Fricandela Chilean Burger Patty

Versión en español

In Chile, Fricandela is the traditional burger patty. It’s rare to see a homemade burger patty with just ground meat and salt and pepper. Most likely due to the cost of the beef in Chile, the burger patty always include fillers if you wish.

This recipe is how I remember my grandmother used to make with onion, either diced very small or grated by hand, parsley, and other seasonings. I’ve heard of Chilean Fricandelas with a mix of beef and pork ground meat, others with finely chopped bacon, with and without parsley, with or without chopped garlic, and with and without breadcrumbs or Marraqueta (a special kind of Chilean bread) crumbs softened in milk/water.

It’s safe to say you can experiment a little at home with your Fricandela.
Most likely, the Fricandela recipe arrived in Chile in the late 1800s with the German immigrant to the lake region in the South of Chile. The word Fricandela comes from Frikadellen.
Nowadays, it’s popular for lunch served with pasta or rice and assorted salads. It’s an everyday meal. Or the Fricandela is served on a sandwich with avocado, tomato, and mayo.

Other recipes popular in Chile with ground beef:

• Ground beef and eggs scramble (huevos con carne molida)
• Easy meatballs with tomato sauce (albóndigas de carne)
• Zucchini boats with rice and ground beef (Zapallitos rellenos con carne y arroz)
• Empanadas de Pino (Chilean ground beef empanadas)
• Pastel de choclo
• Pastel de papas

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