12 Top Chilean Recipes To Invigorate Up Your Dinner
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Trying out different cuisines can be a super fun and exciting experience – but you need to find the right authentic recipes to get a real taste of a country’s cuisine.
If you have been thinking about delving into Chilean cuisine and trying out all the different dishes and sides the country is known for, then this is the place for you.
We have gathered the best Chilean recipes for some of the country’s most classic dishes so you can make them in the comfort of your own home.
Check out the list below, pick out the recipes that interest you the most, and enjoy!
This simple Chilean dish is a good choice if you are trying Chilean cuisine for the first time. This is because it’s so easy to make that you are way less likely to mess it up. Plus, it’s a general crowd-pleaser in Chile thanks to its tangy taste.
Ensalada Chilena is exactly what it sounds like on the tin – it’s a Chilean salad that uses tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. The end result is a light salad that is perfect for summer!
So, if you want some authentic Chilean side dishes, you can’t go wrong with ensalada Chilena.
Hallullas are the Chilean answer to soft, crumbly biscuits.
It’s technically a type of baked bread that can be used for sandwiches or are sliced and buttered for a light lunch or snack. Hallullas are widely enjoyed across Chile and can be enjoyed at breakfast, lunch, or served as a side at the dinner table.
Because of this, this hallulla recipe is definitely one you will want to try so you can make your Chilean meal feel even more authentic.
Another type of bread widely consumed in Chile is marraqueta.
Marraquetas are large, crispy rolls of bread. They share a lot of similarities with French bread but they have their own unique shape that makes them stand out.
This type of bread is consumed by some Chileans each and every day so it’s a great side to serve up at dinner time or to make sandwiches during lunch or breakfast. So, follow the recipe above to make your own batch of marraquetas!
Beef stew is a dish widely consumed in Central and South America. Each country – Columbia, Peru, Argentina – has their own version of a beef stew. Chile also has its own recipe for a beef estofado stew.
It’s hearty and rich, filled with chunky vegetables and tender beef. The sauce is made from a thin puree of mashed potatoes and carrots, so it’s packed with vitamins.
This makes it an ideal comfort food for when you are feeling sick or just want to shake off the chill of a winter evening.
If beef is not your style, you can swap out the meat for lamb or chicken instead – but the recipe we’ve linked to uses beef.
Another tasty stew that hails from Chile is porotos granados.
This stew is primarily made from lima beans but it also contains classic Chilean ingredients like butternut squash and corn to help give it a light, sweet flavor.
This makes it a great stew to enjoy on cold nights and in the height of summer, as you can cook this dish then leave it to cool.
Plus, it’s super easy to make – so it’s definitely a Chilean recipe you will be tempted to try.
Empanadas are a popular dish from Chile as it can be enjoyed as a filling lunch-time snack, or as part of a larger meal in the evening.
They are actually eaten across Latin and South America, but Chile has put its own spin on this classic Latin American dish.
Chilean empanadas can contain a ton of different ingredients including olives, raising, onion, egg, and beef.
The filling is wrapped and baked in smooth dough that cooks into a crusty texture. The end result is a filling kind of pastry packed with a sweet and savory filling.
They’re a little more challenging to make as you need to make both the pastry and the filling yourself. However, they are well worth the effort!
Humitas are steamed corn cakes that are often mixed up with tamales. While tamales and humitas look very similar and are cooked in similar methods, they use different types of corn which provide a different texture and flavor.
Chilean humitas are made using fresh maize paste known as choclo. The choclo is mixed with a spice like paprika or merquen, onions, and basil for extra flavor. Then, it’s all boiled while wrapped inside corn leaves.
It’s a more unusual Chilean dish that is a lot of fun to try cooking yourself.
Chile knows how to make a delicious loaded fries dish. Chorrillana fries are easily one of the best side dishes to try making yourself as they’re just so dang tasty!
This dish is basically a plate of hot fries that are topped with a ton of meat (like pulled pork, beef, or chorizo), fried or caramelized onions, and fried eggs.
There’s no need for additional sauce or salsa because the meat is usually marinated and the eggs are best served with a runny yolk so it drips down over the meat and fries.
You can serve chorrillana fries as a side dish or pile on the meat and fries to turn it into an indulgent, filling main meal. It’s a great dish to serve during sports games and buffets.
So, this is definitely one of the best Chilean recipes you need to try out for yourself.
If you want a recipe for an authentic Chilean sauce, then try out this recipe for pebre.
Pebre is a sauce that shares a lot in common with salsa but has its own, unique taste. It’s traditionally made from onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, and cilantro.
This gives it a nice bite and tang that tastes great when paired with other dishes and meals from Chile.
The recipe above will show you how to make a fantastic authentic pebre for your meal. It works well with seafood (like bass, clams, or mussels) and also other light meats like chicken.
Of course, you can’t go wrong with spreading a thin layer over some bread either.
This makes pebre a versatile, easy dish to whip up to really take your Chilean dinner to the next level.
After that huge meal, wouldn’t it be nice to kick back and treat yourself to something sweet?
One Chilean dessert you can serve up once the main meal is over are sopaipillas. These are made from fried dough powdered with sugar (like doughnuts) and served with a dipping sauce made from honey and cinnamon.
Sopaipillas are eaten across Latin America but in Chile, they are also made with a sweet pumpkin puree to make them that little extra sweeter.
Final Thoughts
And that’s it! Those are the 12 top Chilean recipes for you to try out at home. From authentic Chilean breads to hearty hot stews to sweet desserts to enjoy after the main meal is over, there are a ton of great Chilean dishes you can try out for yourself.
Check out the list of recipes above, pick out the recipes that best appeal to you, and give them a try! Who knows, you may discover a whole new Good luck and happy cooking!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Chile’s Most Famous Dish?
The most well known dish to come from Chilean cuisine is probably pastel de choclo, a corn-based dish that tastes pretty sweet.
If you want to learn more about pastel de choclo and link to a recipe to make it for yourself, you can find it in the list above!
What Is A Typical Chilean Breakfast?
Breakfast in Chile is not a big meal so it’s fairly simple. Most Chileans drink either a cup of coffee or tea, and drink it alongside some toast or a sandwich.
For an authentic Chilean breakfast experience, try using either hallulla bread or marraqueta bread for your morning toast or sandwich.
