5 recipes using beef — Ajiaco, bandeja paisa, arepas — hearty and vibrant Andean cooking.
These 5 colombian beef recipes are ready in about 120 minutes on average, with 360–1280 kcal per serving, and 0% 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 frying, grilling, simmering 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 onion, eggs, garlic, ground cumin, pork belly and dried red kidney beans. The dishes here span colombian classics ready in as little as 65 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.
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 5 Colombian beef recipes are ready in around 120 minutes from start to finish. The quickest, Empanadas Colombianas, takes about 65 minutes, while the slower-cooked dishes run up to 165 minutes.
Across this collection they range from about 360 to 1280 kcal per serving, averaging 956 kcal — Empanadas Colombianas is the lightest option at 360 kcal.
Empanadas Colombianas is a great place to start — it's rated medium and comes together in about 65 minutes. 0% of the recipes here are beginner-friendly.
In these recipes, beef is most often paired with onion, eggs, garlic, ground cumin, pork belly and dried red kidney beans. 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.