Vigorón with Boiled Yuca, Crispy Chicharrón and Tangy Cabbage Slaw

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-10-11 · Updated 2026-10-11

A street-food favorite from Costa Rica's Guanacaste region: tender boiled yuca topped with crunchy pork chicharrón and a bright cabbage-tomato slaw dressed with lime. This Costa Rican-inspired quick recipe, ready in about 40 minutes, pairs pork belly, cut into 1-inch pieces, green cabbage, finely shredded, Roma tomatoes, diced for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 680 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

• 2 lb fresh or frozen yuca, peeled and cut into chunks
• 3/4 lb pork belly, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 cups green cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeño, minced
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

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Instructions

1. Step 1: Put the yuca in a pot of salted water, bring to a boil and cook for 20–25 minutes, until fork-tender. Drain and remove the woody center cores.
2. Step 2: While the yuca cooks, season the pork belly with 1 tsp salt and put it in a skillet with 1/2 cup water. Cook over medium-high heat until the water evaporates, then fry in the rendered fat until crisp, about 20 minutes total. Drain.
3. Step 3: For the slaw, toss the cabbage, tomatoes, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, vinegar and the remaining salt. Let it sit for 10 minutes to soften slightly.
4. Step 4: To serve, put the warm yuca on a plate (traditionally a banana leaf), top with chicharrón and pile the cabbage slaw over everything.
5. Step 5: Serve right away with lime wedges.