🍢 Anticuchos
Anticuchos are Peruvian skewers of beef heart marinated in a deep red paste of aji panca chilli, garlic, cumin and vinegar, then grilled quickly over hot coals. The meat is lean and tender with a smoky, mildly spicy crust. They are a classic of Lima street stalls and are traditionally served with boiled potatoes, corn on the cob and a spoonful of chilli sauce.
Diets
Allergens
None of the 14 major allergens in a typical recipe.
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 800 g beef heart, trimmed and cut into 3 cm cubes
- 3 tbsp aji panca paste
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 80 ml vinegar
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- Salt and black pepper
- Wooden skewers, soaked in water
Method
- Mix the aji panca, garlic, cumin, oregano, vinegar, salt and pepper into a marinade.
- Toss the beef heart in the marinade and leave it in the fridge for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
- Thread 3–4 pieces onto each skewer. Stir the oil into the leftover marinade for basting.
- Grill over very hot coals or a griddle for 2–3 minutes per side, basting often, until charred outside and still juicy inside.
- Serve straight away with boiled potatoes and corn.
How to make it lighter
- Beef heart is lean — the skewers themselves are a high-protein, fairly light choice.
- Baste with the marinade on its own instead of adding extra oil.
- Keep the potatoes to one or two and add a fresh onion and tomato salad.
History
Skewered, grilled meat was eaten in the Andes before the Spanish arrived, but the anticucho as it is known today is usually traced to the colonial period, when enslaved Africans in Peru cooked cheap cuts such as beef heart. Today anticuchos are one of Peru's best-loved street foods, sold from evening stalls and at the October festivities in Lima.
Count it in one photo
Point your camera at the table — Me Nutrition recognises Anticuchos and every other dish, with calories and macros for each. Ate only half? Slide it.
Download on the App StoreSimilar dishes
Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →