Easy and tasty Chicharrones in Red Guajillo Salsa with Nopales-Pork Cracklings in Guajillo sauce with Nopales. You will love the taste!
Chicharrones in Red Guajillo Salsa & Nopales
Pork crackling or pork rinds are known as chicharrones in Mexico; we cook them in many different ways. These deep-fried pork skins need to be softened first to be able to enjoy in a dish like this Pork Crackling in Guajillo Sauce and Nopales.
The reason behind the idea of first softening the pork chicharrones in water is to avoid a dry salsa. When you cook the pork crackling with a salsa you reconstitute the chicharrones to bring it back to its original soft texture.
Chicharrones in Red Guajillo Salsa you can make it with or without the Nopales
When making deep fry pork crackling cooks air dry, or oven dry the pork skins to help in the process of creating the crispy, crunchy crust texture of the chicharrones when they fry them. However, if you want to cook those crispy pork skins in salsa, you will need to first add water to them until they are soft, if you skip that step you will keep adding water to the salsa and the results is a flavorless sauce.
Several weeks ago I posted this recipe using Chicharrones in red Guajillo Salsa with nopales on my Instagram stories, several people made it the same day and sent me pictures of their dishes. I hope you try the recipe and like it as much as our followers did and as we do at home.
For other recipes using pork cracklings check our recipe for Chicharrones in Salsa Verde, or if you want to learn how to make your own deep fried pork skins.
How to make Chicharrones en Salsa Roja
JUMP TO SEE INGREDIENTS & INSTRUCTIONS
DIRECTIONS:
Pictures were taken with my phone for Instagram Stories.
- Place chicharrones in a medium-size frying pan with one cup of water. Turn heat to low and allow to slowly simmer, and softening the pork skins-chicharrones. This way the chicharrones won’t absorb the liquid from the guajillo sauce.-
- Meanwhile, place the peppers in a bowl or saucepan and cover with hot water to soften for 20 to 25 minutes.
The pork cracklings will keep softening, if you see that they need more water, add warm water, just enough to keep softening them. - Once the peppers are soft, drain and place into the blender with the garlic clove, the onion slices and one cup of water. Process until you have a sauce with a smooth texture.
- Pour the sauce over the already softened pork crackling-chicharrones. Depending on your blender brand you will need to use a strainer to pour the sauce. Keep cooking for 10 minutes. After this time the salsa has reduced a little. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and oregano.
- Finally, stir in the cooked nopales; make sure they are well-drained. And simmer for five more minutes.
Serve your Chicharrones in Red Guajillo Salsa with warm tortillas.
By the way, you can also make this Chicharrones in Red Guajillo Salsa recipe without the Nopales, or use Pasilla Peppers instead of Guajillo. It is delicious as well with the smoky flavor of Pasilla peppers. You can buy pork cracklings-chicharrones at Latin Stores or Latin Markets that have a butcher section on the back of the store.
You can store them for several days in your fridge or a longer period if you place them in a freezer bag and store in your freezer. To reheat the pork crackling, place the frozen chicharrones in a baking sheet in a 350F-preheated oven and heat for about 10-15 minutes until desired crispiness.
Chicharrones in Red Guajillo Salsa
Ingredients
- 3 oz Pork Cracklings (Chicharrones) (above 3 cups)
- 3 pepper guajillo cleaned, deveined and seed removed
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 slices white onion
- 1.5 cup Nopales cooked & diced
- ½ teaspoon Mexican Oregano
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Place chicharrones in a medium-size frying pan with one cup of water. Turn heat to low and allow to slowly simmer, and softening the pork skins-chicharrones. This way the chicharrones won’t absorb the liquid from the guajillo sauce.
- Meanwhile, place the peppers in a bowl or saucepan and cover with hot water to soften for 20 to 25 minutes.The pork cracklings will keep softening, if you see that they need more water, add warm water, just enough to keep softening them.
- Once the peppers are soft, drain and place into the blender with the garlic clove, the onion slices and one cup of water. Process until you have a sauce with a smooth texture.
- Pour the sauce over the already softened pork crackling-chicharrones. Depending on your blender brand you will need to use a strainer to pour the sauce. Keep cooking for 10 minutes. After this time the salsa has reduced a little. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and oregano.
- Finally, stir in the cooked nopales; make sure they are well drained. And simmer for five more minutes.
Marian
I’m excited to try this recipe this weekend. It brings back memories of when I was a kid and this was my dads favorite thing to make. He used to make it for breakfast and out over easy eggs on too and serve with tortillas
rose
Are the guajilla peppers dried?
Mely Martínez
Hello Rose,
Yes, the Guajillo peppers are dried.
Peggy Lynch
Ms. Mely: What kind of "chicharrones do you use. The kind you buy alongside the cheetoes, fritos, etc."
Mely Martínez
Hello Peggy,
the ones you buy at the butcher section of a Latin Store.
You can try using the ones sold at the store, just make sure they are pork rinds. Nowadays they sell some made out of flour.
Ben Haney
Where do I buy the cracklings? Are they the ones in a bad at Walmart?
Mely Martínez
Hello Ben,
Usually, they are sold at Lain Stores. I think you can use the ones sold at Walmart.
Monica Castleberry
Omg amazing thank you for sharing your recipe.
adelita engles
how spicy is this?
Mely Martínez
Hello Adelita,
Guajillo peppers are used in this recipe, and these peppers are very mild. If you want something spicy, just add 6 - 8 arbol peppers.
Clh
How many oz of chicharrones are you using?
mmartinez
Hello Clh,
If you see the recipe box, it says 3 oz of chicharrones. Enjoy!