Chilean

Empanadas de Pino

“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.”

Egg

Chilean·Central Chilean

Medium2.5 hours

Where it comes from

Empanadas de pino (also 'de horno' = oven empanadas) are Chile's signature empanadas. Brought from Galicia during colonial times, Chileanized through the pino filling and larger format (~20cm vs Argentinian ~10cm). Chileans consume millions every Fiestas Patrias (Independence Day). Modern Santiago bakeries compete on quality.

On the plate

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.

How it works

Three principles: (1) Egg + milk + lard dough creates tender yet sturdy pastry. (2) Filling must be completely cold or it melts the lard. (3) Folded half-moon shape provides structure for hand-eating.

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

Ingredients

Serves 6

500gAll-Purpose Flour

How it's made

10 steps · Show ↓

70 min active · 80 min waiting

1
30 min
Make pino (smaller batch): 500g ground beef + 2 onions + spices + raisins + olives. Cook + cool completely.
2
40 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.
3
10 min
Hard-boil 4 eggs (8 min); peel; quarter.
4
5 min
Preheat oven to 200°C. Line 2 baking sheets.
5
10 min
Divide dough into 12 portions; roll each into 16-18cm circles.
6
8 min
Fill: 3 tbsp pino + 1 quarter egg + 2 olives + 1 tsp raisins (if not in pino) per circle.
7
8 min
Fold in half; crimp edges with fork or repulgue pattern.
8
2 min
Brush tops with egg + milk wash; prick for steam release.
9
20 min
Bake 18-22 min until deep golden.
10
7 min
Serve hot with pebre and Chilean red wine.

What you'll need

Parrillaspecialty

A heavy iron grate set 25-40 cm above a wood-or-charcoal fire, often with handle-cranked height adjustment to dial in the heat. The classic Argentinian asado parrilla cooks tira de asado (cross-cut short ribs), entraña (skirt steak), and chorizo over the embers of quebracho or hardwood — never gas. A real parrilla cooks for 2-3 hours; lifting the grate higher mid-cook is how the asador slows the meat for tougher cuts.

Steaming Baking Boiling Kneading