Chile's extraordinary hot dog — a frankfurter in a soft bun piled high with diced tomato, mayonnaise and avocado palta, consumed in quantities that rival the American original.
The completo is Chile's national fast food, consumed in quantities that place Chile among the highest per-capita hot dog consuming nations in the world. But calling the completo a simple hot dog is a significant understatement — the standard 'completo italiano' version is loaded with so many toppings it must be eaten in two hands, the bun barely visible under an avalanche of diced fresh tomato, a generous schmear of avocado (called palta in Chile), and an astonishing quantity of mayonnaise, the latter applied with an abandon that has made the completo famous — and infamous — throughout South America. The name 'completo' simply means 'complete' — a fully loaded version as opposed to the 'simple' (Frankfurt alone in a bun). The 'italiano' variant gets its name from the colors of the Italian flag: the red of tomato, the white of mayonnaise, and the green of avocado. Other versions exist — the 'dinamico' adds sauerkraut, the 'as' adds ketchup and mustard — but the italiano is the canonical form served at fuente de soda (Chilean-style diners) and street carts throughout the country. The frankfurter itself is boiled or steamed, never grilled, and placed in a soft, slightly sweet white bun that must be able to absorb the considerable juices from the tomato without disintegrating. The ratio of toppings to sausage in a properly made completo approaches 3:1 by weight — the toppings are not garnish, they are the dish.
Serves 4
Dice the tomatoes finely, removing seeds and excess liquid. Season with a pinch of salt and set aside. Mash avocado with lemon juice and salt until creamy but still slightly chunky.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add frankfurters and simmer 3–4 minutes until heated through. Alternatively, steam them over boiling water 4 minutes. Do not grill — the completo uses steamed or boiled frankfurters.
Warm the buns briefly in a dry skillet or low oven until just soft and warm, not toasted.
The order matters: place the frankfurter in the bun. Spread avocado generously along one side. Pile diced tomato on top. Apply mayonnaise last and liberally — do not be timid.
The correct ratio for an authentic completo italiano is roughly equal quantities of each topping by volume, with mayonnaise applied so it is visible from all angles.
The mayonnaise quantity in a proper Chilean completo seems excessive to outsiders — it is not. Use full-fat mayonnaise and apply generously; this is the flavor anchor of the dish.
Seed the tomatoes before dicing or the bun will disintegrate from excess moisture within seconds of assembly.
Completo dinamico: add sauerkraut and mustard alongside the standard toppings.
Completo as: add ketchup, mustard and green relish — inspired by the American hot dog.
Vegetarian completo: substitute a grilled portobello mushroom for the frankfurter.
Completitos must be assembled and eaten immediately — assembled hot dogs cannot be stored. Prepare all toppings up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerate covered.
The hot dog arrived in Chile with American and Central European immigration during the early 20th century. Chilean street vendors began modifying the American original in the 1930s and 1940s, adding local ingredients — particularly the palta (avocado) so central to Chilean cuisine — and using far more mayonnaise than any American or European version would contemplate. By the 1950s, the completo had become a fixture of Chilean street food culture, and today Chile consumes approximately 2.5 kg of frankfurters per person per year — among the highest rates globally.
Mayonnaise became deeply embedded in Chilean cuisine during the 20th century — Chile imports and produces more mayonnaise per capita than almost any other country. For the completo, the mayonnaise serves as both flavor and binder, holding the other toppings in place and creating a creamy contrast to the acidic tomato and the fatty sausage. Using less is considered poor form by Chileans.
Boil or steam it — always. Grilled frankfurters have a smoky char that competes with and overwhelms the freshness of the avocado and tomato toppings. The completo is designed around the neutral, juicy frankfurter that boiling produces.
Per serving (280g / 9.9 oz) · 4 servings total
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