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Colombian Beef Recipes

11 recipes using beef — Ajiaco, bandeja paisa, arepas — hearty and vibrant Andean cooking.

These 11 colombian beef recipes are ready in about 64 minutes on average, with 195–1240 kcal per serving, and 18% are rated easy enough for a weeknight. Every recipe includes exact ingredient quantities, step-by-step instructions and full nutrition per serving.

recipes

64 min

average time

460 kcal

avg per serving

18%

easy recipes

How Colombian cuisine cooks with beef

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, scallions and masarepa. The dishes here span colombian classics ready in as little as 35 minutes to slower, more involved cooking that rewards a relaxed afternoon.

11 Colombian Beef Recipes

Dinner

Bandeja Paisa

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.

⏱ 130 min🔥 1240 kcalHard

✨ NewSnacks

Empanadas Colombianas

Crispy corn dough empanadas filled with seasoned beef, potato and egg — Colombia's most popular street food, fried golden and served with ají sauce.

⏱ 65 min🔥 360 kcalMedium

✨ NewDinner

Picadillo (Colombian Spiced Minced Beef)

Versatile Colombian spiced beef mince with tomatoes, onions, and herbs — the workhorse filling for arepas, pasteles, empanadas, and rice bowls.

⏱ 40 min🔥 280 kcalEasy

✨ NewSnacks

Empanadas de Carne Colombianas (Colombian Fried Beef Empanadas)

Crispy golden fried empanadas with a corn-dough shell and spiced beef and potato filling — the definitive Colombian street snack eaten with ají verde.

⏱ 65 min🔥 195 kcalMedium

✨ NewSalads

Colombian Grilled Beef Salad with Avocado and Mint

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.

⏱ 35 min🔥 420 kcalEasy

✨ NewSoup

Colombian Beef and Potato Stew (Sancocho-Style)

A hearty Colombian one-pot stew of beef, yuca, plantain and corn, simmered low and slow the way it's made for family gatherings.

⏱ 80 min🔥 460 kcalMedium

✨ NewSnacks

Colombian Beef Empanadas

Crisp, corn-dough empanadas stuffed with seasoned ground beef and potato, fried the way street vendors sell them across Colombia.

⏱ 60 min🔥 310 kcalMedium

✨ NewDinner

Colombian Stuffed Bell Peppers with Rice and Beef

Bell peppers stuffed with seasoned rice and ground beef, baked until tender and topped with melted cheese.

⏱ 70 min🔥 390 kcalMedium

✨ NewDinner

Albóndigas Colombianas en Salsa de Achiote (Achiote Herb Meatballs)

Beef and pork meatballs simmered in an achiote-colored herb sauce, Colombia's real answer to saffron-tinted dishes.

⏱ 55 min🔥 410 kcalMedium

✨ NewDinner

Colombian Stuffed Peppers with Beef, Rice and Hogao

Charred bell peppers stuffed with seasoned ground beef, rice and a spoonful of tomato-onion hogao.

⏱ 65 min🔥 410 kcalMedium

✨ NewDinner

Colombian Chorizo Burger with Avocado and Hogao

A juicy beef and chorizo patty topped with hogao and avocado, Colombian street-food style.

⏱ 40 min🔥 580 kcalMedium

Choosing & preparing beef

How to choose

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.

Prep & storage

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.

When is it done?

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.

Nutrition

An excellent source of complete protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B12; leaner cuts keep saturated fat in check.

Classic flavour partners: onion, garlic, red wine, black pepper, mushrooms, rosemary

Colombian Beef Recipes — FAQ

How long do Colombian beef recipes take to make?

Most of these 11 Colombian beef recipes are ready in around 64 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 130 minutes.

How many calories are in Colombian beef dishes?

Across this collection they range from about 195 to 1240 kcal per serving, averaging 460 kcal — Empanadas de Carne Colombianas (Colombian Fried Beef Empanadas) is the lightest option at 195 kcal.

What is the easiest Colombian beef recipe for beginners?

Picadillo (Colombian Spiced Minced Beef) is a great place to start — it's rated easy and comes together in about 40 minutes. 18% of the recipes here are beginner-friendly.

What goes well with beef in Colombian cooking?

In these recipes, beef is most often paired with ground cumin, garlic, onion, fine sea salt, scallions and masarepa. Colombian kitchens also lean on its own regional aromatics, fats and signature spice blends.