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Home » All » By Course » Main dishes » Ecuadorian carne colorada {Achiote marinated meat}

Ecuadorian carne colorada {Achiote marinated meat}

By Layla Pujol 11 Comments

Carne colorada is an achiote marinated meat (beef or pork) dish from the province of Imbabura in Ecuador.

Ecuadorian carne colorada or achiote marinated meat

En Español

Carne colorada translates as reddish meat, this traditional Ecuadorian dish gets its name from the orangish red color that the meat absorbs from achiote or annatto seed. Carne colorada is a typical dish from the provinces of Carchi and Imbabura in the northern highland region in Ecuador. This Ecuadorian meat dish is made by marinating beef (or pork) in marinade made with achiote or annatto, beer (or chicha), garlic, onion, cumin and oregano.

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Carne colorada or achiote marinated meat

Carne colorada is another one of the typical Ecuadorian dishes that is served as a composed plate with a variety of traditional side dishes. The exact side dishes will vary based on the restaurant or the home cook who prepares it, but some of the most popular options include fried ripe plantains, boiled mote or hominy corn, llapingachos or potato patties, avocado slices, rice, yuca or cassava, boiled potatoes with cheese sauce, empanadas, salad, curtido sauce, tostado corn nuts, among others.

Once you add all the sides to the dish it becomes a huge plate (sometimes served on 2 plates to accommodate all the side dishes). When preparing it a home, you can choose to omit some of the heavier side dishes and just include the ones that you prefer or that are made with ingredients that you have available. Personally I usually serve carne colorada with fried ripe plantains, avocado slices, a small salad and at least one of the starchy sides: rice, potatoes (boiled or made into llapingachos potato patties), hominy or yuca.

Carne colorada or meat with achiote


I posted this recipe a while ago and realized that it isn’t as authentic as it could be. It tastes fine, but is missing that intense achiote flavor. I also wanted to make sure that it had that characteristic bright red color that makes this Ecuadorian carne colorada so recognizable. If you are familiar with achiote or annatto then you know that its flavor is very subtle, it is used more coloring the food than for the flavor.

However, for this particular dish of carne colorada, in addition to the color of the dish, you should be able to distinctly taste the earthiness of the achiote in the meat. For this updated version, I increased the amount of ground achiote that goes into the marinade, and I also made an achiote oil to cook the meat.

Carne colorada recipe

The other thing that I wanted to improve was the meat, carne colorada can be made with either beef or pork. When I asked around what was the preferred option, I got different answers, so really it’s up to you. In Ecuador, many meat dishes, beef in particular, are usually made with cuts of meat that require a long period of cooking in order to get tender.

I’ve had this dish at restaurants where they cook it very quickly, and as a result the meat is very tough and overcooked, but not enough to get it tender. This is unfortunately something very common in Ecuador, people are used to eating meat well done, which works great for secos and stews where you have tougher cuts of meat that are cooked slowly until very tender, but can be so wrong for steaks and premium cuts of meat.

For the beef variation, I wanted to try making this achiote marinated meat dish with both a stew type meat, and cook it slower until tender, as well as with a nicer steak cut – which I would cook just medium (or medium rare – adjust based on preference). The pork variation is easier and can be made using tenderloin, which shouldn’t take too long to cook and should be tender.

Ecuadorian carne colorada

Carne colorada {Achiote marinated meat}

Carne colorada is an annatto or achiote marinated meat dish from Ecuador, this traditional recipe is made with beef or pork cooked in a bright red achiote sauce.
4.81 from 76 votes
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Course: Main dish, Meat
Cuisine: Andean, Ecuadorian, Latin, South American
Keyword: Achiote, Achiote marinated meat, Beef or pork, Carne colorada
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Marinating time: 2 hours
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs of beef top sirloin or pork tenderloin cut into medium sized cubes or strips

For the achiote marinade:

  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 red onion chopped in large chunks
  • 2-3 tbs ground achiote or annatto
  • 1 tbs ground cumin
  • ½ tbs oregano
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbs lemon juice
  • ½ cup of beer can also use chicha or water

Achiote oil to cook the carne colorada:

  • 3 tablespoons of oil butter or lard
  • 1 tablespoon of achiote seeds
  • Salt to taste

Side dishes:

  • Mote or hominy corn
  • LLapingacho potato patties or boiled potatoes
  • Boiled yuca/cassava
  • Fried ripe plantains
  • Onion curtido
  • Avocado slices and/or side salad
  • Aji criollo
  • Tostado/cancha/chulpi corn nuts
  • Cheese slices or cheese sauce

Instructions

  • Blend the garlic cloves, red onion, achiote powder, ground cumin, oregano, 2 teaspoons of salt, lemon juice, and beer until you have a smooth puree.
  • Place the meat pieces in a bowl and combine with the marinade. Cover and let rest in the fridge for at least two hours (overnight is ideal).
  • Heat the oil (or butter/lard) in a large sauté pan over low to medium heat; add the achiote seeds and simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the color from the seeds has transferred to the oil. Use a slotted spoon to remove the seeds from the oil and discard the seeds.
  • Heat the achiote oil over medium high heat, add the beef and cook until the sauce is reduced completely, about 20-30 minutes. Stir frequently to keep the meat/sauce from burning.
  • Taste and adjust salt if needed. Serve with your choice of side dishes.

