Chilean Foods: Recipes, Drinks, Desserts & Cooking Guides

Sabores que nos unen ♡

🇨🇱 Traditional Chilean Food: 25 Dishes You Need to Try

Your complete guide to Chilean cuisine. Discover must-try dishes, staple ingredients, cooking techniques, and everything you need to know about the food of Chile.

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✦ October’s Featured Dish

Terremoto

Sweet pipeño wine topped with pineapple ice cream and a splash of grenadine. The drink poured at every fonda during Chile's Fiestas Patrias in September.

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Explore Chilean Food

Breads

Sopapillas and the breads of Chile's table.

Desserts

Brazo de reina and Chile's favorite sweet treats.

Drinks

Terremoto, cola de mono, and Chile's favorite beverages.

Empanadas

Empanadas de pino, Chile's beloved beef empanadas.

Holiday Dishes

Pan de Pascua, cola de mono and the Christmas asado.

Ingredients

Pisco, marraqueta, and the pantry staples of Chilean cooking.

Main Dishes

Pastel de choclo, bistec a lo pobre and chorrillana.

Sandwiches

Churrasco italiano and Chile's iconic sandwiches.

Seafood

Fresh catches from Chile's 2,600-mile coastline.

Side Dishes

The classic sides that round out a Chilean meal.

Soups & Stews

Hearty traditional Chilean soups and stews.

Street Foods

Completos, empanadas de pino and sopaipillas.

The Complete Chilean Food Guide

25 traditional dishes, ingredients, and cooking guides in one place.

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Empanadas de Pino, Chile's Classic Beef Empanadas

Hand-folded pastries filled with seasoned beef, onions, olives, and egg.

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Pastel de Choclo, Corn and Beef Casserole

A sweet-savory casserole of ground beef and chicken under a golden corn crust.

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Chorrillana, Chile's Ultimate Comfort Food

A mountain of fries topped with beef, sausage, onions, and fried eggs.

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Bistec a lo Pobre, Steak, Potatoes & Eggs

A hearty steak plate piled with fries, caramelized onions, and fried eggs.

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Latest Chilean Recipes

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Charquicán Recipe: Chile’s Hearty Beef and Squash Stew

Yuca Fries (Yuca Frita): Crispy Fried, Baked & Air Fryer Recipe

Pebre Recipe: Fresh Chilean Salsa with Tomato & Cilantro

Pastel de Choclo Recipe: Traditional Chilean Corn Pie

Chilean Ingredients: 14 Essentials from Desert to Patagonia

Chilean Street Food: 14 Street Eats & Where to Find Them

25 Traditional Chilean Dishes You Need to Try (Authentic Chilean Food Guide)

20 Traditional Chilean Desserts and Sweet Treats

Pisco Sour Recipe: How to Make the Classic Peruvian Cocktail

Pan de Pascua, Traditional Chilean Fruitcake for the Holidays

A little Chilean curiosity

🇨🇱 Fun Facts About Chilean Foods

Big flavors. Little surprises. There’s a story in every bite.

✦¿Sabías
que?

Flag on a bun

Chile’s hot dog is an Italian flag.

The favorite completo, the “italiano,” is buried under mashed avocado, chopped tomato and mayonnaise: green, red and white. It takes two hands and a lot of napkins.

Tea time

Chileans eat “eleven” at 6 p.m.

The evening tea of bread, avocado, cheese and tea is called once, Spanish for eleven. One story says it was code for aguardiente, which has eleven letters. Nobody’s sure.

Chilean Food FAQs

A little curious? Open a question.

01Is Chilean food spicy?

Mostly not. Chilean cooking is built on bread, seafood, beans and corn. The heat comes from the table: merkén, a smoked chili seasoning, and pebre, a fresh salsa of cilantro, onion and ají.

Explore the Chilean pantry →

02What’s the national dish of Chile?

There’s no official one, but pastel de choclo is a strong favorite: a clay dish of beef, onion, olives and egg under a sweet, golden crust of ground fresh corn. Empanadas de pino are close behind.

Get the pastel de choclo recipe →

03Is pisco Chilean or Peruvian?

Both countries make it and both claim it. Chilean pisco comes from five northern valleys, is made from Muscat grapes and is sold by strength, from 30% to 46% alcohol.

Read about pisco →

04What is mote con huesillo?

Chile’s summer drink: sweet, cold nectar poured over dried peaches (huesillos) and cooked husked wheat (mote), sold from street carts and eaten with a spoon.

Make mote con huesillo →

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Chilean Food 101: Dishes You Need to Try

Chile is home to one of South America’s most distinctive culinary traditions, where Indigenous Mapuche heritage, Spanish influences, and the country’s remarkable geography have shaped a cuisine unlike any other. Stretching from the Atacama Desert to Patagonia, Chile’s diverse landscapes provide an abundance of fresh seafood, seasonal produce, hearty meats, and world-class wines. From comforting corn casseroles and traditional soups to fresh seafood, sandwiches, and beloved desserts, Chilean food reflects the country’s rich cultural heritage and regional diversity. Chilean cuisine is especially known for its simple, high-quality ingredients and recipes passed down through generations.

Whether you’re planning a trip to Chile, searching for authentic Chilean recipes, or discovering the country’s most iconic dishes, you’ll find everything you need here. Explore favorites like pastel de choclo, empanadas de pino, cazuela, completos, humitas, and curanto, along with traditional Chilean desserts, refreshing drinks, cooking guides, and regional specialties from Santiago, Valparaíso, Chiloé, and Patagonia. Whether you’re preparing a family meal or exploring Chilean cuisine for the first time, you’ll discover recipes and guides that celebrate one of South America’s most unique food cultures.

If you’re new to Chilean cuisine, start with our comprehensive guide to Traditional Chilean Foods, then continue exploring our authentic recipes, desserts, drinks, and regional food guides. Whether you’re cooking at home or planning a visit to Chile, AmigoFoods is your trusted resource for authentic Chilean food.