Pilar's Chilean Food & Garden

A recipe blog by a Chilean living in the USA

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Chilean ColorPaprika or Chilean Color is the heart and soul of the Chilean cuisine, similar to the sofrito for other cultures. Use it to sauté onions at the beginning of any Chilean dish.

Stored in the fridge and omnipresent. Some of the dishes they start with the melting of the Chilean Color are winter soups like Porotos con Riendas (bean and spaghetti soup), Charquicán (winter squash and potato stew) and so many more. Also, it can be a finishing touch.

My grandmother always used the rendered fat from chicharrones, I use the rendered fat from bacon, it gets me very close to the original flavor.

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Paprika or Chilean Color

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The Chilean sofrito o starter fat for many dishes.

  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients

Units
  • 1 cup, 190 grams shortening or lard
  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
  • 1 tablespoon merkén (Chilean smoked chili, available at Amazon), optional
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled, optional

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan or skillet, over medium heat, melt the shortening. If you want, add the garlic and let fry for 1 minute, remove and discard.
    Ingredients for chilean colorlard being melt garlic clove fried
  2. Add the paprika and Merken if using. Lower the heat to low, cook, stirring for 2 minutes.
    Paprika and merken for color
  3. Allow to cool in the same pot, it will solidify or transfer to a glass jar, you can strain if desired.

    Straining the color

  4. Keep refrigerated.
    Chilean ColorChilean color
  • Author: Pilar Hernandez
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Category: Savory
  • Method: Stove cooked
  • Cuisine: Chilean

Keywords: chilean color, chilean sofrito

 

Chilean Paprika or Chilean Color


The Chilean Kitchen*




 

If you enjoyed this recipe, you would also enjoy my cookbook* featuring 75 Chilean recipes for all seasons. It is lovingly written and scrumtpiously photographed, and you’ll delight in the best that Chilean cuisine has to offer, with easy-to-follow recipes tailored to American ingredients and grocery stores.

* Amazon affiliate links

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  1. Seth De Young

    Hi Pilar,

    Thanks so much for sharing these recipes. My family and I live in NW Iowa and have befriended a young man, Juan, from Santiago. He misses his local food. My family and I have made Choclo de Pastel and the Chilean Beef Empanadas. Both were a hit. Juan recently gifted us with a jar of Merquen. What a unique spice! Juan gave us a brand name called Etnia, do you have a favorite brand of Merquen? If so where do you purchase it?

    Thanks again we appreciate your efforts to share these recipes.

    Seth and Jen De Young

    Reply