Austin-Style Bean and Cheese Breakfast Tacos
These Austin-Style Bean and Cheese Breakfast Tacos are a Texas classic made with warm flour tortillas, creamy refried beans, and plenty of melty cheese. They're incredibly simple, but packed with flavor and exactly the kind of breakfast taco I grew up eating in Texas.
Servings: 8 tacos
Calories: 197kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons bacon fat lard, or butter
- 1 can refried pinto beans 16 ounces
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 to 2 tablespoons water as needed
- 8 flour tortillas preferably homemade
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese freshly shredded (or cheddar cheese, or a combination)
- Salsa for serving, optional
Instructions
- Heat bacon fat, lard, or butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.
- Add the refried beans, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir well, using the back of a spoon or spatula to mash and smooth the beans as they warm.
- Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the beans are hot and creamy. If they become too thick, stir in 1 tablespoon of water at a time until they reach a soft, spreadable consistency.
- Warm the flour tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 15 to 30 seconds per side, or until soft and pliable. Keep warm in a clean kitchen towel while you heat the remaining tortillas.
- Spread about ¼ cup of warm refried beans down the center of each tortilla.
- Sprinkle each taco with about 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and let sit for a minute so the heat from the beans begins to melt the cheese.
- Serve immediately, with your favorite salsa on the side if desired.
Video
Notes
Storage
Leftover beans: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet over low heat, adding a tablespoon of water at a time to bring them back to a creamy, spreadable texture.
Assembled tacos: These are best eaten right away. The tortilla gets soft if it sits too long with the filling inside. If you need to prep ahead, keep the beans warm and the tortillas separate until right before serving.
Freezing: The seasoned beans freeze well for up to 2 months. The tortillas do not freeze as well once assembled, so freeze only the bean filling and make fresh tortillas when you're ready to eat.
Meal Prep
- Lay a square of aluminum foil on the counter and top it with a square of parchment paper, about 9 inches each. Place a filled taco diagonally in the center.
- Bring the bottom corner up and over the taco, fold in both sides, and roll it up snugly. I use pop-up aluminum foil and deli paper, which makes this even faster, but regular foil and parchment cut into squares work perfectly fine.
- Repeat with the remaining tacos until all are wrapped.
- Place the wrapped tacos in a large zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. For best results, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheat thawed tacos in a 350°F oven, still wrapped in foil and parchment, for 15 to 20 minutes.
- For the microwave, remove the foil and reheat in just the parchment for 1 to 2 minutes, checking halfway through.
Nutrition
Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 563mg | Potassium: 50mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 136IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 160mg | Iron: 2mg
