Frijoles antioqueños

Frijoles antioqueños are made with small red beans (frijoles rojos), not the black beans more commonly associated with other Latin American cuisines. They are slow-cooked with pork parts such as tocino (pork belly), chorizo, and sometimes green plantains for sweetness.

The two terms essentially describe the same traditional bean dish from the Antioquia region of Colombia. "Paisa" is the regional demonym for people of Antioquia, so both names refer to the slow-cooked red bean preparation that serves as a foundational component of the bandeja paisa platter.

Traditional recipes include pork cuts like tocino (pork belly), chorizo, and sometimes garra (pig's foot) or pezuña. The pork is simmered directly with the red beans and a base of hogao—a Colombian sofrito of tomatoes and scallions—so the fat flavors the entire pot.

While traditional recipes call for slow simmering in an olla (clay pot) for several hours, a pressure cooker can reduce the cooking time to roughly 45 minutes for the beans. Many Colombian home cooks use a pressure cooker (olla a presión) for weekday preparations while reserving the slow method for special occasions.