Completo Recipe (Chilean Hot Dog)
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Looking for a gorge-worthy dish to serve at your next barbecue or summer gathering? My completo recipe packs sweet, creamy, and juicy flavors between a soft, fluffy bun, and is a super fun and easy way to serve hotdogs.
This food is loved by Chileans from all walks of life and can bring a magical dose of Latin American flair and flavor to your get-together.
Completo Recipe
What is Completo?
Very simply, a completo is a Chilean-style hotdog, typically consisting of a Vienna sausage nestled between a soft hotdog bun, covered with a range of different toppings.
The dish was brought to Chile by Eduardo Bahamondes after he visited the United States and quickly grew in popularity, first in Santiago and then throughout Chile.
Variations
Every completo is made of the same bread and Vienna sausage combination. From there, you can create a range of different variations depending on the toppings used.
Arguably, the most popular is Completo “Italiano,” which has an avocado, chopped tomato, and mayonnaise toppings. It is named as such because the colors of green, red, and white, as per the ingredients used, are the colors of the Italian flag.
There’s also the Completo “Alemán,” which has a tomato, mayonnaise, and sauerkraut topping, which is another very popular variation.
The Completo “Chacarero” is a good choice if you like a little heat, as it is topped with green beans, tomato, green pepper, and mayonnaise.
These are just three of some of the many variations you can try. When you visit Chile, keep your eyes peeled for plenty more variations, and be sure to give at least one of them a try and dine like a true Chilean!
Today, we’re making the “Completo Italiano” with avocados, tomatoes, and mayonnaise, but feel free to experiment with other variations and toppings.
Recipe Ingredients
Let’s get started with my Completo Italiano recipe. You’ll need the following ingredients:
- Hot Dog Buns – 4 hot dog buns
- Hot Dogs (Vienna Sausages or Frankfurters) – 4 Vienna Sausages or Frankfurters
- Tomatoes – 4-5 small tomatoes
- Avocados – 2 avocados
- Mayonnaise – mayo to taste (I used 1/4 cup, but in Chile, the completo Italiano is laden with mayo)
- Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Ingredient Notes
Mayo – Try to pick a high-quality mayonnaise or make your own homemade mayo for the best results!
Salt & Pepper – If skimping on mayo, add a pinch of salt and black pepper to the avocado. A lot of the flavor/seasoning comes from the mayo in the completo italiano, so if you’re using less (or no) mayo, you’ll definitely want to add salt and pepper and maybe some additional toppings (see below).
Optional Toppings – If skimping on the mayo and you find you want more flavor, you could also top it with ketchup and mustard.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 – Dice the tomatoes. You’ll want to have about 1 cup of finely chopped tomatoes.
Step 2 – Mash the avocados with a fork or a potato masher.
Optionally, add a tablespoon of mayo to the mashed avocado (it seasons it and prevents it from going brown). If you plan to use less (or no) mayo for the topping, add a good pinch of salt and black pepper to season the avocado more.
Step 3 – Cook the hot dogs. Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add the hot dogs and simmer them for about 4 minutes (or more if frozen).
Step 4 – (Optional) Steam the hot dog buns on top of the pot of boiling water by placing a rack on top of the pot and the buns on top of the rack (for about 1 minute, turning the buns after 30 seconds).
Step 5 – Assemble the hot dog, slicing the bun first, then adding the Vienna sausage/Frankfurter, chopped tomatoes, then mashed avocado, and finally, the mayonnaise.
Adding the Vienna sausages/Frankfurters:
Adding the diced tomatoes:
Adding the mashed avocado:
Adding the mayo:
We tried to be a bit healthier today, so we kept the mayo topping light, but traditionally, you’d use at least triple that amount of mayo. So top it with mayo to taste!
This is a fun, colorful, and utterly indulgent way to serve hotdogs. Maybe you want to host a Chilean or Latin-American-themed dinner party, or maybe you’re just looking for some topping ideas to serve with your hotdogs.
Either way, give this Chilean classic a try and let me know in the comments how it went down at your summer party or event.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 4 hot dog buns
- 4 hot dogs Vienna sausages or frankfurters
- 4-5 small tomatoes
- 2 avocados
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise or to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Dice the tomatoes. You’ll want to have about 1 cup of finely chopped tomatoes.
- Mash the avocados with a fork or a potato masher. Optionally, add a tablespoon of mayo to the mashed avocado (it seasons it and prevents it from going brown). If you plan to use less (or no) mayo for the topping, add a good pinch of salt and black pepper to season the avocado more.
- Cook the hot dogs. Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add the hot dogs and simmer them for about 4 minutes (or more if frozen).
- (Optional) Steam the hot dog buns on top of the pot of boiling water by placing a rack on top of the pot and the buns on top of the rack (for about 1 minute, turning the buns after 30 seconds).
- Assemble the hot dog, slicing the bun first, then adding the Vienna sausage/Frankfurter, chopped tomatoes, then mashed avocado, and finally, the mayonnaise to taste.
You Might Also Like to Read
- Latin American Stuffed Avocado (Palta a la Reina/Palta Rellena) Recipe
- Chilean Foods You Need to Try
- Best Latin American Foods to Try
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