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Pebre is a Chilean sauce made with cilantro, chopped onion, olive oil, garlic, chile peppers as well as chopped tomatoes. Similar to salsa, this Pebre recipe adds a nice bite to your meals.
What is Chilean Pebre?
Chilean pebre is a spicy condiment you’ll find on virtually all tables in Chile. One of the unique characteristics of pebre is the infinite number of variations that exist.
Each restaurant or Chilean home has their own unique version where ingredients are swapped and proportions vary.
The basic ingredients for pebre are cilantro, chopped onion, olive oil, garlic and chile peppers.
When fresh chopped tomatoes are added, it turns the Pebre into a Chilean Salsa. Known as Chancho en Piedra, it translates to “Pig on a Rock.”
For Pebre pronunciation, it is similar to the word “paper”, and pronounced (peh-breh).
READ MORE: 15 Popular Chilean Dishes Worth Trying: Favorite Food In Chile
Is Pebre the Same as Mexican Pico De Gallo?
Mexican pico de gallo salsa is very similar to pebre. Pico de gallo accompanies many Mexican dishes like tacos of cochinita pibil, quesadillas. It is made with onion, tomato, and jalapeño and the colors correspond with the Mexican flag.
Pebre in Chile or more precisely Chancho en Piedra has similar ingredients, with the addition of garlic and the use of aji peppers. In Chile, it is mostly served with bread at restaurants or as a condiment for meat.
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How to Use Chilean Pebre at Home
In Chile, Pebre is used on practically everything, and most commonly with bread. We had it most often with traditional warm bread called pan amasado.
Pebre is also used on grilled meat, fish, or chicken or with empanadas. The use of pebre is as common as pico de gallo in Mexico or chimichurri sauce in Argentina.
Try it at home with potatoes, to accompany meat, or serve it on a hunk of fresh-baked bread.
AUTHENTIC FOOD QUEST RECIPE: One delicious meal you can easily make at home, is to pair sea bass with pebre. See our simple recipe for pan seared sea bass with Chilean pebre sauce.
Discovering Pebre in Chile
It was love at first bite. Every restaurant we went to in Chile always served pebre. This was brought out as an appetizer accompanied by bread. We always looked forward to this starter, which came at no additional charge.
Part of the fun was tasting all the unique variations at each place. Not to mention, having something fresh and flavorful to munch on while waiting for our main dish.
Pebre History
For a dish that is used throughout Chile, we were surprised to learn that the origins of pebre lie in Spain. Apparently, in the 18th century, engineers and masons from Catalonia, Spain came to Chile to work on the Mapocho River.
At the time, the city of Santiago suffered from periodic flooding from the river which sometimes devastated entire neighborhoods. To put an end, the Catalan engineers and masons started building the tajamares, a brick wall to contain the floods.
Under the supervision of Italian architect Joaquin Toesca, they also built fluvial channels, river walls, and bridges for the river.
The history of pebre is attributed to the simple sauce the Catalan workers would prepare. This sauce, that they called pebre, which means pepper had cilantro, oil, vinegar and salt, and Chilean ají pepper.
Pebre Recipe Variations
For this recipe, we will add tomatoes and make one of the most popular variations of pebre, known as chancho en piedra or Chilean salsa.
Like in Chile, have fun making this delicious and simple pebre recipe. Your texture can range from chunky to more sauce-like, depending on how finely you chop up the ingredients.
You can also adapt the flavor profile, but adding more or less cilantro or chilis according to your tastes. There is no “right or wrong” way to make pebre.
Just remember, Chilean tradition suggests that pebre can be served with almost anything. Make enough to use with meats, fish or chicken, accompany vegetable dishes or use a dip.
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Chilean Pebre Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tomatoes large ripe
- 1 jalapeño pepper Can be substituted with aji peppers or poblano pepper
- 1 medium onion medium
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves chopped fresh
- 1 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon Chilean olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- salt to taste
- pinch of black pepper or more to flavor
Instructions
- Peel tomatoes and chop them finely.
- To peel tomatoes, cut an “x” on the top of the tomato (opposite the core). Place in boiling water for 25 – 45 seconds or until the skin starts to loosen up. Remove the tomatoes using a slotted spoon and plunge them into cold water. Once cool to the touch, remove the skin using a paring knife and chop.
- Remove the seeds and chop up the pepper
- Chop the onion and cilantro
- Place all of the chopped ingredients in a bowl
- Add mashed or chopped up garlic
- Finally, add the mixture of Chilean olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste
- The chancho en piedra and pebre are typically served in traditional clay bowls
- Serve at room temperature and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
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Rosemary is the editor-in-chief and strategist at Authentic Food Quest.
