• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Main Dishes
      • Beef
      • Chicken and Turkey
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Meatless
      • Pizza, Sandwiches and Hot Dogs
      • Pasta and Rice
      • Arepas and Tamales
      • Quesadillas and Tacos
      • Soups
      • Stews
    • Side Dishes
    • Appetizers and Snacks
    • Salads
    • Desserts
    • Breakfast and Brunch
    • Drinks
    • Breads and Cakes
    • Sauces, Condiments and Dips
    • Menus and Lists
  • Videos
  • About
    • More Facts About Me
    • Contact
    • Work with Me
    • Press
  • Pantry
  • Merch
My Colombian Recipes
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Main Dishes
  • Side Dishes
  • Soups
  • Desserts
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Merch
  • My Amazon Store
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    My Colombian Recipes » Recipes » Main Dishes » Pizza, Sandwiches and Hot Dogs » A Sandwich Or Hamburger Recipe? Neither - A Delicious Uruguayan Chivito!

    A Sandwich or Hamburger Recipe? Neither - a Delicious Uruguayan Chivito!

    Nov 27, 2009 · Modified: Oct 6, 2021 by Erica Dinho · 27 Comments

    FacebookPinterestXYummly

    chivitoPin

    Guest posting today and sharing his delicious recipe is Gera  from “sweets Foods". Gera lives in Uruguay(South America) and has a wonderful blog filled with great information.
    ~Erica

    What's better than a chivito?..another chivito 😀 What am I talking about?
    A "sandwich recipe" only found in my country, Uruguay!

    What it isn’t? It isn’t a panini sandwich, or a ham sandwich, or a chicken sandwich -nor is it a gourmet hamburger!
    Are you a sandwich maker? Then it'll be very easy to make and relish!

    A little of History about the Chivito
    Punta del Este (the most famous vacation-spot here and it's the Ibiza of South America!) was the cradle of its birth. In this city a lot of people, especially young people,  go to bed at sunset after dancing all night. How do they do it? Simple, they take a little nap till midnight/1 a.m. and then straight to the nightclubs!

    Why is the national sandwich of Uruguay called "chivito", which translates to "baby goat" or "little goat", yet it's made with beef?

    As the story goes, while during a blackout one night at a restaurant, a woman customer asked if she could order goat meat, as she had recently tried this meat in another country. The restaurant owner told her that he was going to make a special dish for her with what he had on hand at that time. He was limited due to the blackout.

    He prepared a toasted sandwich with butter, fillet Mignon and ham and seasoned it with other various ingredients that he had available that dark night. Although not the goat meat she had wanted, the woman was totally delighted and the "chivito" was born!

    Shall we eat?
    How to Prepare a Chivito Comun (Basic Chivito)

    Ingredients:

    • Bread (you can choose a sandwich roll, hamburger roll or it's up to you…experiment!)
    • A thin steak, usually beef tenderloin
    • Tomatoes
    • Lettuce
    • Ham
    • Mozzarella cheese
    • Mayonnaise

    Method of Preparation

    1. Cut the bread in halves,  I like to toast it a little
    2. Add mayonnaise on both sides
    3. Grill your thin steak and sprinkle a pinch of salt
    4. Put the ham and mozzarella cheese on the steak, warm till cheese melts
    5. Make the tower, add sliced tomatoes and the lettuce
    6. Put the half bread on top
    7. Enjoy!

    And the "toasted steak sandwich" called chivito has more options…
    Chivito Canadiense (Canadian Chivito)
    Nobody knows how the Canadian version came to be! Hey Canadian people, if you've some idea, you're welcome to share it 😉

    It's the standard Chivito, plus these extra ingredients:
    • Crispy bacon
    • Sliced/halved hard boiled eggs
    • Sliced onions
    • Red peppers
    • Sliced green olives
    • Pickles
    • Mushrooms
    • Sliced palm hearts

    You can add different sauces, ketchup, mustard as you might add to a hamburger recipe. Play with them to suite your taste…be imaginative 🙂

    Chivito al Plato (Chivito on a Dish)
    The same as the Canadian version without the bread and served on a dish. You'd add French fries, carrots and green bean salad. Basically, there's a mattress of veggies, potatoes or fried potatoes and on top, the meat with olives. Certainly the stack can vary depending on your wishes 🙂

    The options are endless. Veggie chivito (take off the meat and you've a delicious vegetarian sandwich), chicken instead of beef and so on.
    These Uruguayan chivitos are utterly customizable. No doubt…you'll be overjoyed!

    What do you think? Do you like them just the way they are or would you like to make some changes? Give one of these recipes a try, you won't regret it!

    More Pizza, Sandwiches and Hot Dogs Recipes

    Lomo Saltado SandwichTurkey-Poblano Pepper BurgersA Sandwich Or Hamburger Recipe? Neither - A Delicious Uruguayan Chivito!Salmon Burgers With Basil-Garlic MayoColombian Pizza (Pizza Colombiana)
    FacebookPinterestXYummly

    About Erica Dinho

    My name is Erica and I was born and raised in Colombia and now live in the northeastern United States with my husband and family. This blog was inspired by my grandmother, Mamita, who was an amazing traditional Colombian cook.

    Author Page →

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anonymous

      December 30, 2010 at 2:09 pm

      [Babas] In every bar of Uruguay you can buy a Chivito 😀 I'm from Uruguay xD

      Reply
    2. Hazel

      September 14, 2010 at 9:02 am

      Hi, I was reading your post and I just wanted to thank you for putting out such great content. There's so much nonsense on the internet these days its difficult to find anything worthwhile. I actually have cooked this recipe before, I got this book last month on recommendation from a friend and it turned out very nice! I'm extremely eager to try your variation of it though, it looks excellent. I think you might enjoy those recipes, they're very good. Thanks for the article and tips.

