There are many ways to make Colombian Beans. This is my grandmother's recipe and one of my favorite dishes.
This Colombian Style Beans (Frijoles Paisas o Antioqueños) is a common dish from the Antioquia region. I’ve eaten it all of my life and it is definitely one of my favorite dishes. Few meals are as truly Colombian as this.
How to Serve this Dish
We serve this Colombian Style Beans recipe over rice or as part of our famous Colombian dish “Bandeja Paisa” which is a huge meal including, paisa pinto beans, white rice, ripe plantain, Colombian chorizo, avocado, chicharron (pork fritters), ground beef and fried egg.
These Frijoles Colombianos are served in most casual Colombian restaurants around the world. If you are on a diet, this is the best reason to break it. In this post, I included directions to make the recipe in a regular pot or in a slow cooker. Be sure to place the dried beans in water overnight to make them softer.
Ingredients You'll Need
Find the complete printable recipe card below with directions.
Beans: To make Colombian Style Beans in the United States you can use pinto or cranberry beans. In Colombia we use frijoles cargamanto.
Pork Hocks: Pezuña is a popular meat to make this recipe, but you can use pork ribs if you prefer.
Water: You can add more water if you like your beans with more liquid.
Carrots: Give a sweetness and delicious flavor to the dish.
Green plantain: This an essential ingredient to this recipe.
Onions and Scallions: i love the extra flavor of mixing onions and scallions to make the guiso.
Tomatoes: Use ripe tomatoes for extra flavor.
Garlic: It's a wonderful way to add flavor to this dish.
Oil: To make the guiso I recommend using vegetable or canola oil.
Spices: Salt and ground cumin. You can also add paprika if you want.
Cilantro: I love adding cilantro to my dishes, but you can replace it with parsley if you prefer.
How do I store leftovers?
Store the leftover beans in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
To freeze this dish, transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to 1 month. Let thaw in the fridge overnight before you reheat it.
Reheat it over the stove over medium heat and frequently stir until the beans are warmed through or in the microwave for about 4 minutes.
More Beans Recipes to Try:
Colombian-Style Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups cranberry or pinto beans
- 1 pound pork hocks
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- ½ teaspoon salt or to your taste
- 1 green plantain, peeled and cut into ¼- inch
Guiso:
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 2 cups diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup chopped scallions
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
- Directions for Pot:
- Soak beans overnight in cold water. Drain the beans and place in a large pot and add the water, ½ of the guiso and pork hocks. Over medium-high heat, bring the beans to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow the beans to cook until almost tender, approximately 2 hours.
Guiso:
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, add the tomatoes, onions, scallions, salt, garlic, cilantro and ground cumin and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
- When the beans are almost tender, add the rest of the guiso, plantains, carrots and salt. Cover and cook for another 30 minutes or until the beans are fully cooked. (Add additional water as necessary).
- Directions for Slow Cooker:
- Use the same ingredients except use just 4 cups water instead of 6.
- Wash the beans and soak overnight in cold water. Drain the beans and place in a slow cooker, add 4 cups water, ½ of the guiso and pork hocks and cook on high for about 2 hours.
- Follow step 2 in the regular pot recipe.
- Add the rest of the guiso, plantains, carrots and salt then cover and cook for another 3 hours. Taste for salt and serve.
Joanna
Hello- this looks delicious. But what exactly do you mean by Guiso? Can’t wait to try!
vicente perez
El guiso es todo lo que se le echa a los frijoles para que sepan bueno . arriba en la receta están enumerados: la zanahoria. el plátano, tomate, cebolla, cominos, cilantro ...
Michelle
Is there a way to make this vegetarian?
Virginia Campbell
Is this recipe the same as red beans and rice? My granddaughters are from Columbia and I am trying to learn new recipes. Thank you
vicente Perez
El platano no se corta. se pica con los dedos para que los frijoles espesen
choquero
Me da la impresión por las fotos, que el plátano es frito, no guisado
Colin de Saldanha
Hi Erica,
Made this on Sunday in a somewhat chilly Johannesburg, South Africa and got what I believe to be the ultimate compliment from one of my daughters - "tastes like love in a bowl". Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
Regards,
Colin
Carlos
Hola! Una pregunta. Has preparado los frijoles en un instant pot? Que indicaciones tienes si lo has hecho?
Marisa
Came across your recipe a couple months ago.. made it for the first time.
Delicious! Reminds me of the authentic dish I enjoyed in Colombia over a decade ago. My daughter is half Colombian on her fathers side I, am Italian and reside in Toronto, Canada.
Really wanted to keep my daughters heritage by making her Colombian dishes.
This recipe was so successful that, I plan on making it for my Italian family to enjoy.
Thanks a bunch
Robin Green
I went looking for interesting beans in Kensington Market in Toronto, and found cargamiento and bolas rojas at a Latin American grocery store. Since I had no idea what to do with them I searched and found your recipe. I used it as a very rough guide (which is how I generally relate to recipes) to make a pretty good stew with bolas rojas, green plantain, tomatoes, leeks (it's what I had in the fridge!), peppers and cilantro. For the bolas rojas I soaked for about 20 hours, then cooked in an instapot pressure cooker for 25 minutes at 15 lbs pressure, which was probably too long (next time I'll try 20 minutes). Never been to Colombia but really enjoyed this dish, which granted is a rather loose interpretation of what you provided. Thanks!
Francheska
My mom is colombian and let me tell you she throws down in the kitchen... basically everything i make she somehow makes it better! Last year i took my husband to Colombia and he fell in love with the bandeja paisa so we come home and i decide to make it for the whole fam. I came across your recipe and to this day my mom does not stop talking about the frijoles! We're making it again for my anniversary tomorrow but im only allowed to do the frijoles! lol THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! i finally have one up on my mom!
Andy
These were amazing. Just like my mother makes them only I didn't have the recipe. She's still alive but back in Colombia, and I'm not. Thank you!
Monty Council
This is my second time using this recipe. The first time the beans came out delicious and I got great reviews. This time, I am waiting to here from my biggest critic...The Colombian mother in law.
Velva
Erica, this looks delicious! Love, love a good bowl of beans.
Coreen
I made this recipe and it was so delicious!Gorgeous blog! So very beautifully done. The photos are so inspirational, plan to try out each of your recipes...thank you for sharing!
Jasmine
What can you use instead of pork ?
Erica Dinho
Beef or just beef or vegetable stock for a vegetarian version.
Adriana
Great authentic Colombian flavor. Be sure to shred meat from ham hock into the beans. Have grated panela (natural brown sugar) to go with chicharron, fried sweet plantains ad avocado.
Beware cooking times. I cooked mine for only 1 1/2 hours on the stove and they were close to mushy. I checked instructions on a Goya bag and they call for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
I got cranberry beans at an Amish store in Blue Ridge, Ga. Then found Goya brand Cargamentos , 2 types, light and dark red at Buford Farmers Market in Atlanta.