Baleadas Hondureñas

  • Total time - 1 hour 15 minutes (including dough rest)
  • Active preparation - 40 minutes
  • Servings: 8
  • Country: Honduras
Honduran Baleada folded in half, filled with bean mash, crema, grated cheese, and avocado slices.

Authentic Baleadas rely on a homemade, thick wheat tortilla, which should be soft and slightly puffy. The beans are traditionally made from red beans (Central American Red Beans), which are first boiled and then mashed into a smooth paste and fried with onion and oil.

If you don't have access to queso seco (dry, crumbly Honduran cheese), the best substitute is Cotija or Queso Fresco cheese. The sour cream mantequilla rala can be substituted with thick sour cream mixed with a little milk or heavy cream.

Ingredients

I. Tortilla

  • 3 cups All-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp Baking powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 0.5 cups Lard (or softened butter/oil)
  • 1.25 cups (plus more as needed) Warm water (or milk)

II. Filling (Baleada Sencilla)

  • 2 cups Refried Red Beans, warm
  • 1 cup Shredded white cheese (Queso Duro/Cotija/Feta)
  • 0.5 cups Honduran Crema (or sour cream + heavy cream)

Optional toppings (Baleada con Todo)

  • 4 pcs Scrambled eggs
  • 1 pc Avocado, sliced
  • 100 g Meat (e.g., sautéed beef or sausage)

Instructions

Step 1: Preparing the Tortilla Dough

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add the lard/butter/oil and rub it in with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Gradually pour in the warm water (or milk) and knead until the dough comes together into a soft, but not sticky ball. Knead for about 5-7 minutes.

Cover the dough and let it rest for 20-30 minutes to relax the gluten. This will make the tortillas softer.

Step 2: Shaping and Cooking the Tortillas

Divide the dough into 8-10 equal balls. Lightly dust the work surface with flour.

Roll each ball into a disc about 15-20 cm in diameter. The tortilla should be thicker than a Mexican one (about 2-3 mm).

Heat a dry skillet (or comal/griddle) over medium-high heat.

Cook each tortilla for about 1 minute per side until brown spots appear and the tortilla puffs up slightly (which gives it softness).

Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover them with a towel to keep them warm and soft.

Step 3: Preparing the Fillings (Bean Mash and Crema)

Make sure you have the bean mash (Refried Red Beans) ready. If you have the mash ready, heat it in a pan with a little oil or butter until warm and creamy.

If using thick sour cream, you can mix it with a little milk/cream to make it more liquid and easy to drizzle (to achieve a similar consistency to Mantequilla Rala).

Step 4: Assembling the Baleadas

Take one warm tortilla and place it on a plate.

Use a spoon to spread a generous amount of warm bean mash onto half of the tortilla.

Sprinkle the beans with shredded cheese.

Drizzle everything with sour crema.

Add optional toppings such as scrambled eggs, avocado slices, or meat.

Fold the tortilla in half over the filling and serve immediately while warm.