Tacu Tacu
This Peruvian dish builds cooked white rice, cooked canary or pinto beans and aji amarillo paste into a proper meal you can have ready in about 60 minutes. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 6 steps.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and pan. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (3)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: not verified. We could not confirm canary from the ingredient list, so we make no dietary claim for this recipe.
Contains: Egg
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic, then heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan and fry them with the cumin and oregano for about 5 minutes until soft and golden.
- Stir in the aji amarillo paste and cook for 2 minutes, then add the cooked beans with a splash of their liquid and mash about half of them roughly with the back of a spoon.
- Fold in the cooked rice and season with salt and pepper, stirring over medium heat for a few minutes until the rice and beans bind into a cohesive, slightly sticky mixture.
- Add the remaining oil to a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, spoon in a portion of the rice and beans and press it into a flat oval omelette shape.
- Fry undisturbed for about 4 minutes until a golden crust forms underneath, then flip carefully and cook the other side for 3 to 4 minutes; repeat to make four tacu tacus.
- While the last one cooks, fry the eggs in a little oil until the whites are fully set and the yolks still soft, then top each tacu tacu with a fried egg and serve hot.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Pan
What to serve with Tacu Tacu
- Aji de Gallina Chicken
- Anticuchos Beef
- Arroz Chaufa Chicken
- Carapulcra Chicken
Tips & common questions
How long does Tacu Tacu take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 10 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Tacu Tacu suitable for my diet?
We make no dietary claim for this recipe: at least one ingredient could not be resolved to a definite plant or animal source, so labelling it either way would be a guess. The full ingredient list is above.
Related recipes
Original recipe — developed in-house by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Tacu Tacu is an original Peruvian recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Tacu Tacu.jpg by Suedehead from Buenos Aires, Argentina, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.