Empanada Dough: Easy Homemade Recipe for Baking or Frying
A tender, sturdy homemade empanada dough with flour, cold butter, egg and ice water, plus disc sizes, baking vs. frying, variations and freezing tips.
Colombian Cooking: Ingredients, Guides & Where to Start
✦ October’s Featured Dish
Sancocho de Gallina
Hen simmered slowly with yuca, plantain and corn, served with rice and avocado alongside. Colombia's classic weekend pot, and what gets made once the rains set in.
Get the Recipe →Explore Colombian Food
Breads & Sides
Arepas, patacones and the sides that complete the plate.
Breakfast Dishes
Arepas, huevos pericos, and the start of a Colombian day.
Desserts
Obleas, arequipe, and Colombia's favorite sweets.
Drinks
Aguapanela, aguardiente, and refreshing Colombian beverages.
Holiday Dishes
Festive dishes for Colombian celebrations year-round.
Ingredients
Corn, yuca, and plantain — the building blocks of Colombian cuisine.
Main Dishes
Bandeja paisa, lechona and chuleta valluna.
Seafood Dishes
Coastal favorites from Colombia's Caribbean and Pacific shores.
Soups & Stews
Ajiaco, sancocho, and other comforting classics.
Street Foods
Empanadas, pandebono, obleas and snacks from Colombia's streets.
The Complete Colombian Food Guide
50 traditional dishes, ingredients, and cooking guides in one place.
Explore the Guide →Arepas, Colombia's Grilled Corn Cakes
Grilled corn cakes, a Colombian staple served any time of day.
Explore Arepas →Ajiaco, Bogotá's Favorite Soup
A comforting Bogotá chicken and potato soup with corn and cream.
View the Recipe →Sancocho, Colombia's Hearty Soup
A hearty Colombian soup with meat, plantain, corn, and yuca.
View the Recipe →Obleas, Thin Wafers with Arequipe
Thin wafer sandwiches filled with arequipe caramel.
Explore the Guide →Latest Colombian Recipes
View All Recipes →Empanada Dough: Easy Homemade Recipe for Baking or Frying
Arroz con Pollo Colombiano: Colombian Chicken and Rice (Recipe)
Hojuelas Recipe: Crispy Colombian Christmas Pastries (Hojaldras)
Yuca Fries (Yuca Frita): Crispy Fried, Baked & Air Fryer Recipe
Colombian Tamales: How to Make Tamal Tolimense
Traditional Colombian Food: 50 Dishes You Need to Try
Salpicón Colombiano (Salpicón de Frutas): Colombia’s Fruit Cocktail in a Cup
Pandebono (Pan de Bono): Authentic Colombian Cheese Bread Made with Cassava Starch
Sobrebarriga Colombiana: Braised Flank Steak in Salsa Criolla (Recipe)
Mojarra Frita: Colombia’s Crispy Whole Fried Fish (Recipe)
A little Colombian curiosity
Fun Facts About Colombian Foods
Big flavors. Little surprises. There’s a story in every bite.
Bogotá’s secretThey put cheese in their hot chocolate.
In Bogotá, hot chocolate comes with a slice of fresh white cheese. You drop it in the cup, wait for it to go soft and stringy, then fish it out with a spoon. It’s called chocolate santafereño.
Snack of the seasonIn Santander, the snack is ants.
Hormigas culonas, “big-bottomed ants,” are queen leafcutter ants gathered each spring, then toasted with salt. They crunch like popcorn, taste nutty, and sell by the cone.
Colombian Food FAQs
A little curious? Open a question.Is Colombian food spicy?
Usually not. Colombian cooking is hearty and mild, built on beans, rice, potatoes, plantains and corn. The heat lives in a bowl of ají, a fresh cilantro-and-chile salsa, that sits on the table for anyone who wants it.
Explore the Colombian pantry →What’s the national dish of Colombia?
Bandeja paisa is the one most people name: beans, rice, ground meat, chicharrón, chorizo, a fried egg, plantain, avocado and an arepa, all on one very large plate. In Bogotá, ajiaco soup gets a lot of votes too.
Get to know bandeja paisa →What is a Colombian arepa?
A round corn cake cooked on a griddle and eaten with almost every meal. Colombian arepas are often flatter and plainer than Venezuelan ones, and they’re served on the side, topped with butter and cheese, or stuffed with egg.
Read about Colombian arepas →What is a tinto?
Not red wine. In Colombia, a tinto is a small cup of black coffee, often sweetened with panela and sold for a few pesos on every street corner.
