Chinks (Chicken Skin Chicharon)

Chinks or Chicken Skin Chicharon is a type of Filipino street food prepared with rendered chicken skin and deep fried to crispy golden brown state.

Chinks or Chicken Skin Chicharon is one of the guilty pleasure snacks in the Philippines, I said guilty pleasure as this snack is very high in cholesterol and fat.

The word Chicharon came from a popular Spanish snack called Chicharron (double r) which is made of fried pork skin.  Due to its Spanish influence the said snack became popular as well in Venezuela, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and United States just to name some.  Its not just pork skin and chicken skin made as chicharon, in Philippines we even use pork and chicken intestines.  I remember when we were still in Philippines there are even specialty shops just selling chicharon and the most popular one is the R.Lapids.  But there is one shop I always remember, not by name but their menu as they named their Chicharons differently and here is what I can remember:

Chicharon – for the normal Chicharon Pork Skin
Chinks – for Chicharon Chicken Skin
Chilak – for Chicharon Large Instestines of Pork (short for Chicharon Bulaklak)
Chibit – for Chicharon Small Instestines of Pork (short for Chicharon Bituka)
Chisaw – for Chicharon Chicken Intestine (short for Chicharon Isaw)

Chicharon have been a part of the Philippine culture as you can see this snack being sold in most of the sari-sari stores (thats our version of convinience stores), street vendors, restaurants and even supermarkets.  It is also a very popular beer match due to the fact that there are walking street vendors (balut vendors) who offer this at night when people are having their drinking sessions on the villages.

Best enjoyed with a vinegar dip and ice cold beer, it is a must try even just once in your lifetime (dont get addicted, you will have a heart complication soon).  For this recipe we will be doing the chicken skin version as I had accumulated a good amount of Chicken skin removed from the past chicken dishes I cooked, I will not use oil as well and let it cook in its own oil.

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Chinks (Chicken Skin Chicharon) 2

Chinks (Chicken Skin Chicharon)

  • Author: Raymund
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 40 mins
  • Total Time: 50 mins
  • Category: Snack
  • Cuisine: Filipino

Description

Chinks or Chicken Skin Chicharon is a type of Filipino street food prepared with rendered chicken skin and deep fried to crispy golden brown state.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 kg Chicken Skin, sliced into roughly 3×3 inch squares
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1/4 cup white cane vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. In a non stick pot, add chicken skin, salt, vinegar and pepper.
  2. Now pour enough water just enough to cover the chicken skin.
  3. Bring to a rapid boil and do not cover the pot, once the liquid have evaporated turn the heat to medium and let the skin extract its oil.
  4. Once oil comes out give it a light mix just to make sure that skin does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
  5. Now fry the skin on its own oil until crispy.
  6. Drain, let it cool, serve and enjoy with ice cold beer

 

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7 Responses

  1. I love crispy skin, Duck, Pork, the fat from Lamb. And I always steal the crispiest Chicken skin if i roast a whole one (perk for being the cook). These look delicious, but now I just have to find loads of Chicken Skin LOL- do you just save it up in the freezer?

    • rsmacaalay says:

      Yup when I buy chicken, i love the thigh part and I debone on my own. So the bones and skin goes to freezer until I gather enough of them. Bones for soup and skin for this one, its deadly though 🙂

  2. peachkins says:

    my daughter’s favorite!

  3. Mhye says:

    glad I found this!!! I have more than a kilo of Chicken Skins.. will definitely try this now!!! crossing my fingers!!!

  4. Jasvinder says:

    To use the George Foreman designed electric contraptions which drain the fat due to the slope of the cooker , i collect large amount of the dripping fat . It leaves on the cooker crispy fat-free skin , and seperated oil , useful to fry onions and ginger and else for use in other dishes…… the skin eaten guilt-free !!!

  5. Byll says:

    Wow, I must try this! It’s my favorite but never tried it.

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