Pebre Chilean Chili Pepper Salsa

Red pepper paste

Topic Images Inc./Getty Images

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 10 mins
Servings: 2 servings

Pebre is probably the most ubiquitous condiment in Chile. This spicy mixture of chili peppers, onions, garlic, and cilantro comes in many variations in different regions of the country. Pebre is excellent on sandwiches, like the popular "chorípan" made with chorizo on a french bread roll. Chileans often enjoy dipping their marraquetas (French bread roll) or sopapillas into a dish of pebre or serving pebre over grilled meats, much like chimichurri sauce. The red color of most pebres comes from red chile pepper paste, not tomatoes (though some people do like to add tomatoes to pebre), so it does not taste like most North American salsas.

One of the most famous variations of pebre is called chancho en piedra, so named because it's traditionally prepared in a stone mortar and pestle - chancar means "to grind" and piedra is stone). Chancho en piedra typically has tomatoes and is ground to a smoother, almost sauce-like texture.

This is a basic version of pebre, but pebre is a very personal dish and you should experiment to find the balance of ingredients that you like best.

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 3 tablespoons red chili pepper paste (or to taste or 2-3 tablespoons finely minced fresh chili peppers, green or red)
  • 1 tablespoon red wine (or red wine vinegar, or to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Peel and finely chop the onion and place in a bowl.

  2. Mince the garlic and add the onion. Finely chop the cilantro and add to the bowl.

  3. Stir the red chili pepper paste into onion and garlic mixture. Add the olive oil and red wine (or red wine vinegar) to taste.

  4. Season mixture with salt and pepper and add lime juice to taste.

  5. Store pebre in the refrigerator for up to one week. It will taste spicier the day after you make it.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
284 Calories
14g Fat
37g Carbs
7g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 284
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 198mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 37g 13%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Protein 7g
Calcium 239mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)