, so add a splash of water if it looks dry.
Storing and freezing
Best eaten fresh, as the scratchings go very soft. Keeps covered in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheats in a pan until steaming hot all the way through.
Questions
Can I use pork rinds from a bag?
Yes, plain salted pork rinds or scratchings work. Avoid flavoured bags such as BBQ or cheese, which change the sauce and may contain gluten or dairy.
Is this gluten free?
Yes, if your pork scratchings have no gluten containing seasoning and your corn tortillas are 100% corn. Check both labels. The homemade tortillas and sauce are gluten free.
How hot is it?
Medium to hot. Use 80 ml of the chipotle sauce for a gentler dish, and the lime and queso fresco will cool each bite.
More made with chipotle in adobo sauce (homemade)
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.