14 recipes using beef — Ajiaco, bandeja paisa, arepas — hearty and vibrant Andean cooking.
These 14 colombian beef recipes are ready in about 79 minutes on average, with 195–1280 kcal per serving, and 14% are rated easy enough for a weeknight. Every recipe includes exact ingredient quantities, step-by-step instructions and full nutrition per serving.
Colombian cuisine — Ajiaco, bandeja paisa, arepas — hearty and vibrant Andean cooking — brings its own distinctive techniques and seasonings to every ingredient it touches. When Colombian cooks work with beef, they reach for its own regional aromatics, fats and signature spice blends, and the techniques that come up most across these recipes are simmering, frying, grilling and boiling.
A rich, deeply savoury red meat that rewards both fast, hot searing and long, slow braising depending on the cut. In this collection it's most often cooked with ground cumin, garlic, onion, fine sea salt, tomato and eggs. The dishes here span colombian classics ready in as little as 35 minutes to slower, more involved cooking that rewards a relaxed afternoon.
Reader favourite: Empanadas Colombianas is the highest-rated dish in this collection at 4.9★ from 3,210 ratings.
Colombia's most legendary meal — a monumental platter from the Antioquia region featuring red beans, chicharrón, minced beef, chorizo, fried egg, sweet plantain, avocado, hogao sauce and rice.
Crispy corn dough empanadas filled with seasoned beef, potato and egg — Colombia's most popular street food, fried golden and served with ají sauce.
Colombia's legendary platter from the Paisa region — a mountainous spread of beans, rice, ground beef, chicharrón, fried egg, chorizo, avocado, and plantain.
Colombia's legendary platter — red beans with pork, white rice, ground beef, chicharrón, fried egg, sweet plantain, avocado and arepa.
Colombian platter with beans, rice, beef, chicharrón, eggs, plantain, avocado — Antioquia's mountain feast.
Versatile Colombian spiced beef mince with tomatoes, onions, and herbs — the workhorse filling for arepas, pasteles, empanadas, and rice bowls.
Crispy golden fried empanadas with a corn-dough shell and spiced beef and potato filling — the definitive Colombian street snack eaten with ají verde.
A quick grilled steak salad with avocado, tomato and fresh mint, built the way Colombian home cooks turn leftover grilled meat into a bright weeknight plate.
A hearty Colombian one-pot stew of beef, yuca, plantain and corn, simmered low and slow the way it's made for family gatherings.
Crisp, corn-dough empanadas stuffed with seasoned ground beef and potato, fried the way street vendors sell them across Colombia.
Bell peppers stuffed with seasoned rice and ground beef, baked until tender and topped with melted cheese.
Beef and pork meatballs simmered in an achiote-colored herb sauce, Colombia's real answer to saffron-tinted dishes.
Charred bell peppers stuffed with seasoned ground beef, rice and a spoonful of tomato-onion hogao.
A juicy beef and chorizo patty topped with hogao and avocado, Colombian street-food style.
Tender cuts (sirloin, ribeye) suit quick cooking; tougher, collagen-rich cuts (chuck, brisket, shin) are built for stews and braises. Look for bright-red colour and fine marbling.
Season generously and let steaks come to room temperature before searing. Rest cooked beef 5–10 minutes so the juices redistribute; slice against the grain to keep it tender.
Steaks: 52°C / 125°F for rare up to 71°C / 160°F for well done. Ground beef should always reach 71°C / 160°F.
An excellent source of complete protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B12; leaner cuts keep saturated fat in check.
Most of these 14 Colombian beef recipes are ready in around 79 minutes from start to finish. The quickest, Colombian Grilled Beef Salad with Avocado and Mint, takes about 35 minutes, while the slower-cooked dishes run up to 165 minutes.
Across this collection they range from about 195 to 1280 kcal per serving, averaging 588 kcal — Empanadas de Carne Colombianas (Colombian Fried Beef Empanadas) is the lightest option at 195 kcal.
Picadillo (Colombian Spiced Minced Beef) is a great place to start — it's rated easy and comes together in about 40 minutes. 14% of the recipes here are beginner-friendly.
In these recipes, beef is most often paired with ground cumin, garlic, onion, fine sea salt, tomato and eggs. Colombian kitchens also lean on its own regional aromatics, fats and signature spice blends.
Steaks: 52°C / 125°F for rare up to 71°C / 160°F for well done. Ground beef should always reach 71°C / 160°F.
Calculators and converters that pair with this page — no signup needed.
