9 recipes using rice — Ajiaco, bandeja paisa, arepas — hearty and vibrant Andean cooking.
These 9 colombian rice recipes are ready in about 213 minutes on average, with 340–1280 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 rice, 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, boiling and caramelising.
The everyday grain for half the planet — a neutral base that soaks up the flavours around it, from pilafs to fried rice. In this collection it's most often cooked with ground cumin, garlic, eggs, onion, pork belly and ground beef. The dishes here span colombian classics ready in as little as 55 minutes to slower, more involved cooking that rewards a relaxed afternoon.
Reader favourite: Bandeja Paisa is the highest-rated dish in this collection at 4.9★ from 2,640 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.
Colombia's legendary platter from the Paisa region — a mountainous spread of beans, rice, ground beef, chicharrón, fried egg, chorizo, avocado, and plantain.
Sweet, fragrant coconut rice from Colombia's Caribbean coast — caramelized coconut milk gives it a unique golden color.
Colombia's iconic slow-roasted stuffed whole pig, packed with rice, peas, and spices — the king of festive cooking.
Colombia's legendary platter — red beans with pork, white rice, ground beef, chicharrón, fried egg, sweet plantain, avocado and arepa.
Colombian whole roasted pig stuffed with rice, peas and spiced pork — the ultimate celebration centrepiece from Tolima.
Bogotá's three-potato chicken soup with corn, capers, cream, and guascas — Colombia's most comforting bowl.
Colombian platter with beans, rice, beef, chicharrón, eggs, plantain, avocado — Antioquia's mountain feast.
Bogotá's iconic chicken and three-potato soup with corn, capers, and cream — Andean comfort.
Choose by use: long-grain (basmati, jasmine) for fluffy, separate grains; short-grain for risotto and sushi where stickiness is wanted. Aged basmati cooks longer and fluffier.
Rinse until the water runs clear to wash off surface starch and prevent clumping. The absorption method — a fixed water ratio, lid on, then a 10-minute steam off the heat — gives reliable results.
A gluten-free carbohydrate staple; brown and wild varieties keep the bran for extra fibre, B vitamins and minerals.
Most of these 9 Colombian rice recipes are ready in around 213 minutes from start to finish. The quickest, Colombian Arroz con Coco, takes about 55 minutes, while the slower-cooked dishes run up to 720 minutes.
Across this collection they range from about 340 to 1280 kcal per serving, averaging 769 kcal — Colombian Arroz con Coco is the lightest option at 340 kcal.
Colombian Arroz con Coco is a great place to start — it's rated medium and comes together in about 55 minutes. 0% of the recipes here are beginner-friendly.
In these recipes, rice is most often paired with ground cumin, garlic, eggs, onion, pork belly and ground beef. Colombian kitchens also lean on its own regional aromatics, fats and signature spice blends.