Costa Rican chifrijo consists of a steaming bowl of tender beans in a delicious broth topped with chicharrón (pork belly), a little bit of chimichurri, and chili peppers, served with tortilla chips.

Costa Rican Chifrijo served with chimichurri and chips

What is chifrijo?

The word chifrijo is a combination of words from the different dishes found in this recipe, such as chicharrón (pork rinds), chimichurri, and frijoles (beans).

It is served as a bocado (bite) or appetizer in bars, hostels, and restaurants in the capital of San José, frequented by natives, as well as foreigners.

This dish dates back to the nineties. Created by Miguel Cordero who owned a restaurant located in Tibás, province of San José.

According to Mr. Cordero one night when he arrived hungry at his restaurant, he took 3 small bowls and added beans, topped them with chicharrón, chimichurri (pico de Gallo), and a few spicy chili peppers. Happy with the first bite he took, he gave one to the cook to try it and the other one to one of his clients.

The client suggested adding it to the menu, as it was a truly delicious combination.

Little by little it became popular among the clientele, and even crossed the walls of the restaurant itself to settle in other kitchens, until it became one of the most famous bocados in the country. It is served with beer and is usually a highly acclaimed tapa in bars.

Cordero stressed that, even though many imitations include rice and avocado, the original creation has never had them. That is one of the arguments he highlights when defending his authorship of the dish that so many now copy.

He acknowledged that chifrijo with rice doesn’t taste bad and some customers ask for it that way, so “if they want rice, then we’ll make it for them,” he says with a laugh in the interview he gave a few years back to Forjadorres – Canal UCR.

Our recipe for chifrijo

With Miguel Cordero’s permission, our recipe includes rice and avocado. And the next change we made, is serving it as a main dish instead of an appetizer. Of course, you can serve it as an appetizer as well, and get double or triple the number of servings.

This chifrijo has a combination of different dishes, which makes it time-consuming to make. But we have a few tips on how to make it go smoothly for you.

What beans do you use in chifrijo?

In Costa Rica cubace (Phaseolus coccineus) beans, which grow quite well there, are used to make this dish. These are tender beans that take 25 to 30 minutes to cook.

For this recipe, we replaced them with dark red kidney beans.

In the recipe card, the instructions tell you how to cook them on the stovetop, but the beans can be cooked in a pressure cooker, or a slow cooker as well.

The beans can be made up to 5 days before using them, and freeze well for up to 3 months.

Costa Rican Chimichurrri - Pico de Gallo

Costa Rican chimichurri (pico de Gallo)

Costa Rican chimichurri is a mixture of diced vegetables (similar to Mexican pico de Gallo).

This preparation is used as an accompaniment to different dishes, to put on tostadas, on a chifrijo, or just as a salad at lunch or dinner.

It can be made up to 2 days before serving.

Making chicharrón

Pork belly is used for this recipe. Cook the fatty pieces first, so the fat renders out and can be used to cook the rest of the pork. This dish is best made the same day it’s going to be served.

Some people like to use a mixture of pork skin and pork belly to make chicharrón. If that’s the case for you, cook the pork skin first, and then the pork belly.

Rice: the easy step

The rice is easy to make and it doesn’t take long to cook. It can be made before serving it.

How to serve chifrijo

Use a bowl to serve chifrijo. Serve it in small portions, as you are pilling up different dishes into the bowl.

Start with rice, then the beans with broth, and chicharrones. Top it with some chimichurri and a splash of your favorite hot sauce. Place sliced avocados and a few pieces of tortilla chips around the bowl.

Yield: 5 (dinner) servings

Costa Rican Chifrijo

Name: Costa Rican Chifrijo
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: Costa Rican
Ingredients: 2 cups (16 ounces) dry dark red kidney beans*; 14 cups (112 fl. ounces) water; 1/2 onion, cut in chunks; 1 garlic clove; 1 celery stalk; 2 teaspoon salt; 2 pounds pork belly, cut into bite size cubes; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 cup long grain rice; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 2 tablespoons onions, diced; 2 tablespoons bell pepper, diced; 1 teaspoon garlic, diced; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 cups water; 1 large tomato, seeded and diced; 1/2 bell pepper, diced; 1/2 onion, diced; 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped; Juice from 1/2 lime; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1 avocado, sliced; Tortilla chips

Costa Rican chifrijo is a layered dish of tender beans topped with chicharrón (pork belly), and chimichurri, served with tortilla chips.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the beans

2 cups (16 ounces) dry dark red kidney beans*
14 cups (112 fl. ounces) water
1/2 onion, cut in chunks
1 garlic clove
1 celery stalk
2 teaspoon salt

For the chicharrón

2 pounds pork belly, cut into bite size cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

For the rice

1 cup long grain rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons onions, diced
2 tablespoons bell pepper, diced
1 teaspoon garlic, diced
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water

For the chimichurri

1 large tomato, seeded and diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Juice from 1/2 lime
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

To serve

1 avocado, sliced
Tortilla chips

Instructions

For the beans

Place the dry beans in a large bowl. Cover them with 2 inches of water and soak overnight.
Drain the soaking water and rinse the beans.
To a large pot, add the water, beans, onion, garlic, and celery. Bring to boil and cook, uncovered for 1 hour.
Add the salt, lower the heat, cover and cook for another 20 minutes. Set aside. (This can be done up to 5 days in advance and stored, covered in the refrigerator.)

For the chicharrón

Season the meat and separate the chunks with more fat.
In a skillet, over medium-high heat, cook the fatty pieces first until crispy (about 15 minutes). Remove and place them on a plate lined with a paper towel.
Add the rest of the pork to the skillet and cook for 15 to 25 minutes, or until all pieces are crispy. Remove the cooked pork and fat and set aside.

For the rice

In a small pot, heat oil. Sauté onions, bell pepper, and garlic for about 1 minute.
Lower the heat, add the rice and stir for 2 minutes.
Add the water and salt. Cover the pot and let it cook for 15 minutes.

For the chimichurri

In a small bowl, mix all ingredients and set aside. (Can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored, covered in the refrigerator.)

To serve

In a bowl, add rice. Top with beans, chicharron, and chimichurri. Add sliced avocado and tortilla chips.

Notes

*If using canned beans, use 2 – 15.5 oz. No Salt Added Dark Red Kidney Beans. Drain and rinse. To a small pot, add the beans, enough water to cover them, onion, celery, salt, and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1/5 of recipe
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 831

If you liked this recipe, here are some similar dishes you may enjoy!

Lizet

Lizet is Bolivian and lives in Paraguay. Through friends and travel she has developed her love of food. From Africa to Asia, Europe to the Americas, there is always something new to try when you come to dinner. You can find more of Lizet’s tasty creations on her website ChipaByTheDozen.com. You can also find her on Instagram and Facebook.

chipabythedozen.com/en/