Chilean Carbonada is a traditional and old dish, a hearty and flavorful brothy stew typically made with beef, rice, peas or green beans, carrots, squash, potatoes, and rice with broth.
During summer, many families prepare the same but with less broth, so it's an entree served with cabbage salad or ApioPalta (celery and avocado). I like both versions of Carbonada. It's the same dish with the same ingredients. This recipe allows you to use leftover roasted meat (beef or pork).
As in all these family recipes, there are many variations. I put chard in mine because we always have it in my family, but it is optional.
You may also like the recipe: Chilean Cazuela de Pollo.
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Chilean Carbonada
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Soups
- Method: Stove-cooked
- Cuisine: Chilean
Description
Serve as a soup or a main dish, always delicious.
Ingredients
Units
- 2 pounds of minced top sirloin (or eye of round steak)
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 3 medium carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- ½ bell pepper (red or green)
- 3 large red potatoes
- 6 handfuls or ½ cups of white rice, short grain, raw
- spinach or chard
- peas
- ½ teaspoon of paprika, Mexican oregano, comino
- 2 bay leaves
- salt, pepper, parsley, oil
Instructions
- Cut meat into cubes, onion into small cubes, same with carrots, pepper, and celery.
- Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large pot and brown the meat for 2 minutes per side over medium-high heat. Add the onion and season with salt, seasonings, and pepper. Let sauté for about 5 minutes.
- Add carrots and celery, sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add potatoes and rice, stir well and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
- Add water until it is all covered, 1.5 to 2 liters. Add the bay leaves.
- Cook for 20 minutes over medium heat covered.
- Test, adjust the seasoning. Add the chopped chard or spinach and peas, cook 3 minutes more.
- Serve hot.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 437
- Sugar: 8.1 g
- Sodium: 611.3 mg
- Fat: 6.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 53.7 g
- Fiber: 7.4 g
- Protein: 40.7 g
- Cholesterol: 89.4 mg
Annie says
Great Chilean recipes! I am a fun of empanadas, pastel de choclo, Humira said torta mil hojas etc etc! Your recipes are easy to understand and delicious keeping up with Chilean tradition ❤️
Pilar Hernandez says
Thanks for commenting, and so glad you are enjoying the recipes.
Brisa Gastelo says
Sounds delicious with a glass of Chilean wine
Pilar Hernandez says
Thanks, it's.
Aaron says
If you don't mind, I'd like to add your website to my list of resources in our Chilean Wine Blog: winediplomats.com Perhaps we can also do a collaborative piece with one of your dishes and a Chilean wine pairing. Let me know.
Pilar Hernandez says
Go ahead, Aaron. I'm not doing collaboration right now, I'm focusing on other projects.
Miranda Fair says
I'm half Australian and Chilean. My mum a vegetarian so I didn't really eat meat dishes other than at celebration. So this is very special. Thank you for sharing.
Pilar Hernandez says
I'm glad you enjoy it!
Anonymous says
I can’t wait to try it, I lived in Chile, Providencia for 5 1/2 years. Just moved about 7 months ago. I have to be honest I didn’t care for the food. Found it to command nothing special, no species very little taste. But I will give this soup a second chance by making it. Thank you
Pilar Hernandez says
Good luck. Let me know if you have any questions.
Anonymous says
Sorry This Isn’t Chilean carbonada , is very different, look for the real want 🙃
Pilar Hernandez says
Could you explain why you are saying that? There is variation by families and places in Chile. I grew up in Rancagua, and this is the standard Carbonada there.
rosa says
never mind his opinion,,,,soy nancida en Puerto Montt,,y si conocemos este plato con ese nombre y se le agrega verduras de la temporada,,,es uno de los platos favoritos de mis hijos...
Pilar Hernandez says
Thanks, Rosa, and agree my grandmother did it this way.
Jorge Nauto says
My family is mostly in Temuco, though some are in Puente Alto, and this recipe is very similar to how I was taught to make it by them. They tend to add cilantro at the end and skip the rice, but I love adding the rice because it thickens into more of a stew. We also add pumpkin and corn. I was taught that every family does it a little different and I like that! We get to learn how other families make theirs and who knows, we might modify our own recipe! I live in Texas now and so further modifications have been made because we don't have the same vegetables seasonally here. Butternut Squash is a great sub here in the southern US! Thank you for sharing <3
Pilar Hernandez says
Thanks, Jorge, for sharing. I agree with you. I enjoyed reading about how other people prepare these traditional dishes.
Hugo Arenas says
Yamy yamy viva Chile no Pinera