Chorrillana, Chile’s Ultimate Comfort Food (2024)

If you’re looking to binge on something sinful, mouthwatering, and greasy, may we suggest the popular Chilean dish chorrillana?

It combines the best of what the fast-food industry has to offer: meat and fries. Sadly, however, not many people outside of South America know this dish.

The chorrillana consists of a hefty serving of french fries topped with meat slices, fried eggs, and caramelized onion rings. It’s often served in large portions as the dish is for sharing. Chorrillana was first introduced in 1972 by Chilean dive bars and cafes in downtown Valparaiso.

At first glance, chorrillana might seem like an effortless and easy-to-make dish, but it’s quite complicated.

Chileans are very particular with their cooking, so if you want to taste real, authentic chorrillana, you have to be familiar with their culture.

In this article, we’ll talk more about the dish’s history, what the meaning behind its name is, and how you can make a batch at home.

What Is a Chorrillana?

The chorrillana is an enormous mountain of fries, meat, and sunny-side-up eggs.

Chileans, and many other South Americans, love the chorrillana for its overwhelmingly delicious blend of thick, chunky meat cuts, salty, savory fries, and smooth, runny eggs.

You can serve it as a bar chow, an appetizer, or a snack.

History of the Chorrillana

The Chilean chorrillana has now become a South American favorite loved by everyone from all walks of life.

An array of shops sells the dish. They range from small-time street vendors to large family restaurant chains.

However, the chorrillana dish had a very humble beginning.

It first came out in 1972 as the cheaper yet equally delicious version of the famous lomo a lo pobre or bistec a lo pobre.

Chorrillanas had cheaper steak and meat cuts than lomo a lo pobre did, the dish it drew inspiration from.

Unlike today, the only places that sold chorrillanas back then were small cafés, dive bars, watering holes, and greasy spoons.

Most of these are run-down establishments hidden in alleys lined with graffiti walls as far as the eye can see. It was far from being a classy dish.

As the years passed, however, the number of restaurants and cafes in Valparaiso that offered chorrillana increased.

It was no longer exclusive to dive bars.

Meaning Behind the Name

There are two ways to interpret the name chorrillana.

First, it can have historical references. Some natives claim that the term chorrillana is a tribute to the Chilean victory at the Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos in 1881.

Second, the name may simply derive from the ingredient chorrillos.

It is a sweet Peruvian sauce common in chorizo dishes.

How To Make Chorrillana

Here’s a clear, complete step-by-step guide on how to make authentic, Southern-style chorrillana from the comfort of your own home:

Ingredients

French Fries Platter

• 6 medium-sized potatoes, washed and sliced
• 1 tbsp. red wine
• 2 onions, sliced
• 6 large eggs
• oil
• sea salt
• pepper

Meat Marinade

• 2 8 oz. to 10 oz. filet mignon steak cuts, trimmed
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp. sugar

Instructions

Marinating the Steak Cuts

1. Mix the garlic cloves, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, white wine vinegar, and soy sauce in a large mixing bowl. Stir until the liquid ingredients combine.
2. Place the steak cuts in the marinade, pour in enough water to submerge the meat, then flip the meat two to three times to coat both sides of each cut.
3. Leave the meat in the marinade for up to two days. Note that a longer marinating period will allow the meat to absorb more of the marinade.

Preparing the Meat

1. Take your sliced potatoes and submerge them in a large bowl of water for 30 minutes until they become soft and tender.
2. Meanwhile, take the steak cuts out of the refrigerator, set aside, then heat a tablespoon of oil in a large cast-iron pan on low fire.
3. Once the oil starts to sizzle, carefully place the steak cuts on the cast-iron pan, then cook each cut’s side for five to six minutes until the meat darkens a bit. The center should be completely done as well.
4. Afterward, remove the pan from heat and transfer it to a closed container. Set the container aside.
5. Go back to the cast-iron pan, add in an extra tablespoon of oil, then let it sizzle.
6. Throw in the onions, stir-fry for two to three minutes until they turn caramel brown. Sprinkle the mixture with red wine, salt, and pepper.
7. Sauté for a few more minutes before transferring to the closed container along with the steak.

