ColombianMedium · Hot
Ground beef cooked down with tomato, yellow onion, garlic, and cumin into a savory, fragrant hash — the carne molida at the heart of every bandeja paisa that ever made someone push back from the table satisfied. The cumin and garlic toast together early in the pan, and from that moment the kitchen belongs to this dish. Pile it over rice, beside beans, and call it done.
15 min
35 min
50 min
Method
Heat a splash of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced yellow onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Push the hogao to one side of the skillet and add the ground beef. Break it up with a wooden spoon and cook until browned all over, about 6-8 minutes.
Season with black pepper and additional salt to taste. Give it a good stir and let it cook uncovered for 2-3 more minutes to thicken slightly.
Rinse the white rice and cook according to package directions or in your preferred method — Colombian rice should be fluffy and separate, not sticky.
Drain and rinse the black beans, then warm them in a small saucepan with a pinch of salt. Some folks like to add a bit of hogao to the beans for extra flavor.
Spoon the fluffy white rice onto a large platter. Add a generous serving of the ground beef hash alongside. Spoon some warmed black beans on the plate.
Garnish with fresh cilantro if you like, and serve with lime wedges for squeezing over everything. This is meant to be eaten with love and a big appetite.
Nutri-Score
Excellent balance
A–E · lower is better · score -7
Calories
1070
per serving
Protein
61g
Carbs
159g
Fat
20g
Sat. fat
5g
Fiber
24g
Sugar
10g
Sodium
1443mg
Nutri-Score is a general nutritional-balance guide, not medical or dietary advice.
Environmental impact
Very high impact
A–E · lower is better · includes estimates
kg CO2e
12
per serving
Water
1.6m³
Runoff
0.2g P
Ground Beef drives 94% of this recipe’s estimated footprint.
Carbon from Poore & Nemecek 2018; water, land & runoff from Agribalyse — modelled averages for comparing recipes, not a measurement of your groceries.
Flavor Profile
Umami
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Spicy
Textures
Aromas
Kitchen Equipment
Primary Tool
Frying PanSafety & Storage
Cooking Temperature
Cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) throughout. Use a meat thermometer to verify doneness, especially when searing in step 2 of the hash preparation.
Cross Contamination
Keep raw ground beef separate from ready-to-eat vegetables and rice. Use separate cutting boards for raw meat and produce, and wash all utensils thoroughly with hot soapy water after contact with raw beef.
Storage
Store leftover Bandeja Paisa in airtight containers in the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking. Consume within 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C) before serving.
High Risk Population
Ground beef dishes must be fully cooked to safe temperatures for pregnant individuals, young children, elderly persons, and immunocompromised individuals. Avoid consuming undercooked or pink portions.
Handling
When handling hot skillets and cookware during frying and simmering, use oven mitts or pot holders. The skillet reaches high temperatures during the hogao preparation and when browning beef.
Pro Tips
Technique
Never rush the hogao — let those tomatoes break down slowly until they're thick and jammy. That's where all the flavor lives, mi amor. Your patience here makes everything else taste like it should.
Substitution
If you can't find yellow onion, a white onion works fine, but please — no red onion here. We want that sweet, soft foundation, not sharp bite. And if you have fresh cilantro stems, throw them into the hogao while it simmers for extra complexity.
From the chef
This is the carne molida at the heart of every bandeja paisa worth its name — ground beef cooked down into a savory, fragrant hash built on a hogao of tomato, yellow onion, and garlic. The cumin and garlic go into the pan early, before the beef, so they toast in the oil and perfume everything that follows. Potato and carrot cook alongside the meat, absorbing all that cumin-earthy richness until tender. Pile it over fluffy white rice with a side of black beans, squeeze lime over the whole plate, and scatter cilantro on top. Proud, honest Colombian cooking.
Source: generated · May 30, 2026