Tostadas de frijoles refritos with fried egg Recipe
Tostadas de frijoles refritos with fried egg are crispy tortilla rounds spread with warm refried bean paste and topped with a fried egg with a runny yolk. In Mexico this combination often appears as a late breakfast or lazy dinner when yesterday’s beans need to be used up. It’s something between an open-faced sandwich and a breakfast plate, only crunchy.
These tostadas combine the crunch of toasted tortillas with creamy, warm bean paste and a runny egg yolk that flows like a sauce. It’s a classic, homely way to use up yesterday’s beans in Mexico, but in practice it works anywhere you need a quick, filling breakfast. In terms of flavor, it’s somewhere between an open-faced sandwich, nachos and a breakfast egg dish, only in a much more interesting form.
Chef's tips
Mash the beans in the pan gradually, adding water a tablespoon at a time until you reach the consistency of thick purée that spreads easily on the tortilla. Toast the tortillas until they give off a dry, “hollow” sound when tapped with a fork – then they’ll be stiff and won’t go soggy from the beans. Fry the eggs over medium, not high heat so the whites have time to set while the yolks stay runny.
How to serve
Serve the tostadas immediately after assembling, with lime wedges and extra cilantro in a small bowl so everyone can season to taste. Black coffee or homemade lime agua fresca are perfect to drink with them – this combo works wonderfully on a lazy Sunday morning. It also makes a very practical dinner after a long workday when there are only a few tortillas and a can of beans left in the cupboard.
Ingredients
- corn tortillas - 6 piece
- red beans canned - 1 can
- onion - 0.5 piece
- garlic - 2 clove
- vegetable oil - 3 tablespoon
- egg - 6 piece
- fresh white cheese - 80 g
- cilantro - 0.25 bunch
- lime - 1 piece
- salt - 0.75 teaspoon
- black pepper - 0.25 teaspoon
Preparation
- Drain the beans from their liquid and rinse under cold water in a sieve.
- Finely dice the onion and finely chop the garlic.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat, add the onion and fry for 3–4 minutes until softened and slightly translucent.
- Add the garlic and fry for about 1 minute more, stirring so it doesn’t burn.
- Add the beans to the pan, pour in 2–3 tablespoons of water, add salt and pepper, and cook for 3–4 minutes until the beans are heated through.
- Mash the beans directly in the pan with a potato masher or fork until you get a thick but still slightly chunky paste; if it’s too thick, add a little more water.
- On a second dry pan, heat the tortillas for 1–2 minutes on each side over medium heat until they become crispy like thin chips; transfer to a rack or plate.
- In a clean pan, heat the remaining oil, crack in the eggs and fry over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks remain runny (or longer if you prefer them more set).
- Spread a portion of the warm bean paste over each crispy tortilla, almost to the edges.
- Top each with a fried egg, sprinkle with crumbled white cheese and chopped cilantro, and drizzle with lime juice just before eating.
Storage
Store the bean paste separately in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat with a splash of water. Keep tortillas in a sealed bag at room temperature and crisp them up in a dry pan just before serving. Eggs should always be fried fresh.
