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Vegetarian, Americas

Tacu tacu with fried egg

Tacu tacu with fried egg is a Peruvian rice and bean cake, made with red or white beans, topped with a fried egg and golden plantains. This easy recipe serves 4 and takes 40 minutes, for €1.80 per serving. The key is pressing the cake down in the pan so it develops a golden crust without falling apart.

In Peru, leftover rice never goes to waste, it becomes tacu tacu, a golden bean and rice cake, topped with a fried egg and plantains.

Tacu tacu with fried egg
Total time
40 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€1.80
Calories per person
680 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Tacu tacu is Peru's way of turning leftovers into dinner. Rice and beans, cooked together, become soft inside and crisp outside once pressed into a golden cake in the pan. Yellow bell pepper and a touch of Espelette pepper give it character without any real heat, and the runny fried egg on top ties everything together.

This is a great weeknight dish when you have leftover rice in the fridge, but it also works well for guests looking for something different. Kids usually love the crispy cake and the fried egg, and the sweet plantains soften the spice for more sensitive palates. Mon Chou turns to it often when the fridge needs clearing without giving up on flavor.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Canned red or white beansoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Espelette pepperoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 6 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1
  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Yellow bell pepper 1
  • Ripe plantains 2
  • Green salad 1
  • Lime 1

Dairy

  • Eggs 4

Allergens Eggs

The step by step recipe

  1. Cook the rice in salted water, drain it, and let it cool. 11 min

    Day old rice works best, it holds together better.

  2. Sauté the chopped onion, garlic, yellow bell pepper, and pepper in 2 tablespoons of oil. 8 min

    The vegetables should be soft, they flavor the whole cake.

  3. Add the drained beans, mash them into a rough puree, then mix the rice into the mixture.

    Leave some beans whole for texture.

  4. Brown the cake in a large oiled pan, press it down, flip it with a plate, and let the other side brown. 12 min

    Use a nonstick pan, it flips without breaking.

  5. Cook the eggs and sliced plantains in the remaining oil, then serve with the lime salad. 8 min

    A fried egg with crispy edges pairs perfectly with the cake.

Our tips to get it right

  • Mash the beans while they're still warm, they break down into a rougher puree more easily and bind better with the rice.
  • Let the cake form a real crust before flipping it, if it resists the spatula a little, it's ready.
  • Pick plantains that are very ripe, almost black, they caramelize as they cook and add sweetness that balances the dish.

The variations

  • Swap the red beans for black beans, closer to the traditional Peruvian version, for a slightly earthier flavor.
  • For an egg free version, top the cake with a slice of avocado instead, it keeps the same soft texture.
  • For kids, leave the Espelette pepper out of the mix and serve a small hot sauce on the side for the adults.

What to serve it with

  • Green salad with lime
  • Homemade hot sauce on the side
  • A cold light beer

Storage

The cake keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container, without the egg or plantains. Reheat it in a pan to bring back the crispness, and cook the egg and plantains fresh right before serving.

Questions about this dish

Can you make the tacu tacu cake ahead of time?

Yes, you can mix the rice and beans the day before and keep it in the fridge. Shape and fry the cake just before serving so it stays crisp.

What kind of rice works best for tacu tacu?

Plain leftover white rice works best because it's drier and holds together as a cake. Freshly cooked, still moist rice makes the cake harder to shape.

Can you use regular bananas instead of plantains?

Yes, slightly underripe regular bananas, quickly pan fried, work as a substitute, though the result will be less caramelized. Some versions of tacu tacu skip plantains altogether and serve it with just salad.

Is tacu tacu very spicy?

No, just one teaspoon of Espelette pepper for the whole cake gives a mild warmth, not a spicy dish. You can adjust the amount to suit your family's taste.

How long does it take to make a tacu tacu with a fried egg?

Count 40 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a tacu tacu with a fried egg?

About 680 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a tacu tacu with a fried egg cost?

About €1.80 per serving, or €7.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains eggs. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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