Chilean cuisine wasn't always the first thing I'd crave, but after cooking my way through these 20 recipes, I'm a total convert. These are the dishes I come back to again and again.
The best part? Every single one is easy enough to whip up on a weeknight.
1. Chacarero (Chilean Steak Sandwich)
Fair warning: after you sink your teeth into a big, juicy chacarero, a fast food burger will never hit the same. It's a hefty pound of steak tucked into a sliced frica roll, crowned with tomatoes, hot sauce, and impossibly crisp green beans. I've traveled plenty, and I've never met another sandwich quite like it.
2. Tres Leches Cake
If you haven't experienced tres leches, the "three milks" cake, you're in for a treat: it's among the softest, fluffiest, most luscious cakes I've ever known. It's wonderfully sweet in the best possible way.
Every element, from the airy vanilla sponge to that cloud like whipped cream top, is pure perfection. It's the kind of dessert that makes you close your eyes and let out a happy little sigh with each forkful.
3. Mote con Huesillos
If sweet, fruity drinks make your heart sing, mote con huesillos is about to be your new best friend. It's the ultimate hot weather sipper, the way lemonade is a summer staple here in the States. All you need is sugar, dried peaches, a cinnamon stick, some orange or lemon peel, water, and either cooked pearled barley or wheat berries.
4. Marraqueta
Marraqueta literally translates to "French bread," and these double rolls are wonderfully soft and fluffy inside with a delicate crisp on the outside. You only need five ingredients and under an hour to put them together. They're beautifully yeasty, with just a whisper of sugar in each bite, which makes them killer for slider buns or mini sandwiches.
5. Chilean Alfajores
These slender, buttery cookies are almost wafer thin and come together in roughly 45 minutes. Each one is a tiny, joy packed bite.
You can serve them plain, but they aren't truly authentic alfajores unless there's a sweet blob of dulce de leche sandwiched in the center. Feel free to experiment with other fillings too, like molasses sauce, whipped cream, jam, honey, or whatever you love.
6. Chilean Estofado Beef Stew
Despite its rich, chunky look, this stew only needs about 40 minutes of your time. It's a warm, filling bowl loaded with beef, carrots, onions, and potatoes.
Cumin, oregano, paprika, and salt season it perfectly, and the thick, tasty tomato base adds the final delicious touch. It's simple comfort food done right.
7. Chilean Pumpkin Sopapillas
I don't know how, but these five ingredient pumpkin sopapillas manage to be incredible with both sweet and savory toppings. For a dessert vibe, drizzle on some homemade molasses sauce, honey, or a cloud of whipped cream. Or go the savory route and load them up with pebre, Chile's famous salsa made from fresh herbs and veggies.
8. Humitas
Humitas are a lovely, vegan friendly starter for any big gathering. Yes, they require a fair amount of prep work, but that's actually what I adore about them. Gathering the family to assemble these is pure joy, a hands on way to soak up a little authentic Chilean tradition together.
9. Country Chilean Bread
I'll admit, I had my doubts when I first saw this bread. It seemed so flat!
But then I took a bite and wow, was I happily wrong. I originally pegged it as a dinner roll, but really it's like a petite round sandwich bread. You can enjoy it any time of day with all kinds of toppings, though I love it best at breakfast.
10. Choripan
The name choripan says it all: chorizo and pan, sausage and bread. But honestly, there's so much more magic happening on this sandwich.
It's slathered with a punchy chimichurri loaded with fresh parsley, bay leaf, garlic, oil, vinegar, and a mix of herbs and seasonings, making it one of the few truly spicy bites in Chilean cooking. The sausage itself is thick and smoky, and all those herbaceous toppings give it a fresh from the garden lift that I can't get enough of.
11. Empanadas de Pino (Chilean Beef Empanadas)
I'm completely smitten with empanadas. That savory beef filling tucked into a golden, flaky pastry shell… how could anyone resist?
If you grew up around a strong Latin American food culture, these probably already feel like a hug on a plate. They're the kind of nostalgic comfort that tastes like home.
12. Chilean Thousand Layer Cake
This cake might not hit a literal thousand layers, but it's got plenty, and every single one is sweeter and more delicious than the last. The whole thing is crispy, flaky, and intensely sweet. With each layer stacked with dulce de leche, powdered sugar, and chopped walnuts, it's basically a guarantee of pure sugary bliss.
13. Pebre
Mentioning pebre on those sopapillas just reminded me that I haven't properly introduced it yet. How did I get this deep into the list without giving it a proper shout-out? Pebre is basically Chile's take on salsa, and oh my, it's incredible.
14. Pastel de Choclo
Pastel de choclo can be made a bunch of different ways, but this version is one of my absolute favorites. At its heart, every recipe shares one thing: it's a corn pie, kind of like a shepherd's pie. But beyond that, the fillings and toppings can vary wildly from one kitchen to the next.
15. Chilean Sea Bass
Even if you can't name another Chilean dish, you've probably heard of Chilean sea bass. It's got a well deserved global reputation for a reason. This isn't just fish; it's pure heaven on a plate.
16. Chilean Chorrillana Fries
Every time I see a plate of chorrillana fries, I know heartburn is lurking, but I also can't stop myself from wanting to dig right in. If you believe chili cheese fries are the top of the fry mountain, I'm here to tell you there's a new king. These bad boys are piled high with steak, eggs, and soft caramelized onions.
17. Brazo de Reina (Chilean Dulce de Leche Cake)
If you've ever baked a pumpkin roll, you've basically got the skills for brazo de reina. The ingredients change, sure, but the rolling technique is identical. You'll whip up your batter, spread it smoothly over wax paper, and once baked, the cake turns out light, airy, and just a touch spongy.
18. Completos (Chilean Hot Dogs)
I think it's the rainbow of toppings, but Chilean hot dogs are just way more gorgeous than anything you'd grab at a ballpark. You cook the actual hot dog the same way you always do. The magic is all in what goes on top.
19. Manjar
Manjar takes its time, and your arm will get a workout stirring, but this phenomenal sauce is worth every second. It's essentially a homemade caramel that's richer, creamier, and just a little sweeter. Once you taste it, you'll understand.
20. Chilean Tomato and Onion Salad
Don't be put off by the 55 minute total time on this simple salad. You won't be actively cooking for even close to that long. The onions take a nice soak in saltwater until they turn tender and sweet, and the tomatoes marinate in lime juice and olive oil.
