Chingon was formed by film director Robert Rodriguez to record songs for his 2003 film Once Upon a Time in Mexico. They contributed to Mexico and Mariachis, a compilation album to Rodriguez' Mariachi Trilogy, and released their debut album, Mexican Spaghetti Western, in 2004. The band's name comes from a Mexican slang term, chingón, loosely but closely enough meaning "badass" and/or "the shit".

Chingon also contributed the song "Malagueña Salerosa" to Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Volume 2 — which Rodriguez scored — and a live performance by the band was included on the film's DVD release. They also contributed to the soundtrack for his next film, a collaboration with Tarantino, Grindhouse, doing a cover of the film's opening theme, re-titling it "Cherry's Dance of Death". Rodríguez plays guitar in the band. The band has also made an appearance on "George Buys a Vow", an episode of the US sitcom George Lopez.