Campfire Cast-Iron Honduran Baleada Skillet with Eggs, Beans and Crema

Build a campfire and let it burn down to an even bed of glowing coals — you want steady medium heat, not leaping flames. Set a grill grate about 4 inches above the coals and preheat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet for 5 minutes.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 8 large flour tortillas (8-inch)
• 2 cups cooked red or black beans, drained (liquid reserved)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or bacon drippings
• 1 small white onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 8 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 cup crumbled queso fresco or cotija
• 1/2 cup Honduran crema or sour cream thinned with 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 ripe avocados, sliced
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Build a campfire and let it burn down to an even bed of glowing coals — you want steady medium heat, not leaping flames. Set a grill grate about 4 inches above the coals and preheat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet for 5 minutes.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the hot skillet, then the diced onion. Cook, stirring with a long-handled spoon, for 4 to 5 minutes until softened and lightly golden at the edges.
3. Stir in the garlic and cumin and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the drained beans and 1/4 cup of the reserved bean liquid.
4. Mash the beans directly in the skillet with the back of a sturdy spoon until thick and spreadable, adding splashes of bean liquid as needed. Season generously with salt and pepper, then scrape the beans into a bowl and cover to keep warm.
5. Wipe the skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of oil, and slide it back over the coals. Whisk the eggs with the milk and a pinch of salt, pour them in, and stir slowly with a spatula for 2 to 3 minutes until just barely set — pull them off the heat while they still look slightly wet, since the cast iron keeps cooking them.
6. Warm the tortillas one at a time directly on the grill grate for about 20 seconds per side, until pliable and freckled with char. Stack them in a clean kitchen towel to stay soft.
7. Spread each warm tortilla with a thick layer of mashed beans, spoon scrambled eggs down the center, then scatter with crumbled queso fresco.
8. Drizzle with lime-thinned crema, lay a few avocado slices on top, and fold each tortilla in half like a taco.
9. Serve straight from the fireside with lime wedges for squeezing and extra crema on the side.
10. The baleada is Honduras's most beloved everyday food — a soft wheat tortilla folded around refried beans, salty cheese and crema, sold from roadside stands from San Pedro Sula to the Bay Islands. Its genius is portability and forgiveness: everything can be made ahead, warmed over any heat source, and folded by hand without a plate. That makes it an almost perfect camp breakfast, and cooking it over hardwood coals adds a smoky depth that no kitchen burner can match.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 620 kcal
• Protein: 27g
• Fat: 34g
• Carbohydrates: 54g
• Fiber: 11g
• Sugar: 4g
• Sodium: 790mg