Traveling slow since 2015 with her partner, Claire, she has explored the cuisine in 45 countries and more than 240+ culinary cities.
Her writing about local food specialties has been featured in Lonely Planet, Business Insider, Honest Cooking, Food Insider, and Huffington Post.
As a food and travel writer, Rosemary has co-authored three books, including one in collaboration with Costa Brava Tourism.
Rosemary is an avid runner when she’s not eating and exploring new destinations. She has run ten marathons and counting.
Before Authentic Food Quest, Rosemary held senior-level strategy positions in advertising.
Find out more about Authentic Food Quest
Can’t pass Chile’s B-Day (September 18), and every other day for that matter without some good old pebre. Put it on anything and everything you can think of. Enhances everything!
You are so right, Soledad. Everything tastes better with Pebre 🙂 Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Great to hear and excited for your friends to try this recipe too. Cheers.
Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.
Great to hear and excited for your friends to try this recipe too. Cheers.
Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.
Thanks, Gina. It’s different from salsa with a special Chilean touch. Easy and tasty for sure 🙂
I love how easy it is to make! Thank you!
Thank you for introducing me to this recipe, I think I like it even MORE than salsa with the spicy kick and the tang of the vinegar. Delicious!
Thanks, Gina. It’s different from salsa with a special Chilean touch. Easy and tasty for sure 🙂
Lovely salsa recipe. I will definitely give it a try. The flavors are amazing. Sounds really delicious.
Lovely salsa recipe. I will definitely give it a try. The flavors are amazing. Sounds really delicious.
This looks like a yummy recipe! I would love to try making this sometime.
Simple to make, give it a try Shannon and let us know what you think. Cheers.
I have never heard of this before, but it sounds amazing! I love the fresh ingredients and spicy foods, so we will have to give this a try.
Glad to introduce you to a local Chilean specialty. It’s incredibly easy to make and very tasty. Do let us know what you think if it when you make it. Cheers.
This recipe looks really good. I have made something very similar to this before. I bet it will be delicious too.
Thanks Kathy…try this Chilean salsas and see what you think. It’s quite tasty and so easy to make. Tag us and share it with us. Cheers.
I love to discover new flavors and dishes. I’ve never heard about Chilean Pebre but I would like to try it!
Great to hear you love trying new recipes, Catalina. Pebre is so easy to make, try it and see how it enlivens your dishes. Thanks for stopping by. Cheers.
I have never heard of this before and can’t wait to try it. I love Pico de Gallo and other dips so this looks like something I would love.
If you love pico de gallo, you will love Pebre. Very similar though some differences. It’s as easy to make and quite tasty. Try it and let us know what you think. cheers.
It has jalapeno in it so I bet my husband would love that sauce. He likes sauce that are spicy and the spicier, the better. 🙂
Great to hear Lynndee. Surprise him with a taste of Chile and let us know how it turns out. Cheers.
Yum! Pebre looks like a very delicious Chilean Sauce. I never tried this before but I’m sure this will be my new favorite. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thanks, Chef Dennis. It’s a tasty sauce and one that you can adapt to your liking. Try it and let us know what you think. Cheers.
This is a good addition to give dishes a nice twist. We have our version of fritters in PH and I could think of other dishes that Pebre will go well with. YUM!
PH fritters sound delightful, and yes, the would go really well with pebre. Try it and let us know what you think. Thanks, Russ.
My husband would love this! It looks delicious, especially with those sopaipillas. Yum!
I am totally going to make this for our Cinco de Mayo dinner this year. It sounds like the flavor combination is one that will fit in perfectly with the rest of our menu!
Awesome to hear Theresa. It is a simple sauce that goes with practically everything. Don’t forget to take a pic and tag authentic food quest. Cheers.
It looks like an easy and delicious addition to so many menus! We often make pico de gallo, and I think we’ll love this too.
If you already make pico de gallo, Chilean pebre is an easy adaptation. Can’t wait for you to try it at home and please do let us know what you think. Thanks, Beth
Not only does this look good, but it also looks fun to make too!
I have been branching out into Chilean foods and so I was super excited to see your post on Pebre. I have pinned it for future reference. Thank you!
That’s fantastic to hear Terri. Are there any particular Chilean dishes that have caught your attention? Whenever you make, do let us know how it turns out. Cheers.
Oh! This salsa of sorts looks like it would be PERFECT on all types of protein!
I bet I’d love this. I tend to enjoy spicy foods. I haven’t tried this before but I’m excited to do so.
This looks like a dish I would enjoy. I love the different variations of it.