Chicharrón de chile verde translates to green chile crackling. One is referring to pork cracklings most of the time. In this case I am talking about crispy fried green chile peppers that are delicious for garnishing all of your favorite Mexican food and more! Included in this post is a bonus flour tortilla recipe showing how I use the chile oil.
Chicharrón de Chile Verde! Bonus Flour Tortilla Recipe!
Most any form of fat can be used to prepare homemade flour tortillas. Pork lard, vegetable shortening, butter, coconut oil, beef tallow, cooking oil will all work. The flavor and texture may be just slightly different depending on what you use. It’s up to you. In the video recipe I decided to use some of the oil infused with the green chile pepper flavor. The dough was easy to roll out and the cooked tortillas were thin, soft and flexible.
Choose Your Favorite Chile Peppers!
I love fresh jalapeño, but my first choice is always serrano peppers. Today I combined the two! Try a mix of fresh chile peppers like red jalapeños, chile guero and serrano. At the end you could mix in some crushed chile de arbol or chile piquin! I will definitely try that combo soon!
I prefer not to let the peppers fry too dark, or they can taste bitter.
It’s never a good idea to walk away when it comes to frying or toasting peppers. In a split second it can go from good to burnt and there is no way to fix it!
If you would like more of a salsa macha consistency, you can chop your ingredients smaller. Just know that thy will fry up faster and reduce in size.
It’s best to store in glass jars. Plastic will absorb the flavors. It will keep on the counter at room temperature for up to 6 months.
Chicharrón de Chile Verde
Equipment
- 1 medium skillet
Ingredients
Chicharrón de Chile Verde-Green Chile Oil
- 6 medium to large jalapeños peppers
- 4 large serrano peppers
- 1/4 medium white onion
- 2-3 large cloves of garlic
- 1/3-1/2 tsp salt
Tortillas
- 4 c ap flour, plus 1/3 c for dredging later
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup, plus 1 tbsp chile oil
- 1 1/4 c hot water
- 2 tbsps oil, shortening or lard
Instructions
Chile oil
- Wash the peppers, then dry them off. Slice them into thick rings and set them aside. Slice the onion into a large dice. Remove the skins from the garlic.
- Transfer the peppers and onion to the medium skillet. Cover with enough oil so the ingredients begin to float. It could be a little more than 2 cups. Turn heat to medium. I prefer to start with the cold oil instead of preheating it first.
- After several minutes, the ingredients will begin to fry lightly. You will begin to stir the ingredients now and then and the frying becomes more intensified. Stir often for the next 25-30 minutes. If they are caramelizing too fast, turn the heat down slightly. Add the garlic and sprinkle in the salt. Continue frying until you get an even color and some darkening around the edges of the peppers and onions. This may take another 20 minutes or more.
- If you are happy the color of the ingredients, you can transfer the fried chiles to a plate lined with paper towels. The peppers will turn crisp as they cool. You can store the strained oil in glass jars. Or you can store the chiles in the oil as serve as a green version of salsa macha. Use the oil for cooking, salad dressings, marinades or creamy blended salsas.
Tortillas
- In a large bowl, add the flour. Mix in the salt. Add the chile oil and stir to combine or use your hands to mix. Gradually mix in the water a little at a time. You may or may not use the entire amount. The dough should feel sticky. If so, continue kneading the dough on a flat surface until it feels smooth and stops sticking to your hands. Cover with plastic or a damp paper towel and let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes.
- When ready, divide the dough into 14-15 equal parts and roll into balls. You can slightly flatten so they resemble a disc shape. Place in an even layer in a shallow bowl or sheet pan. Rub the extra shortening, oil or lard on your fingers and apply a light coat on the tops of the dough balls. Cover once again and let them rest for another 10-15 minutes.
- In the meantime, preheat your griddle(comal) to medium heat as you get ready to roll out the tortillas. When ready, dredge the masa balls/disc in the reserved flour. With a rolling pin, roll up then down until it looks even, just once. Rotate slightly and repeat rolling up and then down. Continue rolling and rotating as needed, flipping the whole tortilla over, if needed. If it sticks to the counter, sprinkle on minimal flour to help roll out easier.
- Cook tortillas on preheated griddle for about less than a minute total time. Flip over as soon as you see a lot of bubbles. If the tortillas are browning too fast, turn the heat down slightly. Flip over a second time and tortillas should inflate a bit, sometimes a lot! Transfer cooked tortillas to a warmer and keep covered. Stack cooked tortillas. The steam created will yield a soft, flexible tortilla. Cool completely before storing in a plastic storage bag. They will last on the counter fresh for only a few days. Refrigerated for 7-9 days. Reheat on hot griddle for 20 seconds per side.
Notes
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