Chicharron is an important part of the Paisa cuisine so asking where to find the best chicharron in Medellin is a common question one has when visiting the City of Eternal Spring.
In this article, we cover what we believe are the most exciting and best chicharron in Medellin which helps you enjoy the hearty, greasy chunks of crispy meat to the fullest. Let’s jump to our results.
The best chicharron in Medellin can be found at:
1. La Gloria De Gloria
When people wait in line for over an hour just to get a table at a small, local restaurant that is specialized in chicharron, you simply must admit that that local restaurant does something really good with the chicharron they serve. The name of that restaurant is La Gloria De Gloria, which is located in Envigado, and it’s an insinuation when it comes to chicharron in Medellin.
What makes La Gloria De Gloria so special is the huge platters they serve, all reasonably priced, which include the super crispy chicharron while maintaining a good degree of tenderness of the pork. You don’t visit this place when you’re on a diet, no, you visit this place when you are starving and ready to stuff yourself with typical Paisa comforting dishes.
The main attraction of this restaurant is the Almuerzo Completo (48,000 COP), which is a huge platter that comes with their huge chicharron, chorizo, fries, minced beef, rice and a fried egg together with a plate of morcilla (Colombian blood sausage) and a red bean-based soup.
Usually, this plate is large enough for two people. For real chicharron enthusiasts, there is the option to order the Chicharron (38,000 COP), which is a plate with chicharron, morcilla and fried arepas.
Tip: La Gloria De Gloria is a restaurant that is always busy. Most local people visit this place during the weekend with their family (four persons and up). If you visit this place as a couple, you have a good chance to skip the line when there is a table for two available.
Relevant food article: Best Colombian restaurants in Medellin, What to eat in Medellin.
One of the most famous chicharron in Medellin at La Gloria De Gloria.
It’s incredibly crispy and comes in a huge portion!
The highlight of the menu: Almuerzo Completo (48,000 COP)
2. La Matriarca
La Matriarca is yet another chicharron specialist in Medellin. Their menu is full of typical, traditional Colombian dishes and their speciality, Chicharron, is added to several amazing dishes.
Let’s discuss what makes this Chicharron so delicious.
Contrary to the previously recommended La Gloria De Gloria, La Matriarca’s Chicharron is more subtle in many ways.
First of all, the portion is smaller, yet it has much more meat to it.
Secondly, the meat is incredibly succulent, whereas the Chicharron of La Gloria De Gloria is completely crisp.
Lastly, there is a smokiness added to the Chicharron, which gives it a unique flavour. When choosing between La Gloria De Gloria and La Matriarca, the best way to describe their differences is like eating something robust versus something subtle.
To enjoy Chicharron at La Matriarca to the fullest, we suggest ordering one of their bestsellers, namely the so-called Paella de Chicharron (48,000 COP), although there are several other tasty options available on the menu that includes Chicharron.
Relevant food articles: Best Colombian restaurants in Medellin, Best breakfast in Medellin.
Tocina al Cajón (46,900 COP)
Paella de Chicharron (48,000 COP)
3. La Choripolleria
This restaurant, with two branches in the city, is specialized in three things: roasted chicken, homemade chorizo and of course, chicharron. Their limited menu consists of dishes that combine these three specialities. The most popular dishes are their burgers and their picadas.
We highly recommend you try their Chicharron Rostizado (25,900 COP), which is a plate full of their super-tender chicharron accompanied with fries, arepas and coleslaw.
Like most of their dishes, the Chicharron Rostizado is served with two fantastic sauces. Especially their garlic sauce goes perfect with both the fries and the chicharron.
While most chicharron in Medellin we’ve tried are super crispy, the chicharron at La Choripolleria is much more juicy and tender, which is surprisingly tasty.
Relevant food article: Best burgers in Medellin.
Chicharron Rostizado (25,900 COP)
Crispy on the outside, super tender on the inside.
Specialized in crispy and succulent chicharron. Delicious!
4. Alambique
Arguably the best Ceviche de Chicharron can be found at Alambique, one of the many popular and trendy Colombian restaurants in Poblado. The quality of the chicharron is outstanding: super crisp on the outside while the inside of the pork belly is nicely succulent. A quality that we haven’t seen anywhere else.
Most dishes at Alambique are large and are perfect to share as a group. A plate of their signature dish is filled with a whopping 800-grams fried pork belly covered in delicious sourness. This restaurant is not a local eatery and due to its popularity, making a reservation is basically mandatory.
The Ceviche de Chicharron cost you 68,000 COP, which is pricy but then again, it’s a sharing platter. During one of our visits, the pork belly was sold out, unfortunately. We are not sure if this happens often, but it just proves the popularity of this tasty dish.
Relevant food article: Best restaurants in Medellin.
Best Ceviche de Chicharron in Medellin at Alambique!
Chicharrón Con Costilla (38,000 COP)
5. Hacienda
Hacienda is one of our favourite traditional Colombian restaurants in the city. Their menu consists of typical Colombian food and part of the menu is devoted to Chicharron dishes.
One of the surprisingly tasty options is the Crispetas de Chicharron (17,900 COP), which is a small platter with deep-fried Chicharron.
What is so different about this Chicharron? It’s coated with a layer of batter and then deep-fried, so the crispy Chicharron has an extra crunchy layer, which is really tasty.
It’s served with potatoes and chicharron as the papas are covered in a light creamy dressing. Absolutely delicious!
Hacienda is known for its soups and the Crispetas de Chicharron goes perfectly together with a plate of Sancocho or a more richly filled soup like the Lentejas. Hacienda has several branches in Medellin.
Relevant food article: Best breakfast in Medellin.
Deep-Fried Chicharron at Hacienda – Crispetas de Chicharron (17,900 COP)
This Trio Antioqueño comes with regular crispy chicharron and is served with typical bites from the Antioquian region
Do you want to know more about the Colombian gastronomy? Check out our article about what to eat in Colombia, which is an extensive article that covers the basics of the Colombian cuisine as well as many dishes you should try in each culinary region of Colombia. If you’re solely looking for food in Medellin, check our articles about what to eat in Medellin and the best Colombian restaurants in Medellin. Ideal for those who are planning to travel around this beautiful country as well as update their basic knowledge about this diverse gastronomy.
This article will be updated in the upcoming weeks and many more of the best chicharron in Medellin will be added soon.