Top 26 South American Sandwiches

Arepa reina pepiada is one of the most famous arepa varieties in Venezuela. This type of arepa is stacked and filled with a combination of avocado, shredded chicken pieces, lime, coriander, mayonnaise, and optional peas. The dish was invented by Heriberto Alvarez, an empanada kiosk owner. The name is concocted in honor of Susana Duijm, the first Venezuelan representative to win the Miss World crown. In those days, curvy women like Susana were called pepiada, so reina pepiada (curvy queen) is a logical choice for the name of this flavorful arepa variety.Expand

Pan con chicharrón is a traditional Latin American sandwich primarily associated with the culinary heritage of Peru. It is comprised of crispy fried pork belly or pork cracklings placed inside soft bread rolls. The roots of the sandwich can be traced back to the melding of indigenous cooking techniques with Spanish culinary traditions during the colonial period. The preparation of pan con chicharrón involves boiling pork belly and then frying it until the exterior becomes crispy while the interior remains tender. The bread used is often a soft, white roll similar in consistency to a French or Italian loaf. Accompaniments commonly include salsa criolla (a tangy onion salad made with thinly sliced red onions, lime juice, salt, pepper, and occasionally ají peppers) and sweet potatoes.Expand

This is an extreme version of a steak sandwich – filled with thinly sliced lomo steak, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, mayonnaise, chimichurri sauce, ham, cheese, and a fried egg, sandwich de lomo or lomito is a behemoth of a sandwich that is sure to satiate even the hungriest consumers. However, this delicious sandwich is open to innovation – some might substitute the steak with pork, or put aubergine slices into it, along with any other ingredient that comes to mind. Popular both in Argentina and Uruguay, it can easily be found at numerous street carts dispersed throughout the metropolitan areas of both countries.Expand

Butifarra is the essential Peruvian sandwich that originally consisted of a crusty white bread (pan frances, michetta or ciabbata) filled with jamón del país (garlic-infused peppery ham), salsa criolla, lettuce, and aji peppers. Over time, some ingredients were added, while others were removed. Jamón del pais is the key ingredient in this sandwich, made from boiled pork loin, garlic, oil, ají chili, and red peppers. It is believed that butifarra was first sold during bullfights in early Republican Lima. Today, the sandwich is a staple at birthday parties and it is often served as a part of a typical Peruvian breakfast. It can also be found in sangucherías – Peruvian sandwich shops.Expand

Sánguche de milanesa is a popular sandwich hailing from Argentina, although it's also popular in Uruguay. The sandwich typically consists of a split baguette or long bread roll that's filled with milanesa, mayonnaise, tomatoes, onions, and shredded lettuce. Additional ingredients might include mustard, chimichurri, ham, or cheese. This sandwich is especially popular in the province of Tucumán, where it's sold in mostly family-owned sangucherías. In some eateries, sánguche de milanesa is accompanied by mashed potatoes or fries on the side.Expand

Choripán is the ultimate in Argentine street food, a sandwich consisting of a chorizo sausage and a variety of condiments in a crusty bun. It is usually consumed on the go, since it is mostly sold at street stands throughout Latin America. The name choripán is derived from two words: chorizo, referring to the sausage, and pan, meaning bread.Expand

Churrasco Italiano is a mouth-watering Chilean sandwich made with thin slices of grilled steak, mayonnaise, tomatoes, and palta – a local name for avocados - all tucked into fresh bread rolls. But why is this sandwich dubbed Italiano? It's because each addition represents a color of the Italian flag: palta for green, mayo for white, and tomatoes for red. Consuming this sandwich might prove to be quite sloppy, so serve it with lots of napkins.Expand

Pan con relleno is a traditional sandwich originating from Peru. The key ingredient in the sandwich is relleno, a typical Peruvian blood sausage that can be replaced with any type of blood sausage. In order to prepare the sandwich, yellow chili peppers are sautéed in oil with the pork relleno, mint, and sugar. The combination is seasoned with salt and pepper, then cooked on low heat. Sweet potatoes are sautéed in a separate pan in oil until very crisp. Finally, the sweet potato slices and the relleno mixture are tucked into a split bread roll and the sandwich is ready to be enjoyed.Expand

Chivito is a delicious sandwich from Uruguay and the country's national dish. Meaning little goat in Spanish, a legend says that in the 1940s, a chef in a restaurant was asked to prepare roasted goat, but since he didn't have one - he made a sandwich with bits of just about everything he had in the kitchen, and chivito was born. The sandwich is filled with meat - slices of churrasco (grilled/roasted and thinly sliced beef), ham, bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, melted mozzarella, and a topping of fried (or sometimes boiled) eggs. The sandwich buns should be quite large, such as ciabatta rolls. Optionally, it can be topped with olives, pickles, and cooked onions, while salsa golf - a popular mix of ketchup and mayonnaise, acts as a perfect condiment. It is a quite tall sandwich, due to all of the ingredients stuffed inside it. Praised by many world chefs because of the high-quality, grass-fed beef ingredients on the inside, chivito is finally getting the recognition it deserves.Expand

Arepa is a highly versatile cornbread made from ground corn dough or precooked corn flour. It is commonly consumed in Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. In Venezuela, arepa is eaten at any time of the day, throughout the whole country, and across all socio-economic groups. The golden disks with a crispy, browned crust are commonly stuffed with a variety of ingredients, and the combinations are seemingly infinite, from beans, cheese, and avocado to shredded beef and onions. For a Venezuelan breakfast, arepas are traditionally paired with a cup of strong coffee and hot dipping chocolate. Since they are not filled with anything for breakfast, they are commonly referred to as the viuda (widow). The name arepa comes from the word erepa, which is the indigenous word for this corn bread, as its origins are believed to be from the indigenous tribes across Venezuela, such as Timoto-Cuicas, Arawak, Carib, and Karina. Today, arepas are usually served at traditional eateries called areperas.Expand