      Reply
    3. christina

      April 21, 2010 at 4:06 pm

      i just made this today and it was AWESOME!!! i called my father (he's from uruguay) and he couldnt be any more proud!! thanks for the post!!!

      Reply
    4. Swapna Raghu Sanand

      December 03, 2009 at 4:45 am

      What an incredible, informative story! LOVED IT!

      Reply
    5. Soma

      December 02, 2009 at 4:40 pm

      LOL at the story Gera!! BTW nice to see you here. A pretty hearty looking sandwich i must say.

      Reply
    6. Muneeba

      December 01, 2009 at 4:57 pm

      Whatever you want to call it ... I'd like a big bite of it, pls! This is prime snacking time for me, so am salivating over this concoction 😀

      Reply
    7. Oysterculture

      November 28, 2009 at 10:50 pm

      Oh my - I think I'm in love, and I don't care if my husband know. This chivito sounds incredible! Gera thanks for sharing and Erica, thanks for having him on this blog to share - I am in a happy place now!

      Reply
    8. Chris

      November 28, 2009 at 4:32 pm

      I originally found Gera's blog looking for a milanesa recipe. Now this? This is INSANELY good looking and I have a tenderloin just begging to be eaten. I will 100% be making this within the week. Holy wow, this sounds just divine. I'm going to Uruguay if this keeps up.

      Reply
    9. Simply Life

      November 28, 2009 at 8:26 am

      Oh this looks great! Just wish I could bite right into it! 🙂

      Reply
    10. Erica

      November 28, 2009 at 8:12 am

      Thank you all for taking the time and read Gera's post!

      Reply
    11. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella

      November 28, 2009 at 1:47 am

      I do love a good sadnwich and burger so thankyou so much for introducing this to us! 🙂

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




     

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    keep coffee simple mug

    New Keep Coffee Simple merch

    Click here to get yours!

    Hola and welcome to My Colombian Recipes. My name is Erica and I was born and raised in Colombia and now live in the northeastern United States with my husband and family. This blog was inspired by my grandmother, Mamita, who was an amazing traditional Colombian cook.

    More about me →

    Let's Connect

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Never Miss A Recipe

    Sign Up! for email updates

    Popular

    • Colada de Piña (Pineapple and Corn Colombian drink)
      Colada de Piña (Pineapple and Corn Colombian drink)
    • Sopa de Arepa (Corn Cake Soup) |mycolombianrecipes.com
      Sopa de Arepa (Corn Cake Soup)
    • Peto Costeño (Dried Corn Drink)
      Peto Costeño (Dried Corn Drink)
    • Arepa con Hogao y Chorizo
      Arepa con Chorizo y Hogao (Arepa with Chorizo and Creole Sauce)

    Get my Cookbook in Spanish Today!

    Get My Colombian Recipes Cookbook

    Trending Recipes

    • 10 Comforting Winter Stews |mycolombianrecipes.com
      10 Comforting Winter Stews
    • Cazuelita de Frijoles (Colombian Beans Cazuela)
      Cazuelita de Frijoles (Colombian Beans Cazuela)
    • Sudado de Posta o Muchacho (Beef Round Steak Stew)
      Sudado de Posta o Muchacho (Beef Round Steak Stew)
    • Pusundao de Carne Serrrana (Salted Beef Stew)
      Pusundao de Carne Serrrana (Salted Beef Stew)
    • Estofado de Carne (Beef Stew) |Mycolombianrecipes.com
      Beef Stew in Tomato Sauce (Estofado de Res)
    • Sudado de Pollo (Colombian-Style Chicken Stew) |mycolombianrecipes.com
      Sudado de Pollo (Colombian-Style Chicken Stew)
    • Sudado de Res (Colombian Beef Stew) |mycolombianrecipes.com
      Colombian Beef Stew (Sudado de Res)
    • Sudado de albondigas (Colombian Meatball Stew) |mycolombianrecipes.com
      Sudado de Albóndigas (Meatball Stew)

    Join the conversation

    1. Erica Dinho on Sancocho Trifásico (Three Meats Sancocho)March 2, 2026
    2. Jeff on Sancocho Trifásico (Three Meats Sancocho)March 1, 2026
    3. Javier on Pollo Asado (Roasted Chicken)February 27, 2026
    4. Jen on Avocado stuffed with Shrimp (Aguacates Rellenos de Camarones)February 24, 2026

    Holiday Recipes

    • Pernil Asado Colombiano (Colombian-Style Roasted Pork Leg) |mycolombianrecipes.com
      Pernil Asado Colombiano (Colombian-Style Roasted Pork Leg)
    • El Día de las Velitas
      El Día de las Velitas (The Day of the Candles)
    • Alfajores (Dulce de Leche Cookie Sandwiches)|mycolombianrecipes.com
      Alfajores (Dulce de Leche Cookie Sandwiches)
    • Hojuelas
      Hojuelas o Hojaldras Colombianas (Colombian Hojuelas)
    • Receta de Natilla Colombiana
      Natilla Colombiana (Colombian-Style Pudding)
    • Colombian Recipes for Christmas and New Year's
      Colombian Recipes for Christmas and New Year's

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Terms

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosures

    Never Miss a Recipe

    • Sign Up! for email updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with Me
    nytlogo
    blogher_featured_badge
    qrv_badge_75x75
    parade featured contributor
    radio_interview
    the latin kitchen

    nbc news logo
    Telemundo_logo
    wfsb_channel_3
    logo foxnews

    Copyright © 2009–2026 My Colombian Recipes ®. All rights reserved. Privacy and Terms.