Calentado — Colombian Breakfast Fry-Up

Name: Calentado — Colombian Breakfast Fry-Up
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 2 cups cooked rice, day-old; 1 cup cooked beans with some liquid; 2 scallions + 1 tomato, chopped (quick hogao base); 2 cloves garlic; 2 eggs; 2 tbsp butter or oil; Arepa or toast, and coffee — Colombian breakfast is a set menu

Yesterday's rice and beans, reheated into a national institution.

🍽️ Colombian ⏱️ 5 min prep · 15 min cook 👥 Serves 2 📊 Beginner

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Ingredients

2 cups cooked rice, day-old
1 cup cooked beans with some liquid
2 scallions + 1 tomato, chopped (quick hogao base)
2 cloves garlic
2 eggs
2 tbsp butter or oil
Arepa or toast, and coffee — Colombian breakfast is a set menu

Method

Make a quick hogao: soften the scallions, tomato, and garlic in half the fat until saucy, 4 minutes — Colombia's everything-sauce.
Add the beans and rice and fry, pressing and folding, until heated through with crispy patches, 6–8 minutes.
Fry the eggs in the remaining fat, lacy-edged.
Plate the calentado with the eggs on top.
Serve with an arepa and coffee. 'Calentado' just means 'reheated' — Colombia looked at leftovers and made them the national breakfast. Efficiency with soul.

leftover-magiccheap

Cooking a protein? Check safe internal temperatures in our food safety guide before serving.