Traditional Chilean Dishes
The Best Way to Make Chilean Pebre
Learn how to prepare a fresh, aromatic, and slightly spicy Chilean pebre, with tomato, onion, cilantro, chili pepper, vinegar, lemon, and oil. A homemade sauce with balanced texture and acidity to accompany bread, empanadas, grilled meats, potatoes, and fish.
Chilean pebre is a traditional sauce served at the table as a side dish. The key is to finely chop the ingredients, preserve visible pieces, and let the mixture rest to integrate its flavors.
01
Ingredients
Have everything ready before you begin.
- ✓4 ripe but firm tomatoes, approximately 500 g
- ✓1 medium white onion, approximately 150 g
- ✓1 fresh green chili pepper, such as Chilean green chili, mild serrano, or jalapeño
- ✓1 clove of garlic
- ✓1/2 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
- ✓3 tablespoons of vegetable or mild olive oil
- ✓2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
- ✓Juice of 1/2 lemon
- ✓1/2 teaspoon of salt
- ✓1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper
02
Step-by-step method
- 01
Wash the tomatoes, chili pepper, and cilantro thoroughly
Wash the tomatoes, chili pepper, and cilantro thoroughly.
- 02
Cut the tomatoes into quarters, remove the hard stem part and elim…
Cut the tomatoes into quarters, remove the hard stem part, and eliminate some of the seeds and excess liquid. It's not necessary to leave them completely dry.
- 03
Chop the tomatoes into small, regular cubes, about half a centimeter…
Chop the tomatoes into small, regular cubes, about half a centimeter. Place them in a large bowl.
- 04
Peel the onion and chop it very finely
Peel the onion and chop it very finely. If its flavor is too intense, briefly rinse it with cold water, drain it well, and dry it before using it.
- 05
Remove the stem from the chili pepper
Remove the stem from the chili pepper. For a moderately spicy pebre, remove the seeds and inner veins; for a more intense preparation, conserve some of them. Chop it very finely.
- 06
Chop the garlic clove as finely as possible
Chop the garlic clove as finely as possible.
- 07
Wash and dry the cilantro
Wash and dry the cilantro. Separate most of the thick stems and chop the leaves along with the tender stems.
- 08
Add the onion, chili pepper, garlic, and cilantro to the bowl with the …
Add the onion, chili pepper, garlic, and cilantro to the bowl with the tomatoes.
- 09
Incorporate the salt, black pepper, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, and …
Incorporate the salt, black pepper, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, and oil.
- 10
Mix with a large spoon, lifting the ingredients from the bottom to av…
Mix with a large spoon, lifting the ingredients from the bottom to avoid crushing the tomato.
- 11
Taste the pebre and adjust with caution
Taste the pebre and adjust with caution. If it's too acidic, add an extra teaspoon of oil; if it lacks intensity, gradually incorporate a bit more salt or chili pepper.
- 12
Let the mixture rest between 15 and 30 minutes at room temperature to …
Let the mixture rest between 15 and 30 minutes at room temperature to integrate the flavors.
- 13
Taste again before serving and mix gently
Taste again before serving and mix gently. Present the pebre in a bowl and serve it with bread, sopaipillas, empanadas, boiled potatoes, grilled meats, or fish.
- Remove some of the seeds and liquid from the tomatoes to avoid a too watery pebre.
- Adjust the seeds and veins of the chili pepper according to the desired level of spiciness.
- If you can't find Chilean green chili, you can use serrano or jalapeño and adjust the amount according to its intensity.
- Don't over-chop the ingredients: pebre should conserve small visible pieces and a fresh texture.
- Let the mixture rest between 15 and 30 minutes, but avoid preparing it many hours in advance to better preserve the color and aroma of the cilantro.
- If you need to store it, cover it and refrigerate it. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes and mix it gently before serving.
- The recipe yields approximately two cups of pebre.