Notes

You can also make a variation of this dish using chicken.

Side dish recipe options:
Recipe for fried ripe plantains
Recipe for mote or hominy corn 
Recipe for llapingachos potato patties
Recipe for onion curtido or Ecuadorian pickled red onions
Recipe for tostado corn nuts
Recipe for aji criollo hot sauce 

Step by step preparation photos for Ecuadorian carne colorada {Achiote marinated meat}

Ingredients for achiote marinade for carne colorada
Annatto or achiote marinade
Carne colorada marinating
Meat marinating in a mix of garlic, onion, achiote and cumin
Making achiote oil for carne colorada
Remove the seeds from the oil
Meat cooking in achiote sauce
How to make Ecuadorian carne colorada
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Filed Under: Achiote or annatto, All, Andean, Beef, Chicha, Comfort food, Cooking with beer, Ecuador, Latin America, Main dishes, Meat, Pork, South America, Spices

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kevin says

    July 24, 2019 at 1:58 pm

    This recipe is brilliant. Cook it exactly as instructed and it’s delicious. If you’re used to it a bit hotter, put in one chile arbol you’ve soaked in boiling water and use the soaking water for the 1/2 cup of beer. Fantastic, thanks!

    Reply
  2. Diego Andrade (@diegoandrade) says

    May 2, 2017 at 6:05 am

    Laylita voy a intentar estoy hoy noche… espero que salga bien…

    Reply
  3. JR says

    April 9, 2015 at 12:16 pm

    Laylita, I have been using your recipes for over a year and I LOVE LOVE how the food comes out. My Husband and parents get excited every time I cook b/c they never know what comes out :)

    Reply
  4. Michele says

    September 7, 2014 at 12:40 pm

    Just found your site through Facebook. So glad I did. I love trying new recipes & especially ones that have a Spanish influence. In many recipes it says to use beer. I’m not a big beer drinker but I have cooked with it. I’m just never sure what type to use since there are so many different tasting ones out there. Can you tell me what you use please.

    Reply
    • Layla Pujol says

      September 7, 2014 at 6:22 pm

      Hi Michele – Most of the Ecuadorian recipes that use beer use a Pilsener beer (it’s not a very strong beer, both in terms of taste and alcohol %). In the US, I use Corona or Stella which are easy to find and will not overpower the taste of the food.

      Reply
  5. Susana says

    January 29, 2013 at 1:03 am

    Hello Laylita,
    What can I use instead of beer?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Laylita says

      January 29, 2013 at 10:56 am

      Hi Susana – You could use chicha (fermented corn drink), but it might be hard to find. Another option is white wine. Some easier to find non-alcoholic options include a not too sweet sparkling cider, beef broth or simply sparkling water.

      Reply
  6. Cruz says

    January 19, 2013 at 7:39 pm

    Hola Laylita , sus recetas son riquisimas. Deseo saber si puedo sustituir la cerveza por cualquier otro licor? o simplemente no agregar, mi esposo no le agradan las carnes con alcohol.
    Gracias

    Puedes usar chicha en lugar de la cerveza, o como dices tambien simplemente agua.

    Reply
  7. Yere says

    August 7, 2010 at 7:23 pm

    I am trying this recepite with a twist, I did not have all the ingredients so I substituted alot. I used Onion Onion from Tastefully simple instead of real onions, and since this was a spur of the moment thing I am letting the meatt simmer with the marinade. I hope it turns out good!1

    Reply
  8. Jeri says

    January 27, 2010 at 11:05 am

    I have just returned from Ecuador and while there I had this dish and it was fabulous. I will let you know how this recipe works for me! Thanks!

    Reply
  9. Allison A says

    January 11, 2009 at 8:06 pm

    This is it!! My husband keeps talking about “red beef” that he used to have when he was younger in Cuenca and I of course was attempting a pot roast with paprika that ended up sort of Hungarian. ;-) This is it, I’m so relieved to have found it! Woo hoo!

    Reply

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 Layla Pujol is an Ecuadorian modern-day nomad who loves to cook and travel. She lives in Seattle and is currently working on her first cookbook, which will focus on delicious Ecuadorian and Latin recipes (adapted to her style). More

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