Chile's national empanada — large baked wheat-flour turnover filled with pino (beef + onion + egg + olive + raisins). Eaten every September 18 (Fiestas Patrias) and year-round at Santiago bakeries. Distinct from Argentinian by larger size, baked, with raisins/olives/egg.
Empanadas de pino (also 'de horno' = oven empanadas) are Chile's signature empanadas. Stuffed-dough pastries reach back to Persia and the Arab world, came to Iberia via the Moors, and were brought to Chile by the Spanish in colonial times. They were Chileanized through the pino filling — 'pino' comes not from the Spanish word for pine but from the Mapuche 'pirru', a mixture of minced meat and onion — and through a larger format (~20cm vs Argentinian ~10cm). Chileans consume millions every Fiestas Patrias (Independence Day). Modern Santiago bakeries compete on quality.
Empanada de pino is the most-traditional Chilean meal. Golden flaky pastry yields to deeply-savory beef pino with bursts of sweet raisin + briny olive + creamy yolk + onion gravy. Firmer than Argentinian, designed to hold in hand. Dip in pebre for bright contrast. Eat at September 18 asado with Chilean wine.
Three principles: (1) Egg + milk + lard dough creates tender yet sturdy pastry. (2) Filling must be completely cold or it melts the lard. (3) Plenty of slow-cooked onion sets into a gel when cooled, sealing in the juices so the parcel doesn't leak.
Variations
Central Chilean canonical (pino + egg + olive + raisin); Argentinian uses boiled egg + green olive no raisins; cheese filling; seafood; modern gourmet versions; 'de horno' (oven) is Chilean canonical, 'fritas' (fried) is Argentinian.
On the Palate
Where Empanadas de Pino sits in the Chilean flavor cloud
Cook the pino filling, then chill it completely before it touches the dough — warm filling melts the lard in the pastry and the empanadas leak and turn greasy in the oven.
Ingredients
Serves 6
How it's made
10 steps · 1 hour 10 min active + 1 hour 20 min waiting
- 130 min
Make pino (smaller batch): 500g ground beef + 2 onions + spices + raisins + olives. Cook + cool completely.
Watch outThe filling must be fully cold and set before you assemble — press a finger in; it should feel firm, not warm and loose.
- 240 min
Dough: 500g flour + 1 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp baking powder + 100ml warm water + 100ml warm milk + 100g melted lard + 1 egg. Knead 10 min; rest 30 min.
- 310 min
Hard-boil 4 eggs (8 min); peel; quarter.
- 45 min
Preheat oven to 200°C. Line 2 baking sheets.
- 510 min
Divide dough into 12 portions; roll each into 16-18cm circles.
- 68 min
Fill: 3 tbsp pino + 1 quarter egg + 2 olives + 1 tsp raisins (if not in pino) per circle.
- 78 min
Fold in half; crimp edges with fork or repulgue pattern.
- 82 min
Brush tops with egg + milk wash; prick for steam release.
Watch outBrush the tops with egg-milk wash and prick each one so steam vents without splitting a seam.
- 920 min
Bake 18-22 min until deep golden.
Watch outBake until deep golden all over, with the pastry set firm — pale empanadas taste raw and doughy.
- 107 min
Serve hot with pebre and Chilean red wine.
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