chicharrón de pollo latin caribbean fried chicken bites

Air Fryer

Chicharrón de Pollo Latin Caribbean Fried Chicken Bites

Chicharrón de pollo, or chicharrones de pollo, is a common menu item at Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Cuban restaurants and casual eateries. This Latin Caribbean variation of fried chicken comes in various forms, including bone-in or boneless, breaded or unbreaded, and is made from the whole chicken or just the thighs or breasts. A common thread among all these variations is the generous seasoning that relies heavily on garlic, acid in either the form of lime or white vinegar, and a healthy dose of adobo, sazón, or both. These seasoning blends are easily found in most well-stocked grocery stores, but making them from scratch allows for personal preferences to truly shine through. While these are traditionally deep-fried in neutral oil, some variations also use lard. They also cook and crisp up wonderfully in an air fryer with a little help from some cooking oil spray. Serve with plenty of extra limes on the side, and pair it with white rice and stewed red beans for one of my all-time favorite comfort meals.

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
5 garlic cloves, grated
2 limes, zest and juice
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons diamond crystal kosher salt
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder or ½ teaspoon msg, optional
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon ground annatto
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons annatto oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 cups neutral oil, for deep frying
cooking oil spray, for air frying

Directions

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the chicken and all of the ingredients for the sazón. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour and up to overnight.
In a separate large shallow bowl or sheet tray, whisk together the all purpose flour, corn starch, salt, and white pepper. In batches, dredge chicken pieces thoroughly and dust off any excess. Place on a rack lined baking sheet.
For deep frying: In a deep skillet, heat 2 cups of neutral oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350ºF. In batches, cook for 4-5 minutes per side or until golden brown. Make sure your pan is not overcrowded so that the chicken crisps nicely. Drain on a paper towel lined sheet tray with a rack and immediately sprinkle with a little salt.
For air frying: Place breaded chicken pieces in one layer at the bottom of the air fryer basket ensuring to not overcrowd. Lightly spray with cooking oil and cook for 10 minutes at 400ºF. After the air fryer beeps, remove and shake the basket thoroughly. Spray with another light spritz of cooking oil and cook for an additional 10 minutes at 400ºF. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and immediately sprinkle with a little salt.
Serve hot with lime wedges. This would pair beautifully with fried plantains, rice and beans, or fries.