Cooking the Fries

1. Pour in four inches’ worth of oil into your deep fryer or dutch oven, then heat until the oil reaches 375° Fahrenheit or 190° Celsius.
2. Meanwhile, drain and rinse the submerged potato slices, then pat dry with a paper towel.
3. Next, submerge the potato slices and cook for around four to five minutes until the fries turn golden-brown.
4. For best results, divide the potatoes into three to four batches. Cooking them all at once might lead to unevenly cooked slides. Also, as you shift from one batch to the next, make sure to drain the fries on a clean strainer to get rid of excess oil.
5. Afterward, proceed to cook the potato slices again for another five to six minutes per batch. Double-frying the potatoes will guarantee crispy, juicy french fries.
6. Drain the excess oil using a strainer, then transfer to a clean plate lined with paper towels. Season the cooked fries with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Transfer the cooked fries to a large platter. Set aside.

Assembling the Chorrillana

1. Cut the cooked steak cuts into thin four- to five-inch strips. Then, heat the steak cuts and caramelized onions on your cast-iron pan over medium fire for around two to three minutes.
2. Mix the freshly heated steak and onions along with the fries.
3. Afterward, heat two tablespoons of oil on the greasy cast-iron pan and proceed to cook your six eggs.
4. Most chorrillana recipes use runny sunny side ups, but you’re free to cook the eggs according to your preferred level of doneness. You can scramble the eggs if you wanted—although this isn’t very common.
5. Carefully place the eggs on top of the steak and fries mixture, season one last time with salt and pepper, then serve!

Variations of the Chorrillana

There are multiple chorrillana variations inside and outside of South America.

Some ingredients you can add to this delicious Chilean delicacy include:

Scrambled Eggs

The original chorrillana uses runny scrambled eggs.

The soft, runny yolk adds a smooth, rich texture to the otherwise heavy and greasy chorrillana.

However, you are free to cook your eggs however you want.

If you dislike runny eggs, you can prepare sunny-side ups with a well-done yolk, or you can opt to cook scrambled eggs if that’s more suited to your taste.

Chorizo

Many areas outside of Chile add chorizo slices to this dish.

As we mentioned earlier, the name chorrillana may come from the term chorrillos, a sweet Peruvian sauce used in chorizos.

Adding sweet, spicy meat slices into a dish that’s otherwise rich, salty, and savory creates an extra burst of depth and flavor.

Note: Feel free to throw in more exotic options such as goat and lamb as well. Chileans are very adventurous when it comes to food.

Cheese

Take inspiration from popular quatro queso (four-cheese) Chilean dishes by adding a generous helping of your favorite cheese options onto your chorrillana.

A smooth, rich, creamy cheese layer would pair very well with thick, chunky beef and potatoes.

We highly suggest using these four kinds of cheese: stracchino, parmesan, gorgonzola, mozzarella.

Final Thoughts

Feel free to modify the chorrillana recipe to suit your taste.

As with other native South Americans, Chileans love to create dishes bursting with strong, robust flavor.

Don’t be afraid to explore the different herbs, spices, and ingredients you can add to your plate.

Also, note that this is a delicious Chilean comfort food best enjoyed with company.

That’s why natives always serve authentic chorrillana in large portions.

You can share a large platter with your loved ones while watching your favorite sports match, downing a few beers, or waiting for the entrée at a party.

But don’t forget dessert! Check out, Delicious Chilean Desserts; Chile’s 15 Most Popular Sweet Treats.

Sources

• Fund for Education Abroad: Absorbing Some Culture (Santiago, Chile)
• New Worlder: Origins: The Chorrillana
• Honest Cooking: Chilean Chorrillana Fries
• Wikipedia: Chorrillana
• Beef 2 Live: Chorrillana
• Dictionary: Greasy spoon
• Dictionary: Greasy spoon
• Wikipedia: Order of battle at Chorrillos