Learn how Colombians drink coffee →Colombian Cuisine, Region by Region
Colombia is one of South America’s most exciting culinary destinations, where Indigenous, Spanish, African, and regional influences come together to create a cuisine full of bold flavors and incredible diversity. From hearty mountain dishes and comforting soups to Caribbean seafood, tropical fruits, savory street foods, and irresistible desserts, Colombian food reflects the country’s rich cultural heritage and varied landscapes. Every region offers its own specialties, making Colombia a fascinating country to explore through its cuisine.
Whether you’re planning a trip to Colombia, searching for authentic Colombian recipes, or discovering the country’s most popular dishes, you’ll find everything you need here. Explore iconic favorites like bandeja paisa, ajiaco, arepas, empanadas, patacones, and sancocho, along with regional specialties from Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena, Cali, and Colombia’s Caribbean and Andean regions. You’ll also discover traditional Colombian desserts, refreshing drinks, cooking guides, and the culinary traditions that have made Colombian cuisine one of Latin America’s most beloved food cultures.
If you’re new to Colombian cuisine, start with our comprehensive guide to 45 Colombian Food Dishes You Should Try Right Now, then continue exploring our authentic recipes, desserts, drinks, and regional food guides. Whether you’re cooking at home or experiencing Colombia’s incredible flavors for the first time, AmigoFoods is your trusted resource for authentic Colombian food.
Arroz con Pollo Colombiano: Colombian Chicken and Rice (Recipe)
Colombian arroz con pollo, step by step: poached and shredded chicken folded into rice cooked in its broth with Sazón, cumin and vegetables, plus the sides Colombians serve with it.
Hojuelas Recipe: Crispy Colombian Christmas Pastries (Hojaldras)
Hojuelas are thin, orange-scented Colombian pastries fried until blistered and crisp, then coated in sugar. Also called hojaldras, they are … Read more
Yuca Fries (Yuca Frita): Crispy Fried, Baked & Air Fryer Recipe
Yuca fries, or yuca frita, are sticks of cassava boiled until tender, then cooked until golden and crisp. This six-serving … Read more
Colombian Tamales: How to Make Tamal Tolimense
Colombian tamales are generous banana-leaf bundles of soft corn dough and rice filled with pork, chicken, bacon, egg and vegetables. … Read more
Traditional Colombian Food: 50 Dishes You Need to Try
Updated October 4, 2026 Traditional Colombian food is hearty, fresh and much more varied than most people expect. Colombia has … Read more
Salpicón Colombiano (Salpicón de Frutas): Colombia’s Fruit Cocktail in a Cup
Salpicón colombiano, also called salpicón de frutas, combines diced tropical fruit with chilled watermelon or orange juice. Serve this Colombian … Read more
Pandebono (Pan de Bono): Authentic Colombian Cheese Bread Made with Cassava Starch
Pandebono is Colombia’s golden cheese bread, with a thin crisp shell and a chewy, salty-cheesy center. Made with cassava starch, … Read more
Sobrebarriga Colombiana: Braised Flank Steak in Salsa Criolla (Recipe)
Sobrebarriga en salsa criolla is Colombian flank steak braised until fork-tender and finished in a rich tomato-and-scallion sauce. Serve it … Read more
Mojarra Frita: Colombia’s Crispy Whole Fried Fish (Recipe)
Mojarra frita is whole tilapia seasoned with lime and garlic, then fried until golden and crisp outside with tender flesh … Read more
Fritanga: What It Means in Nicaragua, Colombia and Bolivia (+ Colombian Recipe)
Colombian fritanga, also called picada, is a shared platter of crispy pork, sausages, potatoes, plantains and arepas. The recipe below … Read more
Tajadas Recipe (Sweet Fried Plantain Slices)
Tajadas de plátano maduro are sweet fried plantain slices with caramelized edges and soft centers. Made with very ripe plantains, … Read more
Arepas: What They Are, How to Make Them, and the Best Fillings
Arepas are the everyday corn cakes of Venezuela and Colombia, crisp outside and soft inside. This Venezuelan-style recipe makes eight … Read more
Ajiaco: How to Make Colombia’s Famous Chicken and Potato Soup
Ajiaco is Bogotá’s signature chicken and potato soup, simmered with corn and guascas until the broth turns thick and golden. … Read more
Posta Negra Cartagenera: Cartagena’s Black Beef Roast
Posta negra is Cartagena’s sweet-savory beef roast, seared in caramelized panela and slowly braised with vegetables, cola and warm spices. … Read more