Horacio Cambeiro · CC BY-SA 3.0Asadito
Charcoal-grilled beef skewers with cassava: the go-to street food at dusk.
What it is
Chunks of beef threaded onto a stick and grilled over charcoal at carts and small grills set up on sidewalks, in plazas and at bus stops. They are sold by the piece, almost always with a portion of boiled cassava and sometimes chipa guasu or salsa criolla. Cheap and quick, they appear as the afternoon fades, and they are a fixture at fairs, kermeses and festivals all over the country.
Ingredients
History
It is the popular, portable version of the asado, born of the Paraguayan habit of grilling on any street corner. It features at food festivals across the interior alongside regional dishes, such as the Batiburrillo Festival in San Juan Bautista.
Did you know…?
Charcoal smoke from an asadito stand is usually the surest sign of cheap, freshly made food nearby.
When
Afternoons and evenings, year-round; fairs and patron-saint festivals.
Where
Sidewalks and plazas in Asunción and towns across the interior.
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 1 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.