South American Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Tacu Tacu
Peru's clever next-day creation — leftover rice and beans pan-fried into a crispy, cohesive golden patty, typically crowned with a fried egg or lomo saltado.
Contains common allergens
In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.
Good to know
- Crispy
- Ready in under 30 minutes
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: crispy recipes30-minute meals
Instructions
7 steps- 1
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute onion and garlic until soft and fragrant, about 4 minutes.
- 2
Stir in the aji amarillo paste and cook for 1 minute, then add the beans and mash them roughly with a fork into a coarse paste.
- 3
Add the cold rice to the skillet and mix thoroughly with the bean paste until evenly combined; season with salt and pepper.
- 4
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat, add the rice and bean mixture, and press it firmly into a flat, even patty with a spatula.
- 5
Cook undisturbed for 5 to 6 minutes, until a deep golden crust forms on the bottom, then carefully flip and press again to crisp the other side, another 4 to 5 minutes.
- 6
Meanwhile, fry the eggs sunny-side up in a separate pan until the whites are set and the yolks stay runny.
- 7
Slide the crisp tacu tacu onto plates and top each with a fried egg, serving alongside lomo saltado if desired.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
75/100
Good fit for most families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving505
Calories
10 g
Protein
111 g
Carbs
1 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Tacu tacu is a Peruvian dish born of thrift, created in Afro-Peruvian kitchens to turn yesterday's leftover rice and beans into something new by mashing and frying them into a crisp, pan-shaped patty. The name comes from a Quechua word suggesting a mix, and the dish became a Lima staple, often topped with a thin steak, a fried egg, fried plantains, and salsa criolla. It is a masterclass in making humble pantry staples into a satisfying, crusty plate.
Listahan note
This version leans into the leftover-rice tradition, using day-old rice and cooked beans so the patty fries up with the crisp, almost omelet-like crust that defines a good tacu tacu.
Technique cues
- Use cold, day-old rice and beans, since fresh ones are too moist to set into a crisp patty and will fall apart.
- Start with an aji amarillo sofrito so the mash carries real Peruvian flavor before it ever hits the pan.
- Fry the patty hard on each side and shape it against the pan like a thick omelet so a genuine crust forms top and bottom.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Cook the steak topping and salsa criolla while the sofrito softens, so the plate assembles the moment the patty is crisp.
- Make-ahead
- Cook the rice and beans up to two days ahead, since day-old is actually preferred for the crust.
- Leftover move
- Recrisp a cold tacu tacu patty in a hot skillet and top with a fried egg for a fast next-day meal.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Use one wide skillet for the sofrito and the fry, and wipe it warm before any starch sets hard.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
cooked white rice
patty body
Purpose: Day-old rice provides the starch and structure that lets the patty crisp and hold together.
Handling: Use chilled leftover rice, broken up before mixing.
Adaptation: Freshly cooked rice can work if spread out and cooled and dried first.
cooked beans (canary or pinto)
the other half of the mash
Purpose: Mashed beans bind the rice into a cohesive patty and add earthy flavor and protein.
Handling: Partially mash so some texture remains while the patty still holds.
Adaptation: Black beans or pintos stand in for the traditional Peruvian canary beans.
aji amarillo paste
signature seasoning
Purpose: This Peruvian yellow chili paste gives tacu tacu its warm color and fruity, mild heat.
Handling: Cook into the onion-garlic sofrito before adding the rice and beans.
Adaptation: A mix of mild chili paste with a pinch of turmeric approximates the color and gentle heat.
onion and garlic
aromatic base
Purpose: A sofrito of onion and garlic seasons the mash from the ground up.
Handling: Cook soft in oil before the aji and the starch go in.
Adaptation: Shallots can stand in for the onion.
oil for frying
crust maker
Purpose: A generous slick of hot oil is what gives the patty its crisp, golden shell.
Handling: Heat until shimmering before shaping the patty in the pan.
Adaptation: Any neutral high-heat oil works.
Technique notes
- Mash the beans and rice together while warm from the sofrito so they bind, then shape firmly.
- Let the first side fully crust before flipping so the patty holds its shape.
- Roll or fold the patty against the pan to build a thick crust on all surfaces, like shaping an omelet.
Ingredient swaps
- Vegetarian plate
- Skip the steak and top with a fried egg, plantains, and salsa criolla for a meat-free version.
- Lower-fat direction
- Use a well-seasoned nonstick pan and just a thin film of oil to crisp the patty with less fat.
- Spicier direction
- Add aji rocoto to the salsa criolla for a sharper Peruvian heat.
Serve alongside
- Salsa criolla
- Fried sweet plantains
- Thin pan-fried steak
- Fried egg
- Chicha morada
- Inca Kola
- Pisco sour
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Keep the rice-and-bean mash or a cooked patty in the fridge for up to three days. Recrisp a cooked patty in a hot skillet rather than microwaving, which leaves it soft. The mash freezes for up to a month; thaw before shaping and frying.
Equipment
- Wide nonstick or cast-iron skillet
- Potato masher or fork
- Sturdy spatula
- Wooden spoon
Make this household-aware
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Plan it in Listahan
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