Hogao is a traditional Colombian creole sauce made with tomatoes, onions, scallions and spices. It's the base of many popular Colombian dishes.
What is Colombian Hogao?
It is one of the most traditional Colombian seasoning sauces. We use Hogao as a base for many typical Colombian dishes or just as a dipping sauce for Pátacones, Platanitos and Yuca frita or just as a topping for arepas.
Ingredients
This Colombian Hogao recipe is made with tomatoes, garlic, onions or scallions, oil, cumin, salt and pepper.
In Colombia you will find different versions of this sauce depending on the region and the cook. I prepare my hogao the way my grandmother taught me as indicated in the recipe card below.
How to Make Hogao
- Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the tomatoes, scallions, garlic, ground cumin and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring until softened.
- Reduce the heat to low, add the salt and , cook for 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened. Check and adjust the seasoning.
How to Store this Sauce
I keep it refrigerated up to 1 week in a sealed container. Reheat it on the stove or microwave.
You can also freeze the hogao for up to 3 months. Make sure you put it in a freezer bag or container that seals well. Defrost and reheat it.
More Colombian Sauces
Avocado Sauce (Salsa de Aguacate)
Hogao Recipe (Colombian Creole Sauce)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup chopped scallions
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 cups diced tomato
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the tomatoes, scallions, garlic, ground cumin and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring until softened.
- Reduce the heat to low, add the salt and , cook for 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened. Check and adjust the seasoning.
Pilar
I am making the ahogao recipe and it is so easy! Smells and taste delicious!
Jennifer
I was very excited to find this recipe. I recently developed an allergy to capsaicin (which is all peppers except for bell peppers) as an adult and was suddenly unable to eat most cuisines. This is a great substitute for salsas and other tomato based sauces I can no longer safely eat.
PJ
Do you have any recipes from the Valle de Cauca region?
Humberto
HOGAO CASERO
INGREDIENTES
6 Tomates chonto maduros pelados y picados
3 dientes de Ajo machacados
10 tallos de Cebolla junca finamente picada
3 cucharadas de Cilantro picado
1 hoja de Laurel
1/4 de cucharadita de Comino
1 rama de Tomillo
Color
¼ de taza Aceite de oliva
½ cubo Caldo de gallina
Pique al gusto
Sal y pimienta al gusto
PREPARACIÓN
Ponga el aceite a hervir y retire del fogón, agregue el ajo y deje reposar por un minuto, luego agregue todos los ingredientes menos el cilantro. A fuego medio y tapado déjelo cocinar hasta forme una salsa y retire. Agregue el cilantro
Austin
Made the hogao again. Came out great again. Even better than my ex- Colombian GF's . ha ha .
Mo alias
Hi
Could you please tell me what scallions is? I suppose it is spring onions or cebolla larga,
Tank you
Erica Dinho
Cebolla larga.
Alex
Thanks Erica for yet another incredibly easy and wonderful recipe. So much flavour! My English husband asks for 'rosa vieja' all the time. We all love it.
Tahh
This stuff is amazing
Anonymous
Don't worry, they are just jealous. They keep talking about"privilege" because they want it so bad.
Anonymous
yum
Patty
instead of cumin can you use triguisar...i think this was what my used!
thank you
Erica Dinho
Yes.
Teresa
My family is from Spain but I am married to an American Colombian who loves his food from home. Your blog has helped me cook the foods he loves and our children love as well...You are a life saver
Liliana
Just found your blog. Made this sauce for the patacones and I absolutely love the flavor the cumin adds to it. Muy rico!
Jodie
This looks wonderful, but am wondering why there is no corn listed in the ingredients when the picture clearly shows corn in the dish. Also, unless the tomatoes are of different colors there is something else in the dish not listed in the ingredients that is not red. Please explain, tysm
Carla
Jodie, this is a great recipe and it's very simple. There's no corn listed because the recipe doesn't call for it. The "corn" you see on the images are the seeds from the tomatoes. Hope this helps you! Best.
Jasmine
I really would like to thank you for the recipes. My mother in law is the Colombian cook but she never gives me measurements and since I am not Colombian a lot of these recipes are foreign to me. I'm so glad your site is here to guide me. I enjoy cooking for my husband and especially enjoy when he tells me that the food tastes better than what his own mother makes. You are an excellent chef and my husband thanks you and your family for sharing the recipes of his childhood.
ALFREDO
Green sauce? In Venezuela we call it guasacaca. In PR, we make sofrito, which includes garlic, onions, bell peppers, cilantro, culantro, parsley, is the base of practically everything we eat, from soups to stews, and is also used as a marinade or adobo. I am doing the pork risotto today, while braving our latest storm (yes, I live in NYC . . . ).
Anonymous
I love colombian Mantecadas but I can't find the recipe in the web site. Could you post the recipe? 😉