What to Eat in Chile

Chile runs along the Pacific for thousands of kilometers, so seafood meets crops from the Central Valley and the Andes in everyday cooking. A temperate center, arid north, and cool, rainy south shape what is grown, caught, and preserved, with lunch remaining the main daily meal.

Home cooks lean on stews, clay-pot baking, and grills, often seasoning with ají and smoked Mapuche merkén. Markets in cities like Santiago and Valparaíso supply seasonal produce and fish, while weekend gatherings favor shared, slow methods that suit the country’s varied climate.

The empanada de pino is Chile’s baked hand pie, filled with a stew-like mix of diced beef, long-cooked onions, ají de color (paprika), cumin, and sometimes raisins, plus a black olive and a wedge of hard-boiled egg. A wheat-flour dough enriched with lard is rolled, folded into a half-moon, crimped, and baked—traditionally in a domed clay horno de barro—until blistered and golden, often brushed with egg wash. Inside, the pino is juicy and lightly sweet from onions and raisins, balanced by warm spices, while the crust is sturdy yet flaky; many add a spoon of pebre, the fresh tomato–cilantro–ají relish, at the table. Symbolic of September’s Fiestas Patrias fondas, this empanada is also an everyday choice for lunch or an afternoon snack in Santiago and Valparaíso, carried warm from neighborhood bakeries or eaten at home on weekends.

Pastel de choclo is a layered casserole built on a savory base of pino (beef-and-onion mixture) that may be combined with shredded chicken, topped by a purée of freshly ground summer corn blended with basil, milk, and a little butter. The corn layer is spread over the filling in a clay paila de greda, sprinkled lightly with sugar or ají de color, and baked until the surface caramelizes and the edges darken to a prized “quemadito.” The result is a contrast of textures: a creamy, spoonable corn top that tastes sweet and herbal, giving way to richly seasoned meat below, with pockets of hard-boiled egg or olives depending on household tradition. Rooted in central Chile’s corn harvest and colonial-era casseroles, it is a lunchtime main course from December to March in cities such as Santiago and Rancagua, eaten hot from the oven with a simple salad to cut through its gentle richness.

Curanto en hoyo is a communal earth-oven feast from the Chiloé Archipelago, centered around a pit lined with hot stones. Layers go in sequentially: shellfish like choritos and cholgas, cuts of pork, chicken, and sometimes sausage, then sacks of potatoes, plus potato preparations such as milcaos and chapaleles, all covered with nalca (pangue) leaves and burlap to trap steam. As it cooks, the sea’s brine mingles with meat juices and potato starch, perfuming the air with a smoky, herbal aroma; the resulting flavors are deep, salty-sweet, and earthy, with tender shellfish and fluffy, slightly chewy potato cakes. Served in generous portions with a ladle of the collected broth, curanto marks festivals and family gatherings around Castro and Ancud and is adapted as a pot-based pulmay in Puerto Montt; it’s typically prepared on weekends or special occasions, reflecting southern Chile’s cool, rainy climate and the islanders’ resourceful, communal cooking.

Cazuela is a clear-broth soup built around large, intact pieces: bone-in chicken or beef shank, chunks of zapallo (squash), potatoes, carrots, green beans, and a section of corn on the cob, sometimes with a spoon of rice. The pot simmers gently with onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and bay leaf until the meat is tender and the vegetables are just cooked, then is finished with fresh cilantro. The broth tastes light but savory, carrying the sweetness of squash and corn, while each piece keeps its texture, inviting diners to alternate spoonfuls of caldo with bites of meat and vegetables. Considered restorative and warming, cazuela is a midday staple in winter across Temuco, Valdivia, and Concepción, served in homes and lunch counters where the biggest meal is eaten at noon, and it mirrors the Andean pantry of seasonal produce and long-simmered comfort.

Caldillo de congrio celebrates Chile’s conger eel, a firm, gelatin-rich fish simmered in a tomato-onion sofrito with garlic, ají de color, bay leaf, and white wine, then finished with fish stock, potatoes, and fresh herbs. The technique is straightforward: sweat the aromatics, deglaze with wine, add stock and potatoes, and tuck in congrio pieces to poach gently so the flesh stays pearly and yields collagen to the broth. The soup is aromatic and slightly sweet from long-cooked onions and tomatoes, with a silky body from the fish and a clean, marine finish; cilantro or parsley brightens the bowl just before serving. Tied to coastal markets and made famous by Pablo Neruda’s “Oda al caldillo de congrio,” it’s a reliable lunch or early dinner in Valparaíso, Coquimbo, and Iquique, often eaten the same day the boats land their catch, especially in the cooler months when warm, brothy dishes are favored.

Chilean cuisine brings the Pacific’s catch together with Andean fields and Mapuche techniques, favoring clay pots, grills, and slow simmering. A long coastline, Mediterranean center, and cool south shape seasonal habits, while lunch remains the day’s anchor. Explore more food-focused guides and plan trips with Sunheron’s tools to match destinations with your preferred weather and activities.