Yuca con Chicharron (Cassava with Pork)
Yuca con chicharron is a much-loved Honduran dish and street food that pairs tender cassava (yuca) with crispy fried pork (chicharron). Simple, hearty and full of texture, it is comfort food at its most satisfying.
The yuca is boiled until soft, or boiled then fried for crispy edges, and served in chunks. It is topped with pieces of golden chicharron and a generous helping of curtido (pickled cabbage), with a splash of vinegar or a squeeze of lime to cut the richness.
You will find yuca con chicharron at markets, festivals and roadside stands, wrapped in paper and eaten with your hands. It belongs to the same world of hearty Honduran antojitos as catrachas and tajadas.
The keys are cooking the yuca until it is properly tender and frying the pork until it is crisp, then piling on the tangy curtido so every bite balances rich, crunchy and fresh.
Yuca con Chicharron Recipe
Prep: 15 min · Cook: 30 min · Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 lb yuca (cassava), peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 lb pork belly, cut into pieces
- 2 cups curtido (pickled cabbage)
- Oil, for frying
- Salt, to taste
- Lime wedges, to serve
Instructions
- Boil the yuca in salted water until fork-tender, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, fry the pork pieces until golden and crisp, then season with salt.
- For crispy yuca, fry the boiled chunks briefly in hot oil (optional).
- Arrange the yuca on a plate and top with the fried chicharron.
- Pile the curtido on top and serve with lime wedges.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is yuca con chicharron?
Yuca con chicharron is a Honduran dish of boiled or fried cassava (yuca) topped with crispy fried pork (chicharron) and tangy curtido pickled cabbage.
Is the yuca boiled or fried?
Either. The cassava is boiled until tender, and it can also be boiled then fried for crispy edges before being topped with pork and curtido.
What is chicharron?
Chicharron is fried pork, usually pieces of pork belly or skin fried until crisp and golden, adding rich crunch to the dish.
What is served on top?
Curtido, a tangy pickled cabbage slaw, is piled on top, with a splash of vinegar or lime to balance the richness of the pork.