My favorite recipes for Colombian food are the classics. Arepas, Ajiaco, and dulce de coco are some, not to mention, Arroz con coco! Colombian recipes are pretty easy to make and are always comforting and delicious. Check out some of my homecooked favorites.
Colombian Recipes: My favorite Home Cooked Classics
My favorite recipes for Colombian foods come from family and friends. Although my mom was Cuban, she died when I was little and I was raised by a Colombian Nanny, who is now also my mom. 🙂 This means that I grew up eating traditional Colombian food, such as arepas, chicharrones, and patacones.
However, Colombia has a great variety of cultures and customs just like the United States has a variety of cultures throughout. T
The food that is traditionally served in Medellin is not necessarily the same as what’s served on the Gulf coast. Now that I am engaged to a Colombian, I have discovered a whole new side to Colombian food, such as Coconut Rice, whole fried snapper, and arepas fried in oil instead of cooked over fire.
Here are some of my favorite traditional Colombian recipes:
1. Recipes for Colombian Food: Arepas
We will start off with a classic. Arepas are a “quasi-cornbread” as Lana called it in Archer. Arepas are the typical bread of Colombia and are made for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The recipe varies by region, this being a simple version with just Harina Pan (cornmeal), oil, warm water, and salt.
Arepas are cooked over a fire or on a hot griddle and are eaten plain, topped, or stuffed. For breakfast, I like mine with butter and salt and some queso fresco. If we make some for dinner, we like to top them with tuna salad or shredded chicken, or beef. They are made with Harina Pan. The Harina Pan that I linked is the only brand I use. I tried others but they don’t come out the same,
Recipe coming soon as I have to write my own. I haven’t been able to find an online recipe for how my mom made my arepas.
2. Colombian Recipe- Arepas from the Caribbean Coast
This is a variation of the arepas that we mentioned above. These are usually fried in oil and contain other ingredients mixed in usually fresh grated cheese.
You can also add in grated vegetables such as carrots to add some color and extra nutrition. Arepas are also typically stuffed or topped with sweet or savory ingredients. Arepas can be served as breakfast, a side dish, or even as a dinner or a snack.
3. My Favorite Colombian Recipes: Ajiaco Soup
- chicken– I usually use chicken breast that can be easily shredded
- corn- both corn on the cob and kernels of corn are usually added
- 3 types of potatoes – papa criolla (which are small yellow tomatoes), small purple potatoes and white potatoe. You can exclude the purple potatoes if you can’t find them. I usually find papa criollas in the freezer section of the grocery store.
- scallions – Green onions work, too
- garlic – I love the smell of sauteeing the garlic before adding the chicken and the rest of the ingredients.
- cilantro – Adds a nice freshness, but is optional if you don’t like cilantro
- and guascas – this is an herb that adds flavor and freshness to the soup
- topped with table cream and capers – adds both creaminess and tartness, making the rest of the flavors pop!
This combination is savory, creamy, and overall warms your soul. This is a hearty and simple soup to put together and is a great new twist on a classic chicken soup.
Esther likes putting rice in her ajiaco while I leave mine as it comes. We usually add both corn kernels and corn on the cobb. I love making this when we get home from a vacation or a trip, or when it starts getting cool outside. Ajiaco can also be served with crackers or freshly baked bread. I have also served it with lightly toasted pita bread. Any way you choose is sure to be delicious.
“There are different versions of Ajiaco Bogotano , but it’s usually made with chicken and three kinds of potatoes, corn and an herb called guascas. This herb gives the soup a wonderful flavor. It is very important to use guascas and papa criolla as they are the key ingredients in this dish. For me, Ajiaco is a feel-good comfort food.”
4. Recipes for Colombian food: Arepa de Huevo
Another variation on the classic arepa, this one is stuffed with an egg. This version of arepa is deep-fried, not once, but twice to produce a crunchy outside with a gooey melty inside of the egg. It’s the original breakfast hot pocket.
First, the arepa is formed with corn and water and deep-fried, then it’s taken out of the oil and cut open to drop a raw egg inside, then fried again to cook the egg and perfect the crisp on the outside.
This arepa is a hearty and filling breakfast that is great on the go.
5. Keto-Friendly Colombian Recipe: Chicharron
This pork belly dish can be served alone or with a dish called “Bandeja Paisa” which we will get into in a bit. The recipe is very easy to make and doesn’t require deep frying the pork belly as some other methods do.
The secret to the crunch is adding baking soda to the meat while prepping. The pork belly can be cooked by adding it to a saucepan with some water, letting it boil down, and then fry it in the fat that has been rendered.
This is one of my favorite keto snacks!
6. Hot Chocolate With Cheese Colombian Recipe
Don’t get scared. I know that cheese inside chocolate sounds kinda scary and unfamiliar. Not to worry, it is one of the best combinations you will ever try.
The creaminess of the chocolate with the savoriness of the cheese makes this a cold-weather breakfast drink staple.
All you need for this amazing concoction is some Colombian chocolate, a cinnamon stick, some milk, water, and some queso fresco. Time to enjoy.
You already know that this is what we make in the winter and around Christmastime. It’s the perfect deluxe hot chocolate. This works because queso fresco is made from milk, so it melts beautifully with milk and chocolate. I wouldn’t try this with just any cheese, make sure you grab some queso fresco from your deli or even the fresh food section.
7. Arroz con coco Recipe
Try a delicious and tropical twist on a kitchen staple. Variations on this can include leaving out the raisins or making it with coca-cola to give the rice extra sweetness and darker caramel color. You will need a can of coconut milk to make this, and a bit of technique as you will need to boil down the coconut milk. before cooking the rice to make what is called “titote”. Coconut rice is typically served with fried fish and patacones, which are fried green plantains.
This recipe can be made with cans of coconut milk for a quick make, but if you want to get really classic with this one, you will need to grab your hammer and buy some fresh coconuts to make your own coconut milk. The process takes a while but if you have the time it is well worth it for this delicious dish!
8. Colombian Whole Fried Fish
This isn’t your momma’s fish stick recipe!
Colombian fried fish features a whole fish fried which can be either tilapia or more commonly red snapper. Other varieties that are typically used include “bocachico” and “mojarra”.
The side of the fish is cut and then it is seasoned with lime, garlic, and salt and fried whole. This fried fish is normally served with the coconut rice mentioned above.
This makes for an incredibly sweet and salty treat!
Sometimes a smaller fish is served to one person, although other times larger fish are fried whole and shared family-style. Either way, it’s delicious!
9. Colombian Recipe Classics: Patacones
Know as tostones to Cubans, these are double-fried green plantains. They are served as a side dish or even as an appetizer topped with cheese or meat. The secret to these fried plantains is that they are fried green, and fried twice.
To peel it, you will have to cut a slice all the way down and rip the skin off. Green plaintains are really hard so they are fried the first time to soften them up. They are then squished and re-fried to get crisp and cooked all the way through.
10. Recipes for Colombian Food: Dulce de Coco Dessert
To make this simple and delicious tropical dessert all you need is some milk, sugar, a coconut, cinnamon, and sweetened condensed milk.
This one requires some tools such as a hammer to break the coconut open but is well worth the effort. It can be served alone or with saltine crackers as it is very sweet.
