I am completely obsessed with the comforting and mild yet deeply flavorful world of Chilean food. I have gathered 20 amazing recipes that beautifully showcase the local culture mixed with European flair. You are going to love the incredible corn, tender meats, and insanely sweet desserts waiting for you below.
20 Traditional Chilean Dishes You Need to Try
1. Chilean Tomato and Onion Salad
Please do not let the prep time on this gorgeous salad frighten you away. The majority of the time is simply spent letting the onions soak in saltwater while the tomatoes marinate in olive oil and lime juice.
Once everything is perfectly tender and sweet, you just arrange it on a plate with fresh cilantro. I love serving this bright dish alongside hearty empanadas for a beautifully balanced meal.
2. Chilean Sea Bass
This famous worldwide dish truly tastes like pure heaven on a plate. The incredibly tender fish is completely drenched in a silky lemon beurre blanc sauce.
Its texture is so perfectly succulent that it basically melts on your tongue without needing to be chewed. I firmly believe this rich recipe will convert even the biggest seafood skeptics into hardcore fans.
3. Choripan
Say hello to the ultimate meaty sandwich loaded with thick smoky chorizo and fluffy bread. This is actually one of the few genuinely spicy meals in the cuisine.
It comes absolutely slathered in fresh chimichurri sauce, garlic, and vinegar for a massive punch of flavor. You will totally want to serve these beautiful creations on game day alongside your favorite cold beer.
4. Brazo de Reina (Chilean Dulce de Leche Cake)
Anyone who has successfully made a rolled cake before will breeze right through this elegant recipe. The light and airy sponge cake is baked flat and then generously dusted with powdered sugar.
You simply spread a thick layer of dulce de leche inside before rolling it up into a beautiful log shape. I highly suggest grabbing a slice immediately before your family devours the entire thing.
5. Mote con Huesillos
I am completely in love with this sugary fruit drink on a blistering summer afternoon. It combines dried peaches, a cinnamon stick, and citrus peel with either cooked pearled barley or wheat berries.
The addition of the cooked grains gives the beverage a wonderfully chunky and filling texture. It is basically the ultimate sweet refreshment for a sunny day.
6. Pastel de Choclo
This incredible corn pie is essentially a beautifully sweet and savory casserole experience. A creamy layer of corn, butter, and basil hides a complex filling of seasoned beef, chicken, onions, olives, eggs, and raisins.
There is just so much fantastic flavor going on beneath that beautiful yellow crust. I promise your entire family is going to fall madly in love with this comforting meal.
7. Chilean Estofado Beef Stew
This rich and hearty beef stew is about to become your favorite cool weather meal. It features tender beef, carrots, onions, and potatoes swimming in a thick tomato sauce.
A magical blend of cumin, oregano, and paprika brings the whole pot to life. The absolute best part is that this incredibly complex tasting dish comes together in just forty minutes.
8. Tres Leches Cake
This insanely fluffy cake is guaranteed to be one of the softest and creamiest desserts you ever experience. The light vanilla base is soaked in three types of milk and crowned with a glorious pillowy whipped cream.
I love how you can customize the top with fresh strawberries, bananas, or a heavy drizzle of caramel. Every single exquisite bite will leave you completely speechless.
9. Chilean Chorrillana Fries
Step aside basic chili cheese fries because this loaded potato platter is the ultimate decadent treat. The golden fries are completely buried under juicy steak, eggs, and sweet caramelized onions.
It is a wildly heavy dish that always leaves my stomach full and my heart happy. I will gladly devour an entire plate of this savory masterpiece without a single regret.
10. Completos (Chilean Hot Dogs)
These gorgeous creations put standard baseball park hot dogs to absolute shame. You just cook up your links normally and then pile on an epic mountain of colorful toppings.
I am talking about a wild mix of mashed avocados, tomatoes, onions, mustard, and ketchup. You might doubt this unique combination at first but the flavors meld together perfectly.
11. Empanadas de Pino (Chilean Beef Empanadas)
I have an absolutely massive weakness for empanadas. Just picture a golden pastry crust stuffed to the brim with a warm and savory beef filling. Eating one of these beauties feels like pure nostalgic comfort food straight from childhood.
If you are new to the empanada game, just imagine the flaky perfection of an apple pie but made completely savory. You are going to be obsessed.
12. Chacarero (Chilean Steak Sandwich)
Prepare yourself because this incredibly thick steak sandwich will ruin normal fast food burgers for you forever. It features a massive pile of juicy steak tucked into a soft roll with tomatoes and hot sauce.
The unexpected star of the show is the layer of perfectly crisp green beans adding a magical crunch. After one bite of this boldly flavored masterpiece, you will wonder how you ever lived without it.
13. Chilean Thousand Layer Cake
This spectacular dessert boasts a massive amount of incredibly crispy and flaky layers. Each level is packed tight with sweet dulce de leche, chopped walnuts, and powdered sugar.
It is an intensely sweet masterpiece that will absolutely send you straight into a happy sugar rush. I always make sure to serve this beauty with a hot cup of coffee to balance out those rich flavors.
14. Humitas
You need to try this authentic vegan appetizer before your next big feast. They do require a decent amount of prep time in the kitchen.
I actually love the process because it creates a really fun family bonding experience while cooking together. All that dedicated effort is completely worth it once you taste the final deliciously fresh results.
15. Manjar
This phenomenal creation requires a whole lot of stirring but the final result is wildly worth the effort. It resembles a homemade caramel sauce but tastes infinitely creamier and sweeter.
My biggest problem is resisting the urge to eat the entire bowl with a spoon right out of the kitchen. I personally love dunking salty pretzels into this creamy dip for the ultimate snack time joy.
16. Marraqueta
These beautiful double rolls feature a glorious crispy exterior hiding a wonderfully fluffy inside. You only need five basic ingredients and less than an hour to bake a batch yourself.
They deliver a yeasty profile with the faintest hint of sweetness in every single bite. I absolutely love using them to build epic sliders or tiny sandwiches.
17. Chilean Pumpkin Sopapillas
I am totally amazed by how these five ingredient pumpkin sopapillas work as either a sweet or savory dish. You can drizzle them with honey, whipped cream, or molasses sauce for a magical dessert moment.
They also taste completely spectacular when covered in a fresh and savory vegetable salsa. You really cannot go wrong no matter how you decide to dress them up.
18. Chilean Alfajores
I am deeply obsessed with these thin and buttery wafer cookies. They are the perfect bite sized treat and come together in under an hour.
You sandwich a thick dollop of sweet dulce de leche right in the middle for an authentic dessert experience. You can even dunk the entire finished cookie into melted chocolate if you want to be extra decadent.
19. Country Chilean Bread
I initially had my doubts about this flat little bread. It turns out these round baked goods act perfectly as a spectacular sandwich base.
I highly recommend stuffing them full of eggs, bacon, and sweet honey butter for breakfast. They are also incredibly versatile and work beautifully alongside any main meal you can imagine.
20. Pebre
This vibrant condiment is basically the ultimate fresh salsa experience. It comes together in just fifteen minutes using tomatoes, onions, garlic, cilantro, peppers, and olive oil.
The result is a brilliantly clean and bold garden flavor that enhances absolutely everything it touches. I highly recommend spooning this addicting mixture over salads, warm bread, or your favorite chips.