Food of Uruguay
Uruguayan cooking is meat-centered, with beef grilled over wood on a parrilla and enjoyed with simple sides. Italian and Spanish immigrants shaped the pasta, pizza and pastry traditions, and sweets with dulce de leche are loved. People carry a thermos for mate everywhere. Sandwiches such as the chivito are national snack favorites, and homemade food, from gnocchi to stews, anchors family meals.
Chivito
A plated chivito served with fries and salad.
- Main dishes (4)
- Breakfast (3)
- Street food (4)
- Soups (2)
- Salads (2)
- Breads (2)
- Desserts and sweets (4)
- Drinks (4)
- Fruits and produce (5)
Staples
- beef
- wheat
- potatoes
- milk
- corn
- beans
- pumpkin
Signature flavors
- dulce de leche
- chimichurri
- oregano
- paprika
- garlic
Main dishes
Beef ribs, sausages and offal grilled slowly over embers.
Key ingredients: beef ribs, chorizo, morcilla, saltFull guide →
Breaded cutlet served with mashed potatoes or fries.
Key ingredients: beef, breadcrumbs, eggFull guide →A plated chivito served with fries and salad.
Key ingredients: steak, ham, egg, mozzarella, friesBoiled beef and vegetable stew.
Key ingredients: beef, potatoes, squash, carrotsBreakfast
Sweet or salty croissants.
Key ingredients: flour, butterHam and cheese toast.
Key ingredients: bread, ham, cheeseFlaky salty pastry bites.
Key ingredients: flour, lardStreet food
Steak sandwich with ham, cheese, egg, tomato and olives.
Key ingredients: thin steak, ham, mozzarella, egg, lettuce, tomato, bunFull guide →
Chorizo in a roll with salsa criolla.
Key ingredients: chorizo, bread, salsa
Club sandwich with ham and egg.
Key ingredients: bread, ham, cheese, egg
Savory baked pie.
Key ingredients: meat, doughFull guide →Soups
Squash soup.
Key ingredients: squash, potatoChicken soup with noodles.
Key ingredients: chicken, noodlesSalads
Potato salad with peas and carrots.
Key ingredients: potato, peas, carrot, mayonnaiseSimple lettuce, tomato and onion salad.
Key ingredients: lettuce, tomato, onionBreads
Rustic homemade bread.
Key ingredients: flour, yeastCheese bread.
Key ingredients: flour, cheeseDesserts and sweets
Famed milk caramel spread.
Key ingredients: milk, sugarFull guide →
Cookie sandwiches with dulce de leche.
Key ingredients: flour, dulce de leche, chocolateFull guide →
Sponge cake with peaches, cream and meringue.
Key ingredients: sponge, peaches, cream, meringueCheese with quince paste.
Key ingredients: queso, membrilloDrinks
Hot yerba mate infusion shared from a gourd.
Key ingredients: yerba mate, hot waterFull guide →Grapefruit soda.
Key ingredients: grapefruit, sugarSmall strong coffee.
Key ingredients: coffeeFresh-squeezed orange juice.
Key ingredients: orangesFruits and produce
Juicy peaches for desserts.
Key ingredients: fresh, canned, chaja
Oranges, mandarins, lemons.
Key ingredients: juice, zest
Used for membrillo.
Key ingredients: paste, jam
Orchard apples.
Key ingredients: fresh, pies
Table grapes.
Key ingredients: fresh, juiceDish guides from Uruguay
More cuisines of South America
- Argentina
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Chile
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Falkland Islands
- French Guiana
- Guyana
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Suriname
- Venezuela
Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.
- Asado 2005: Unknown, Attribution (Wikimedia Commons)
- Milanesa con fritas: Unknown photographerUnknown photographer, CC BY 2.5 ar (Wikimedia Commons)
- Chivito1: Carlinosin at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Choripan: SimpleFoodie, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- OlimpicoandSuperParka: upeslases, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Tapa de empanadillitas: Tamorlan, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Салат Оливье 03: Pannet, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- DulceDeLeche: audinou from Paris, France, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- AlfajoresP1115215 02: Alex Lozupone, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Postres uruguayos: Neurorebel, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Mate en calabaza: No machine-readable author provided. Jorgealfonso assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Illustration Prunus persica clean no descr: File:Illustration Prunus persica0.jpg: PLEASE COMPLETE AUTHOR INFORMATION derivative work: Kenraiz, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- OrangeBloss wb: Ellen Levy Finch (Elf), CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Pancrace Bessa00: Pancrace Bessa, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- 95apple: Agricultural Research Service (Research agent of United States Department of Agriculture), Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- Grapes, Rostov-on-Don, Russia: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
