16 Traditional Dishes from Uruguay You Need to Try

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Anyone who loves meat as much as Uruguayans do will consider asado to be this list’s top item. The tradition consists of a barbecue including every type of meat imaginable (beef, chicken, and pork), and a great variety of sausages and achuras (referring to offal). Asado is not only traditional because of the food, but also the rituals surrounding it. For instance, asado is usually attended in large groups, part of most special occasions, and it lasts for several hours while the food is being prepared. Also, the person in charge of grilling the meat is known as the asador.

Pasta is one of the most popular dishes in Uruguay and the one that rules family gatherings every Sunday, when families get together for lunch. Capeletis a la caruso can be considered the most Uruguayan pasta. First of all, just by being pasta. Secondly, because the pockets are stuffed with meat, one of Uruguay’s top ingredients. And finally, because of its dressing, which was invented in Uruguay. The sauce combines cream, onions, mushrooms, ham, cheese, and meat extract—because no dish is truly Uruguayan unless there’s lots of meat in it.

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Yes, rice is the main ingredient of this irresistible recipe, which is translated as “rice with milk.” In fact, rice and milk, plus eggs and sugar are all that’s needed to make this traditional Uruguayan dessert. It’s usually served with a pinch of cinnamon on top or dulce de leche—because, of course, dulce de leche can go in almost every Uruguayan sweet dish.

Everyone should have a chivito while in Uruguay, as it was invented here. Though its name means “small goat,” it’s actually not made from goat meat. It consists of a beef sandwich with tons of different ingredients in it, usually including a fried egg, lettuce, tomato, ham, mozzarella, bacon, olives, bell pepper, and mayonnaise. And no chivito is complete without a huge serving of French fries.

Uruguayans are never defeated by a rainy day, and one of the main reasons they stay so positive is this dish. A torta frita is a fried bread, sometimes served with a pinch of sugar on top. They are mostly sold as street food on rainy days, but many Uruguayan families prepare the snack themselves and share them during a drizzling afternoon.

This is the name given to the traditional Uruguayan tart, filled with quince jam and decorated with long pastry stripes. Though it makes a great breakfast, it’s usually served in the afternoon as a merienda (that’s like a second breakfast Uruguayans have around 4-6 PM) with grated coconut on top. At times, quince jam in substituted by dulce de leche.

This irresistible recipe combines French fries, ham, sautéed onions, crumbled eggs, and green peas. The servings are huge, so this meal is usually shared by couples or friends as an alternative to asking for different plates.

Chajá is a dessert that was invented in Uruguay, and though people don’t eat it often nowadays, it’s one of Uruguay’s most traditional dishes, favored among older generations. It consists of a spongy square that combines pastry, meringue, and peaches. Some recipes swap the peaches for strawberries, and some also add chocolate or dulce de leche (no Uruguayan dessert can escape dulce de leche, see?).

The Spanish word milanesa refers to a thin meat that is breaded and fried. The meat can be steak, chicken, beef, or even pork, but the first two are the most commonly served in Uruguay. Milanesa a la napolitana is served with ham, mozzarella, tomato sauce, and thin slices of tomato on top, with an enormous serving of French fries.

Churros are a traditional recipe that consist of long thin-shaped fried pastries. Though churros are a dish Uruguay shares with several countries, you probably won’t find anything as delicious as a churro stuffed with dulce de leche, with some sugar on top—anywhere else. Other fillings you can find in Uruguay include cream and chocolate.

Empanadas are very common in Uruguay as a quick lunch, dinner, or even as an afternoon snack. Empanadas are similar to a cornish pasty but with firm dough rather than pastry. They are usually filled with variations of cheeses, with ham, minced beef, onion and pancetta, chicken, or vegetables. You can also get sweet dessert empanadas filled with quince jam, apple, or dulce de leche. The empanadas can be baked in a big pizza-style oven or deep fried. You can find them in practically every bakery for the classic flavors, or in specialized restaurants for the full range.

Corvina is a fish commonly found in the South Atlantic. It’s a white and firm fish with a mild, sweet taste and large flaky flesh similar to sea bass. It’s a versatile fish that you can find cooked in different ways throughout Uruguay. The most common method is pan-fried, but you can also find it in ceviche, stew, or soup. You can even find deep-fried corvina bites—delicious with lemon—in many seafood restaurants or small beachside eateries. The corvina negra is a distinctively large species of corvina that can be grilled whole on the parrilla.

You can find these amazing pastries in any bakery across the country. There are different types of bizcochos so people usually choose their favorites to eat as an afternoon snack or for breakfast. Every bakery has their own recipe for each type of bizcocho so the same pastry will taste very different in two different places.

The basic recipe consists of dough made with either butter or animal fat, depending on the type of bizcocho. Some are savory and plain, while others are filled with ham or cheese. There are also sweet bizcochos coated with sugar, and filled with quince jam, dulce de leche, or custard.

Unlike in Spain, chorizo in Uruguay is a pork sausage that is usually grilled. People customarily eat it in an asado or in the form of choripan, a sausage sandwich. Choripan is every local’s favorite street food, which you can find in food trucks all over the country that serve it with different sauces and toppings.

Milanesas are found in many places around the world; they are the equivalent of the Austrian Wiener Schnitzel or Milan’s cotoletta alla Milanese, a thin, tenderized steak of beef, pork, fish, or chicken coated in egg and breadcrumbs and fried. Uruguay is famous for its high-quality grass-fed beef, so it’s no surprise that the typical milanesa is made of beef. You can find them at traditional Uruguayan restaurants and cafés, and they are usually huge so they make for a hearty meal. You can ask for it a la napolitana—with tomato sauce, ham, and cheese—or en dos panes—as a sandwich with mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato.

If you’re thinking of the typical round pizzas, in Uruguay those are called pizzetas and are only found in restaurants. The authentic Uruguayan pizza is square and sold by the meter. There are three types of pizza: ‘just pizza, is tomato sauce with no cheese, ‘mozzarella’ is the cheese one, and a ‘figazza‘ is a very tasty onion pizza with no tomato sauce nor cheese. You can add whatever toppings you want to these too. It’s important to know that Uruguayans never order pizza without getting a side of faina. This local treat is a fried flatbread made with chickpea flour that you can eat by itself or on top of your pizza. It is exceptional with white pepper on top.

Additional reporting by Milena Fajardo.