Best Chivito Sandwich: How To Make Uruguay National Dish

The Chivito sandwich is a steak sandwich from Uruguay and is considered the country’s national dish. It’s a generous, unbelievably flavorful sandwich you will want to try. Picture sinking your teeth into tender steak slices, bacon, ham, eggs, cheese, tomatoes, onions, and lettuce, all packed between lightly toasted buns. Just one bite and this mighty sandwich from Uruguay will win you over.

What is Chivito?

Chivito, or in Spanish El Chivito, is the most famous sandwich in Uruguay. It’s the country’s most popular sandwich found at almost all restaurants and local eateries.

Chivito is a colossal and decadent sandwich stuffed with egg, meat, ham, bacon, cheese, vegetables, and sauces. 

The name “chivito” in English translates to young goat or little goat. While chivito or goat meat in South America is highly prized, this sandwich does not contain any goat meat. 

The name is said to be associated with the legend or history of how this sandwich came to be.

Chivito al plato is another presentation of chivito which does not contain bread. It has the same ingredients and is served on a plate without a bun.  In Uruguay, the Chivito al plato we had was served with a plate of french fries.

Chivito canadiense is yet another version of this sandwich. This version uses Canadian bacon instead of local ham from Uruguay. The Canadian Chivito is also quite popular.

The chivito is one of the most iconic sandwiches in the world. It is amongst the top 23 World’s Best Sandwiches, according to CNN.

How Do You Eat Chivito?

How you eat the chivito depends on what you order. When it is served as the platter, it comes without the sandwich bread and is typically accompanied by french fries or baked potatoes.

When you order the chivito sandwich, use your hands to hold down the mile-high sandwich and bite into incredibly rich flavors that seamlessly work together.

The chivito is an incredibly delicious carnivore’s fantasy. 

History of Chivito

The origins of Chivito go back to a popular legend about a female tourist visiting from Argentina. 

As the story goes, she stopped at a restaurant in Punta Del Este, southern Uruguay and ordered “chivito” or baby goat meat like the ones she had in Argentina. 

The restaurant owner, not willing to lose a customer, accepted her order. He made her a churrasco or steak, not a goat sandwich topped with everything but the kitchen sink. 

She ends up loving it, and the sandwich earned a permanent place on his menu under the name Chivito, going on to become Uruguay’s national sandwich.

Discovering Chivito Sandwich in Uruguay

The Chivito is the “national sandwich of Uruguay” found all over the country. While exploring local food specialties in Colonia and Montevideo there was no shortage of places with Chivito on the menu. 

While in Colonia, we settled on El Drugstore, a quaint family-run restaurant with the Chivito specialty on the menu.

We ordered the chivito al plato or chivito as a platter for the first experience and a few days later ordered the Chivito sandwich at another local restaurant.

The Chivito al Plato is a serious dish filled with loads of meat and protein. It has a thin slice of churrasco or filet mignon beef, topped with bacon, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise, ham, olives, and a fried egg. 

On the menu, it was noted as a meal for two and it is definitively best shared as it is quite filling.

The Chivito sandwich or Uruguayan steak sandwich is very similar to the chivito al plato just with the addition of the bread.

It’s a massive sandwich that really looks like two sandwiches put together. Best shared, the meat is piled up on each other, and delivers a flavorful and succulent experience.

This sandwich is surprisingly very juicy and tasty. It’s no wonder why the Chivito is the national Uruguay dish.

Chivito Ingredients – How To Make Uruguay National Dish

Making the chivito at home is an easy way to taste the flavors from South America’s second-smallest country.

You need a handful of ingredients and about 30 minutes to sink your teeth into one of the most luscious sandwiches you’ll ever try.

Aim for high-quality ingredients for your Chivito sandwich.

• Mozzarella cheese
• Sirloin steak
• Artisanal bread
• Ham
• Bacon
• Eggs

Chivito Recipe Tips

Although the chivito is a simple and iconic sandwich to make, there are a few tricks to help you master the recipe.

• The meat should be cut into flat and thin slices to make it easier to assemble the sandwich. We recommend flattening the meat down using a meat tenderizer.

• Another key to an exceptional chivito sandwich is the quality of the sauces. We use mustard, oregano, and mayonnaise. Adjust the amounts to your liking.

• Finally, cook everything in one pan of oil. In the same pan, fry the bacon, the egg, the meat, and even the bread. This will give your chivito much more flavor.

What Type of Meat To Use For Chivito?

The meat used in the chivito recipe is called “churrasco” in Uruguay. It’s a long flat cut of meat that is very similar to sirloin steak, and it is thinly sliced.

It’s a juicy and flavorful cut of steak taken from the hip of the cow.

What Type of Bread to Use for Chivito Sandwich?

The chivito uses artisanal bread with a hard exterior and a soft crumbly interior. Unlike traditional sandwiches, you don’t want to use sliced bread or a hamburger bun. 

The best option would be to use a not-too-crunchy baguette or ciabatta bun. 

You want the bread to have a hard crust and make sure it is lightly toasted for the sandwich.

How To Assemble The Chivito Sandwich?

You want to assemble the chivito steak sandwich delicately, both inside and outside the pan.

Start by assembling the ingredients inside the pan. First the meat, then the fried egg, mozzarella cheese, ham, and bacon.

On a clean plate or counter, place some lettuce leaves on the bottom bun and then stack the meat and other ingredients. 

And, the last part is to arrange the tomatoes and onions on top.

Chivito Uruguayan Steak Sandwich Step by Step Instructions

Season and Cook Sirloin Steak

Season the meat with salt, pepper, and oregano. And, then cook the sirloin medium rare for about 3 minutes until golden brown.

Fry Bacon and Onions

Fry bacon in a pan until brown and slightly crispy. Remove the cooked bacon and let it drain on a paper towel. In the same oil, fry the onions until slightly crispy. Remove and set aside.

Prepare the Chivito Sandwich Bread

Cut the bread into pieces about 6 inches in length. Then cut the bread into two to make bread slices.

Before assembling the sandwich, slightly brown each slice of bread in the same pan you have been cooking with. Allow the grease to soak slightly into the bread.

Assemble the Chivito Sandwich Bread

Start assembling the chivito sandwich in the pan. Start with the steak and place the fried egg on top. Add sliced ham and then melt the cheese.

On a plate, add the rest of the ingredients starting with the lettuce leaves, tomatoes and onions. Spread the sauce on the top bun and put the sandwich together.

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