Chifrijo with Beans and Chicharrón

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-10-15 · Updated 2026-10-15

A bar-snack classic built in a bowl: warm rice and red beans topped with crisp pork chicharrón, tangy pico de gallo, and creamy avocado. It comes together in about 30 minutes and is served with tortilla chips for scooping. This Costa Rican-inspired quick recipe, ready in about 40 minutes, pairs pork belly, cut into 3/4-inch cubes, cooked white rice, Salsa Lizano for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 780 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 lb pork belly, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 2 cups cooked red beans (or canned, drained and rinsed)
• 2 tbsp Salsa Lizano
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced
• 4 cups tortilla chips
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup water

The pan we’d use for this → Best Nonstick Cookware for 2026: Top 5 Skillet Picks + Buying Guide

Instructions

1. Step 1: Season the pork belly cubes with 1 tsp salt. Put them in a large heavy skillet with 1/2 cup water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook uncovered for about 12 minutes, until the water evaporates and the fat starts to render.
2. Step 2: Lower the heat to medium and keep frying the pork in its own fat for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until the outside is deep golden and crisp. Move the chicharrón to a paper-towel-lined plate and pour off all but 1 tbsp of the fat.
3. Step 3: In the same skillet, sauté the yellow onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the red beans, cumin, Salsa Lizano and a splash of water. Simmer for 4 minutes and lightly mash a few beans to thicken the mixture.
4. Step 4: While the beans simmer, make the pico de gallo (chimichurri tico). Combine the tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice and 1/2 tsp salt.
5. Step 5: Rewarm the rice. To assemble, divide the rice among 4 bowls, then layer on the beans, chicharrón and a generous spoonful of pico de gallo.
6. Step 6: Top each bowl with avocado slices and serve right away with tortilla chips on the side for scooping.