Bandeja Paisa is a Colombian dish consisting of white rice, red beans, beef, chorizo sausage, pork belly, fried plantains, a fried egg, an arepa and avocado plus sides like sauce and drinks. Due to its size, the dish is usually served on a platter.
The dish is often accompanied by Hogao. Hogao is a Colombian style creole sauce made with tomatoes and onions. Ingredients in Bandeja Paisa vary by region. Some regions include Morcilla, also known as black pudding or blood sausage.
Origin & Cultural Significance
Bandeja means platter and Paisa is the area of Colombia where the dish originated from. Traditionally, this hearty dish was eaten by farmers for breakfast. Once considered peasant food, Bandeja Paisa is now often considered to be Colombia’s national dish and is proudly served throughout restaurants.
Colombian Bandeja Paisa Recipe
Bandeja Paisa is a Colombian dish consisting of white rice, red beans, beef, chorizo sausage, pork belly, fried plantains, a fried egg, an arepa and avocado plus sides like sauce and drinks.
Ingredients
Hogao
- Vegetable oil – 3 tbsp
- Onion, finely chopped – ½ cup
- Red onion, finely chopped – ½ cup
- Garlic, finely chopped – 2 tbsp
- Tomato, small-sized cubes – 2 cups
- Cumin - 1 tbsp
- Salt and black pepper - to taste
Beans
- Pinto beans, soaked overnight, drained - 3 cups
- Onions – 1/4
- Garlic – 1 clove
- Carrot, peeled and sliced – 1 cup
- Salt
Pork Belly
- Onion – 1/4
- Garlic – 1 clove
- Bayleaf - 1
- Pancetta, with a grid pattern cut on top – 500g
Ground Beef
- Vegetable oil – 2 tbsp
- Ground Beef - 1 1/2 Cups
- Vegetable oil – 1 tbsp
- Salt and pepper - to taste
Eggs
- Vegetable oil – 2 tbsp
- Egg – 1
- Salt and pepper - to taste
Other
- Chorizos - 3
- Plantain, sliced lengthwise, fried – 1 whole
- White rice, cooked – 2 cups
- Avocado – ½
- Arepa, cooked - 1
Instructions
- In a hot skillet, fry the white onion, red onion, and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat until ingredients turn bright.
- Add tomato, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for 7 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat, cool.
- Place soaked beans, onion, garlic and carrot in a large pot with enough water to cover.
- Cook over medium-high heat, uncovered, until water boils. Boil until beans begin to soften.
- Transfer carrots and a bit of bean broth to a blender, add a tablespoon of hogao, and blend until smooth.
- Pour the blended mixture back into the pot.
- Season with salt and cook for 20 more minutes over medium-low heat.
- Pour water in a pot and add onion, garlic, bay leaf, and pancetta.
- Cook over medium-high heat for 35 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and cool.
- Brown the pancetta by cooking them in a dash of oil over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
- In the skillet where you fried the pancetta, fry the chorizo.
- Pour vegetable oil into a hot skillet and begin cooking ground beef with a
tablespoon of hogao. - Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat stirring constantly for 12 minutes.
- Fry the egg in a small skillet with vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper. For even cooking, cover the skillet while frying the egg.
- In a platter, place cooked white rice, beans with a bit of broth, pork rinds, chorizo sausage, sliced fried plantain, fried egg, ground beef, and avocado. Garnish with cilantro and serve with arepas and the remaining hogao.
Hogao
Beans
Pork Belly
Ground Beef
Egg
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1172Total Fat: 83gSaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 53gCholesterol: 155mgSodium: 628mgCarbohydrates: 68gFiber: 13gSugar: 11gProtein: 40g