We know that the Bandeja Paisa and its ingredients list look a little intimidating… but pulling together the various components of this dish is not all that difficult if you plan. You should have no problem finding most of the ingredients at your local Mexican market. “Paisa” refers to the Paisa region of Colombia, and “bandeja” means “platter,” as this dish is intended to be served on a platter, given its size.
Learn how to do a Bandeja Paisa
This incredible spread includes a little (i.e. a lot) of everything—crispy, fatty pork belly, hogan (a traditional Colombian condiment often served with beef—it’s similar to a delicately sweet tomato-onion jam), saucy red beans, beef, chorizo, cheesy arepas, caramelized plantains, and fried eggs.
Just a few helpful tips for creating this immaculate Colombian feast: Be sure to buy ripe plantains; they should be mostly black, with just a few yellow spots, if any.
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If you can’t find asadero cheese, substitute white cheese or even mozzarella instead. And finally, prepping the means, meats, hogao, and pork belly a day ahead (and reheating when ready to serve) might be your best strategy for tackling the meal.
Ingredients
Pork Rinds
- 1 pound skinless pork belly
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
Condiments
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 2 medium-sized yellow onions, chopped (about 4 cups)
- 1 large green bell pepper, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon achiote paste
- 4 plum tomatoes, chopped (about 5 cups)
- 5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Red Beans
- ¾ pound dried large red beans (about 1 3/4 cups)
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- ¼ pound skinless pork belly, cut into 1-in. pieces
- 8 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups Hogao
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Ground Meat
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1-pound ground chuck
- 1 cup Hogao
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
Chorizo
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 4 (2 1/2-oz.) fresh Mexican chorizo links
Arepas
- 1 cup (about 5 oz.) white masa de arepa (pre-cooked corn flour)
- 4 ounces asadero cheese or white cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup warm water
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
- Plantains Slices
- 2 large ripe plantains, peeled
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Fried Eggs
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- Additional Ingridients
- 3 cups cooked white rice
- 2 avocados, halved
- Fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions To prepare the Bandeja Paisa
- Step 1 Prepare the Chicharrones: Place pork belly on a rimmed baking sheet. Stir together salt, sugar, and cumin; rub evenly on the pork. Wrap pork in plastic wrap, and chill for 6 to 12 hours.
- Step 2 Preheat oven to 425°F. Unwrap the pork and place, the fat side up, on a lightly greased wire rack. Place rack in a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until golden brown and crispy, about 30 minutes.
- Step 3 Reduce oven temperature to 250°F, and cook until pork is tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Step 4 Cool to room temperature, for about 45 minutes. Wrap pork in plastic wrap, and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
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- Step 5 Cut pork into 4 strips. Cut 3/4-inch deep slits crosswise in pork at 1-inch intervals. Heat a large skillet over medium. Cook pork until golden brown and crispy, about 4 minutes per side.
- Step 6 Prepare the Hogao: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onions, bell pepper, and achiote paste; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, garlic, cumin, and salt. Cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have broken down and thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in cilantro.
- Step 7 Prepare the Frijoles Rojos: Place beans in a medium bowl; add water to cover by at least 2 inches. Cover and let stand overnight at room temperature.
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- Step 8 Drain beans. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-low. Add pork belly; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in beans, broth, Hogao, cumin, and salt. Increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, 4 hours and 30 minutes to 5 hours, adding water, 1 cup at a time if the mixture becomes too thick.
- Step 9 Prepare the Carne Molida: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add beef; cook, stirring to break into pieces, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in Hogao, salt, and cumin; cook, stirring often, until well combined and heated through about 2 minutes.
- Step 10 Prepare the Chorizo: Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium. Cook chorizo links, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and cooked through about 15 minutes.
- Step 11 Prepare the Arepas: Combine the arepas, cheese, water, salt, and 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough is smooth. (Dough will look soupy, but will firm up after standing.) Cover and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Step 12 Shape dough into 4 (4-ounce) balls. Gently flatten each into a 1/2-inch-thick disk (about 3 1/2 inches in diameter). Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium. Cook arepas until golden brown and charred in spots, about 5 minutes per side.
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- Step 13 Prepare the Tajadas de Plátano: Cut plantains diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Cook plantains, in batches, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels, and sprinkle with salt.
- Step 14 Prepare the Huevos Fritos: Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Break eggs into the bread, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until whites are set and starting to brown around the edges, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Step 15 Evenly divide Chicharrones, Frijoles Rojos, Carne Molida, Chorizo, Arepas, Tajadas de Plátano, Huevos Fritos, rice, avocados, and remaining Hogao among 4 platters. Garnish with cilantro, and serve immediately.
Servings
The Bandeja Paisa is a traditional dish of Colombia, originating in the Antioquia region. It is one of the most popular dishes in the country, and it consists of a combination of rice, beans, beef, chorizo, plantain, and avocado. It is usually served with a side of arepa or patacón.
Serving the Bandeja Paisa after finishing it is an important part of Colombian culture. It symbolizes hospitality and respect for guests. After finishing their meal, Colombians like to serve their guests a cup of coffee or tea along with some traditional sweets such as almojábana or buñuelos. This gesture shows appreciation for their guests’ presence and makes them feel welcomed and appreciated.