Chef-tested recipe
Crisp-edged Peruvian rice and canary-bean cakes with ají amarillo, cumin, oregano, salsa criolla, and avocado
Tacu tacu developed as a practical way to turn cooked rice and beans into a new meal. Peruvian canary beans are partly mashed and seasoned with onion, garlic, ají amarillo, cumin, and oregano, then mixed with rice and pan-fried into broad oval cakes. A good tacu tacu has a deep golden crust and a creamy, tender centre. It is often served with egg, steak, or seafood, but the rice-and-bean cake itself is plant-based and is complete with sharp salsa criolla, avocado, and fried plantain.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 6 large cakes
- Prep Time
- 30 mins
- Cook Time
- 35 mins
- Total Time
- 1 hour 5 mins
- Cuisine
- Peruvian Creole
- Course
- Main dishes
- Cooking Method
- Sofrito cooking, partial bean mashing, rice mixing, shaping, and pan-frying
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Best Served With
- Best served with salsa criolla, sliced avocado, ripe fried plantain, tomato-cucumber salad, lime, and ají verde made without dairy.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Wide non-stick or seasoned frying panpaid link
- Medium saucepanpaid link
- Potato masherpaid link
- Wide turning platepaid link
- Flexible spatulapaid link
- Chef’s knifepaid link
- Cutting boardpaid link
- Digital kitchen scalepaid link
Ingredients
For the tacu tacu
- Cooked canary or mayocoba beans, drainedpaid link: 1200 g
- Cooked long-grain white rice, chilledpaid link: 1100 g
- Red onion, finely diced: 350 g
- Garlic, finely chopped: 35 g
- Ají amarillo pastepaid link: 90 g
- Ají panca pastepaid link: 35 g
- Ground cumin: 6 g
- Dried oreganopaid link: 5 g
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 12 g
- Freshly ground black pepper: 4 g
- Neutral vegetable oilpaid link: 190 ml
- Reserved bean cooking liquidpaid link: 250 ml
For the salsa criolla
- Red onions, very thinly sliced: 450 g
- Fresh lime juice: 140 ml
- Ají limo or fresh red chilli, thinly sliced: 25 g
- Fresh coriander, roughly chopped: 35 g
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 5 g
For serving
- Avocados, sliced: 700 g
- Ripe plantains, pan-fried: 900 g
Preparation Overview
Use cold cooked rice and tender canary beans. Rinse sliced salsa onions briefly in cold water and drain well. Dice the sofrito onion finely, measure the chilli pastes, and prepare a wide non-stick or well-seasoned frying pan for shaping the cakes in place.
Method
Make the salsa criolla. Rinse sliced red onion, drain, and toss with lime, ají limo, coriander, and salt; leave for 20 minutes.
Cook the sofrito. Heat 60 ml oil and fry diced onion for 8 minutes, then add garlic, ají amarillo, ají panca, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Mash the beans. Add cooked beans and 150 ml bean liquid, then mash about two-thirds into a coarse paste while leaving some whole.
Combine with rice. Fold chilled rice through the seasoned beans until evenly distributed and cohesive.
Portion the mixture. Divide into six equal portions and form each loosely into a thick oval.
Fry the first side. Heat a thin layer of oil in a non-stick pan, add one portion, shape it with a spatula, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until deeply golden.
Turn the cake. Slide it onto a plate, invert it back into the pan, and cook the second side for 4 to 5 minutes.
Repeat and hold. Cook remaining portions, adding oil as needed, and keep finished cakes warm in a low oven.
Serve. Top or accompany each tacu tacu with salsa criolla, avocado, and ripe fried plantain.
Beginner Technique Notes
Cold rice and well-drained beans make a mixture that shapes more easily.
Mash only part of the beans to create a creamy binder with visible bean texture.
Wait for a firm crust before turning or the cake can split.
A plate makes turning a broad oval safer than trying to flip it in the air.
Salsa criolla needs enough lime and salt to cut through the fried rice and beans.
Tips and Variations
Lentils or other leftover beans can form household tacu tacu variations.
Make one large sharing cake if the frying pan and turning plate are well matched.
Use less ají amarillo for a mild version while keeping its fruity aroma.
Fried plantain and avocado create a complete plate without animal toppings.
A well-seasoned cast-iron pan works if it releases starch-rich mixtures reliably.
Serving Ideas
- Place each oval cake slightly off-centre so the bronzed crust is visible, then pile bright salsa criolla beside it and fan avocado and plantain along the edge.
Storage
Refrigerate the bean-rice mixture for up to 3 days before frying. Store cooked cakes for up to 3 days and reheat in a lightly oiled pan to at least 74°C. Freeze shaped unfried portions for 1 month.
Nutritional Value
Allergen Notes
No major allergen is intentionally included. Check chilli pastes, cooked beans, rice, and frying oil for cross-contact. Use food-safe gloves when handling hot chillies if sensitive.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is tacu tacu?
It is a Peruvian preparation of cooked beans and rice shaped and pan-fried until crusty.
Which beans should I use?
Canary or mayocoba beans are especially suitable, though other tender beans are used.
Why use cold rice?
It is drier and firmer, helping the cake hold together and brown.
How do I turn a large cake?
Slide it onto a plate, cover with the pan, and invert carefully.
Does it require egg or meat?
No. Those are common toppings, while the tacu tacu cake itself is rice and beans.
