Chilean Merquen Seasoning

Use it as a dry rub on beef, chicken, duck, lamb, pork, tofu, or seafood before it hits the grill or smoker, or add the flakes directly to pizza, chili, or burgers the way you'd use crushed red pepper, just with more depth.

For something closer to how it's used in Chile, stir it into pebre or chancho en piedra, the country's classic chunky salsas, or use it to season a chacarero or lomito sandwich. It's also excellent in drinks: a pinch in a Bloody Mary, a pisco sour, or a michelada adds real smoke and heat that most rim salts can't match.

Merquen, or merken, was created by the indigenous Mapuche people of Chile, and their creation is now sought after well beyond South America.

What makes it distinct is the chile at its center: aji cacho de cabra, or goat's horn chile, which is dried and smoked before grinding and genuinely difficult to source outside Chile. This is built from the real chile rather than a stand-in, which is part of why it tastes like something specific rather than a generic smoky heat.

Chilean Merquen Seasoning FAQ

What is merquen?

Merquen, or merkén, is a Chilean seasoning that gets its defining flavor from goat's horn chile, also known as aji cacho de cabra, dried, smoked, and ground with sea salt and coriander.

What can you do with merquen spice?

Use it as a substitute for crushed red pepper anywhere you want more smoke and depth, or use it in traditional Chilean dishes and drinks like pebre, chacarero sandwiches, or a michelada.

How do you use merquen seasoning?

Use it as a dry rub on meat, stir it into sauces and soups, or sprinkle it on nearly anything, pizza, popcorn, eggs, when you want real smokiness and heat.

Is this made with real goat's horn chile?

Yes. This is built from genuine aji cacho de cabra, dried and smoked the traditional way, not a substitute blend.