~778 cal · 29g protein · 111g carbs · 24g fat (estimated, per serving)
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Folded flour tortilla with beans, cheese, and crema
🇭🇳 San Pedro Sula
The baleada is Honduras in one fold — a soft, thick flour tortilla wrapped around beans, crumbly cheese, and mantequilla crema. Street vendors in San Pedro Sula sell them from breakfast to midnight, and everyone has a "usual" combination.
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🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
Ingredients
Serves 4 —
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2.5 cups all-purpose flour (for the tortillas)
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2 cups refried red beans
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1 cup queso seco or feta, crumbled
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1/2 cup crema (mantequilla)
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1 tsp baking powder
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3 tbsp oil
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3/4 cup warm water (dough)
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1 + 2 avocado + scrambled egg (optional add-ins)
Instructions
1
Knead flour, baking powder, oil, salt, and warm water into a soft dough; rest 20 minutes.
2
Roll into thick 8-inch rounds and cook on a dry hot griddle until puffed and spotted, about 1 minute a side — keep them soft and pliable.
3
Warm the refried beans until spreadable.
4
Spread beans over half of each hot tortilla; add cheese, a drizzle of crema, and any add-ins.
5
Fold in half and eat by hand, immediately — the tortilla should still be warm and foldable.
San Pedro Sula street tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination
📍
San Pedro Sula. The industrial north, home of the folded baleada.
🗺️
Honduras. Where the folded tortilla is a whole meal.
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North America. A collision of Indigenous, colonial, and immigrant tables.
The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.
👩🍳
Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker
Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →
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