This Bandeja Paisa Colombiana recipe is the national dish of Colombia! If you want to try an array of Colombian flavors in one dish, this recipe is your go to! You’re going to love it.

What is Bandeja Paisa Colombiana?

Bandeja means platter, and a platter is certainly necessary to serve this dish, because of the sheer amount of food! You will normally see this dish served on an oval-shaped plate.

This dish originates from the Antioquia region of Colombia. People from this region are called Paisas, and quite a few of them were farmers.

Farmers in the Antioquia region would eat this dish for breakfast before they went out for a long day’s work in the field. It was considered the food of “peasants” as it was cheap food that would give them the most energy for a long day of manual labor. Now, this dish is eaten all over the country, and is loved by many. It is no longer considered the food of peasants, but instead a delicious and hearty meal for all to enjoy.

What is in Bandeja Paisa Colombiana?

Bandeja Paisa Colombiana has a wide variety of ingredients. It can be a bit overwhelming to look at the ingredient list for this dish, but if you make it, I promise it will be worth it.

Ideally, bandeja paisa Colombiana features with rice, beans, fried pork belly, fried plantains, an arepa, two types of sausage, and a fried egg.

It seems that most recipes for bandeja paisa Colombiana differ quite a bit. Some have beef; some don’t. Different variations use black beans, some use red beans. Some feature arepas; some don’t. As someone living in America, it was REALLY hard for me to find some of these ingredients (and I want to make my recipes things that you can enjoy hassle-free). So, I took the liberty of editing my recipe a bit to account for what I could find, while still trying my hardest to maintain the integrity of the dish.

I eliminated the beef portion. I also chose to use a spicy sausage that I could find in stores as opposed to tracking down chorizo and morcilla (blood sausage). If you would prefer to use these types of sausages instead, you are absolutely able to!

Bandeja Paisa as the National Dish of Colombia

In 2005, Colombia prepared to make bandeja paisa the national dish of the country. However, they intended to change the name to “Bandeja Montañera” so as not to exclude the country’s people outside of the Antioquia region.

The government faced a lot of backlash for this choice. Many Colombians argued that only a small portion of the country eats this dish, and therefore it should not be named the national dish.

Alternatives were suggested, but Colombians forged on with Bandeja Paisa, calling it the national dish before it was even officially chosen. Now the recipe is known as Colombia’s national dish thanks to the loyalty of the people that love it.

How to Make this Recipe

Combine the salt, sugar, and cumin together and rub on the pork belly.

Cut 4 slits in the pork belly short-wise that extend halfway through the meat. Wrap the pork belly in plastic wrap and leave to rest in your fridge for 2-6 hours.

Cook white rice according to package

Cook your sausage according to package instructions

Follow this recipe to cook your arepa.

In a medium sized pot, heat some oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and tomato and saute for a few moments, until the onions turn translucent.

Add the canned, drained kidney beans into the pot along with salt to taste and cumin.

Saute for about 2 minutes, then add vegetable stock. Stir for 5-7 more minutes, and then remove from heat.

Cut the two ends off of your plantain. Use a small knife to cut a slit through the plantain peel from end to end, only cutting through the peel but not the meat of the plantain. Repeat process on the other side. Use your hands to remove the skin from the plantain. It should come off in two pieces.

Cut your plantain into very thin strips, vertically.

Heat a very thin layer of vegetable oil in a pan and lay the plantains in the oil. Cook until caramelized on one side, then flip and caramelize on the other. Remove to a separate plate

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the pork belly into the pan. Sauté about 5-10 minutes on each side. The meat should be cooked through and the exterior should be browned.

Fry an egg.

Assemble on a platter. Place the beans on the far left, and the white rice to the right of the beans. Assemble the sausage, pork belly, plantains, arepa, and egg however they will fit. Enjoy!

Did You Like this Recipe?

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