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Peruvian

Anticuchos de corazón

Non-vegetarian

Lima's favourite street grill: cubes of beef heart marinated in ají panca, garlic, cumin and vinegar, threaded on skewers and charred over hot coals, served with potato and corn.

Anticuchos de corazón is a Peruvian grilled dish, ready in about 45 minutes and made with beef heart and dried whole chillies. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Grilled beef heart anticuchos on skewers with corn, potato and salad
Photo: HugoMon / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-3.0
Prep
30 min
Cook
15 min
Total
45 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
491

Plus at least 3 hours, ideally overnight, marinating.

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Blend the soaked chillies, garlic (opens in a new tab), cumin (opens in a new tab), oregano (opens in a new tab), vinegar, 1 tbsp oil, salt and pepper (opens in a new tab) to a smooth red paste.

  2. Step 2

    Toss the heart cubes in the marinade, cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. Soak wooden skewers (opens in a new tab) in water.

    • 5 min

    Food safety: Marinate raw meat in the fridge, and do not reuse the marinade unless it is boiled.

    Meat coated in a spiced marinade in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Ip Photographer on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Thread 3–4 cubes onto each skewer (opens in a new tab). Mix the remaining oil with a few spoonfuls of marinade for basting.

    Food cooking over a grill
    How it looks · Photo: Malte Luk on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Grill over very hot coals for 2–3 minutes per side, basting, until charred outside and still pink and juicy inside. Grill the potato (opens in a new tab) slices alongside until marked.

    Heart turns tough if over-cooked; keep it medium.

  5. Step 5

    Serve the skewers (opens in a new tab) on the potatoes (opens in a new tab) with corn (opens in a new tab) and the ají amarillo dip.

    • 2 min
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Lima, Peru · Well documentedGrilled skewers have pre-Hispanic Andean roots; the beef-heart version is associated with Afro-Peruvian cooks of the colonial era.Also popular in Bolivia, ChileMore food from Peru
Dish
Dinner · Snack · Grills & kebabs · Street food · Main courses
Cooking method
Grilled, Marinated / cured
Taste
smoky, savoury, tangy, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Street food · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Dried whole chillies · Garlic · Cumin · Dried oregano · Wine vinegar · Potato
Techniques
Grilling · Charcoal grilling · Marinating · Curing

Allergens

  • May contain: Sulphitesfrom wine vinegar

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

491 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 441 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 33%
  • Carbohydrate 32%
  • Fat 35%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy491 kcal111 kcal
Protein40.4 g9.1 g
Carbohydrate39 g8.8 g
Net carbohydrate34 g7.7 g
Sugars1.7 g0.4 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre5 g1.1 g
Fat18.7 g4.2 g
Saturated fat3.6 g0.8 g
Trans fat0.4 g0.1 g
Cholesterol248 mg56 mg
Sodium941 mg213 mg
Salt equivalent2.4 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1526 mg
Calcium
64 mg
Iron
11.3 mg
Magnesium
97 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
21 µg
Vitamin C
45 mg
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
17.1 µg
Folate (DFE)
38 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: sweet corn, ají amarillo paste.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Common mistakes

  • Leaving sinew on the heart — trim it carefully or the meat is chewy.

Serve with

  • Follow with picarones (squash doughnuts) for the classic Lima street-food pairing.

Storage

  • Marinated raw meat keeps 24 hours in the fridge; eat cooked anticuchos straight away.

Variations

  • Anticuchos de pollo (Peru): Made with chicken thigh — a popular alternative.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Beef heart, trimmed of fat and sinew, in 3 cm cubes800 g
  • Potato, boiled and thickly sliced4 piece · 800 g
  • Sweet corn, boiled, cut into rounds (optional)2 piece · 180 g
Used in steps 2, 4

Reviews & corrections

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