---
title: "Chilean Spicy Tripe and Charqui Stew — Picante de Guatitas y Charqui"
description: "Versión en Español. Chilean picante de guatitas y charqui is a thick Andean stew of tender beef tripe strips, soaked and shredded llama or alpaca charqui, and gelatinous meat from a boiled beef foot,..."
url: https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/chilean-spicy-tripe-charqui-stew-picante-recipe/
date: 2026-09-27
modified: 2026-09-27
author: "Carlos Uhart M."
image: https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/chilean-picante-tripe-charqui-stew-featured.jpg
categories: ["Main Dishes"]
type: post
lang: en
---

# Chilean Spicy Tripe and Charqui Stew — Picante de Guatitas y Charqui

[Versión en Español](https://comidaschilenas.com/receta-de-picante-de-guatitas-y-charqui/)

![Chilean picante de guatitas y charqui, a thick Andean tripe and dried meat stew](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/chilean-picante-tripe-charqui-stew-featured.jpg)*Homemade Chilean picante de guatitas y charqui*

Chilean picante de guatitas y charqui is a thick Andean stew of tender beef tripe strips, soaked and shredded llama or alpaca charqui, and gelatinous meat from a boiled beef foot, cooked in a sofrito of garlic, onion, ají de color, and rocoto, and thickened with crumbled boiled potatoes, finished with cilantro. It takes 4 hours of soaking plus about 2 hours of cooking and serves 8 people.

It is a hearty heritage stew of the mestizo cooking of northern Chile, creamy from the potato and the collagen of the beef foot.

## How to Make Picante de Guatitas y Charqui?

The tripe, beef foot, and charqui are cooked or soaked separately to get the right texture, then combined in a spicy sofrito, and the boiled potatoes are crumbled in at the end to thicken the stew.

## Nutritional Information

Each serving of picante de guatitas y charqui contains approximately 520 kcal, 38 g of protein, 22 g of total fat (7 g of saturated fat), 120 mg of cholesterol, 45 g of carbohydrates, 3 g of sugars, and 880 mg of sodium. These values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.

## Homemade Chilean Picante de Guatitas y Charqui Recipe

**Preparation:** 4 hours
**Cooking:** 120 minutes
**Servings:** 8 people

### Ingredients

- 1 kg (2.2 lb) of beef tripe
- 1 1/2 kg (3.3 lb) of potatoes
- 500 g (1.1 lb) of llama or alpaca charqui
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon of ají de color (sweet paprika)
- 1 beef foot
- 1 teaspoon of ground rocoto
- 1/2 cup of oil
- Fresh chopped cilantro
- Fine salt
- Black pepper

### Instructions

1. Wash the tripe well and boil it in a large pot of salted water for 40 to 50 minutes, until tender. Let cool, cut into thin strips, and keep some of the broth. In another pot, boil the beef foot in salted water for 2 hours, until the meat comes off the bone. Let cool, shred, and keep some of the broth.

![Raw beef tripe for the picante](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/raw-beef-tripe-guatitas.jpg)*Beef tripe*

1. Soak the charqui in hot water for at least 4 hours or overnight, changing the water once to reduce the salt. Drain and shred by hand. Peel the potatoes and boil them whole in salted water for 25 to 30 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside.

![Charqui, dried meat for the stew](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/chilean-charqui-dried-meat-for-canapes.webp)*Charqui*

1. In a wide pot, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic for a few minutes. Add the finely chopped onion and the ají de color and cook until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the tripe strips with some of their broth, then the shredded beef foot meat and the charqui.

![Boiled potatoes to crumble into the stew](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/boiled-potatoes-for-prietas.jpg)*Boiled potatoes*

1. Season with salt, pepper, and ground rocoto and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, adding broth if needed. Crumble the boiled potatoes directly into the pot and stir into a thick, creamy stew. Adjust the seasoning, add a drizzle of oil, and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

## Additional Tips

### Reduce the broth

Simmer the tripe and beef foot broth to concentrate it before adding, for more flavor and body.

### Add rocoto gradually

Add the rocoto little by little and taste, since its heat varies.

### Desalt the charqui

Changing the soaking water removes excess salt from the dried meat.

| Original ingredient | Substitute | Ratio | Flavor note |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Llama charqui | Beef charqui (jerky) | 1:1 | Milder |
| Beef foot | Pig’s feet | 1:1 | Similar gelatin |
| Rocoto | Merkén or cayenne | To taste | Different heat |
| Cilantro | Parsley | 1:1 | Milder |

## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

### 1. What gives this stew its creamy texture?

The starch from the crumbled potatoes and the collagen from the beef foot.

### 2. Can I use beef charqui?

Yes, beef charqui or jerky works, although llama or alpaca charqui is traditional in the north.

### 3. How spicy is it?

It depends on the rocoto; add it gradually and taste as you go.

### 4. How long does it keep?

Up to 3 days in the refrigerator; reheat gently with a little broth.

## What Is Picante de Guatitas y Charqui?

It is a spicy Andean stew from northern Chile combining beef tripe, dried camelid meat, and beef foot, thickened with potatoes.

## Picantes of the Andes

Picantes are spicy stews shared by northern Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, made with tripe, rabbit, or seafood and served with potatoes or rice.

## Did You Know?

Charqui, sun-dried and salted meat, was an essential preserved food of Andean peoples long before the Spanish arrived.

## Recommended

- [Chilean Guatitas a la Jardinera](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/chilean-guatitas-a-la-jardinera-tripe-stew-recipe/)
- [Chilean Picante de Conejo](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/chilean-spicy-rabbit-stew-picante-de-conejo-recipe/)
- [Homemade Charqui Dried Meat](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/charqui-dried-meat-recipe/)
- [Chilean Andean Chairo](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/chilean-andean-chairo-highland-soup-recipe/)