What a cool idea!! While I remember the issue of Gourmet I must have missed this one. I'm working on some bar snack recipes and I think these will be perfect, I'm picturing a nice crispy south of the border beer pairing and life is looking good!!

I'm just curious as to why you wouldn't just go ahead and deep fry them if you are going to use 1/2 inch of oil anyway.

You don't have to throw away as much oil at the end of the cooking, so it's less expensive this way. Also, hot oil is dangerous. The less of it you have in your kitchen (outside of a deep fryer which we don't have) the better. ~Elise

I like the sound of this recipe. I checked out the Appetite for China link, too, and think the mention of adding cilantro as a topping is a good one. I'm wondering what I could substitute for the rum in the marinade that would still give the recipe flavor? Thanks for another unique recipe, Elise!

Heavenly! Thank you for the great recipe idea, always looking for new ways to make chicken that my husband will enjoy.

Those look fantastic! I'm copying that recipe right now.

I love the combo of rum and lime, and the suggestion to use less oil. Less oil sounds less scary, both in terms of fat, and of grease spattering all over the kitchen!

This sounds great! Can I do away with the rum and the soy sauce? Or is there a substitute I can use? I'm not too keen on using rum for the kids (is it okay though? won't taste too 'rummy'?) and one of them is allergic to soy.

Otherwise, I'll make it for myself! :o)

It won't taste rummy. The rum is needed to help the marinade penetrate. It is totally okay for the kids as there is practically no alcohol left at the end of the cooking process. As for the soy sauce, you could substitute Worcestershire sauce. ~Elise

If you used pork belly instead of chicken, would the recipe be the same?

Try this recipe from Nikas Culinaria for deep fried pork belly. ~Elise

This sounds good! Should the skin stay on the chicken?

By the way, there's a Jewish version of chicharones -- the pork rind type, that is. It's chicken fat and skin cut up and rendered slowly with some onion slices and a little bit of water. You get rendered chicken fat to use for frying or sauteing (keeps well in refrigerator for a long time), and delicious, crispy-fried pieces of chicken skin and fried onions. Sprinkle the "gribines" with kosher salt and enjoy! (That's what it's called -- pronounced gri-bin-ess, accent on first syllable.) Not good for the heart or the waistline, if eaten regularly. ;-)

Oh, yum. These look really tasty. The last time I fried chicken it created a bit of a mess, but this looks worth it.

I'll bet you could make it a fabulous salt-free recipe, too. There are so few really tasty/spicy ones.

What a fabulous recipe, and so easy to make! A few modifications I will make: honey in place of sugar (or I may try maple syrup), maybe sea salt instead of soy sauce since we don't eat soy, and another type of flour - maybe splelt or almond flour. Thanks, Elise!

We have chicharon in the Philippines, too. Pork skin and chicken skin are the popular ones. I will definitely try this. Thanks!

My mother and I made these at her house the other day. They were pretty good I suppose. My friends devoured them, but the flavor was nothing too spectacular... Pretty much just a fried chicken nugget. I liked the taste of the squeezed lime on the finished product though. And the hot sauce, for me, was a no brainer. Not quite as wonderful as most of the other recipes I've tried from this site, but still, very edible. Keep em coming Elise.

I made a batch of these superbowl night. I'd have to agree with John G though, without the extra lime and hot sauce (I used tabasco) drizzled across the top, the flavour would have been fairly subtle. I think next time I would add a bit more lime for marinating and I would "toss" the chicken with hot sauce and extra lime after cooking,rather than just drizzling. All in all though, as an Australian doing my bit on superbowl night, this still went down very well with everyone and within minutes of putting these out, they were gone.

I'm a little tardy on the chicharrones, but again I have to point to Cuban restaurants in Miami...
It is true, chicharrones are traditionally made with pork or pork rind, in Cuba as well as in Mexico.
But in Miami, where even the traditional fried foods are being re-thought for healthier living, chicken chicharrones are served in most Cuban restaurants. They are, of course, delicious...and the method of preparation makes them virtually as flavorful as pork chicharrones. They are usually served smothered with a mound of sauteed till translucent, but not browned, onions (in Spanish, "reahogadas").

The traditionalist can still ask for pork chicharrones or "masitas de puerco."

Another good re-think is "filete de pollo a la plancha," a chicken fillet that has been pounded thin and prepared like a "bistec de palomilla" or thin steak. This is a grilled chicken fillet seasoned with garlic, served with translucent onions and garnished with parsley. Mmmmm....

Ricardo

These came out exactly like the Dominican restaraunt in NYC makes them. Now I can make them at home instead of driving to the city to have them...Thanks Elise

Wow, these were so good I had to prevent my boyfriend + 1 guest from eating the whole before I even reached the table (they were cutting me out of the enjoyment session...ME, THE COOK!!)! The delicate aroma the chicken flesh got after it was marinated, wonderfully blended with the "picante" twist of the paprika (even tho I cut the amount of that a bit because we are not into really spicy foods). Next time I think I will let the pollo marinate a little longer in the fridge...can't wait to make the scents of soy, rum and lime a little more persistent in these awesome nuggets. grazie Elise! :)