You probably have everything on hand to make a batch of these delicious Molletes, have you tried them yet?!
That's how they've become such a staple in Mexican cuisine -- they use such common ingredients that you can always whip up a plate when you're running on fumes and need food NOW.
Give the freshly made Pico de Gallo a try if it's your first time making these. Yes, piping hot cheesy beans are awesome, but I think it's the Pico that can transform these open-faced sandwiches into more than just a meal on the run.
How To Make Molletes
You've got lots of leeway on the beans so I'll list a couple good options. Yes, a can of refried beans will do the trick, but I think it's worth whipping up your own batch because you get a massive upgrade in flavor for very little effort.
I always seem to have some of these chipotle-infused refried beans in the fridge and that would be a delicious option for these Molletes.
They are wildly forgiving so feel free to make them even if you don't have the exact ingredient list on hand.
Of course, if you open up the fridge and see a batch of Charro Beans on the shelf then you are welcome to use those as well. That's what I ended up using for this batch.
The above pic is a puree of these Charro Beans that were swimming in some broth so they blend together quite easily.
Charro Beans have tremendous flavor and are definitely worth trying if you're new to them.
Okay, got some beans on hand? Then it's time to work on the Pico. Take a look at the following pic:
That's the easiest way to whip up a fresh batch of Pico de Gallo. All you need is:
2 tomatoes
1/2 onion
1/2 jalapeno
juice of 1 lime
15-20 sprigs cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
Give everything a good chop and combine well. Be sure to take a final taste for seasoning, adding more salt and lime juice if necessary.
You'll end up with a vibrant bowl of Pico de Gallo that will regularly find its way into your kitchen. More options for using freshly made Pico de Gallo.
Molletes are typically served open-faced using bolillos, but any traditional sandwich roll will work for this recipe. Once you cut the rolls in half it's worth baking them for a few minutes before adding the toppings -- this will help crisp them up.
You can optionally give the rolls a quick coating of butter, otherwise just throw them in a 400F oven for a few minutes.
Then give them a healthy layer of beans and shredded cheese. You can use just about any type of melting cheese for Molletes -- this batch was Mozzarella.
Bake for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is thoroughly melted.
Add some Pico de Gallo to each Mollete and dinner is served!
Easy right?
But don't let the simplicity fool you -- with some flavored beans and freshly made Pico they are massively rewarding.
Yum!
And yes, for an even quicker version I will sometimes just make them with beans, cheese, and a few drops of hot sauce. And maybe some avocado too 🙂
Enjoy!
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Molletes (Mexican Bean and Cheese Sandwiches)
Ingredients
- 2 cups refried beans (or bean puree)
- 1-2 cups shredded cheese
- 3-4 bread rolls
- butter (optional)
For the Pico de Gallo:
- 2 plum tomatoes
- 1/2 onion
- 1/2 jalapeno
- 1 lime
- 15-20 sprigs cilantro
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
For the refried beans:
- 1 can black beans
- 1/2 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 chipotles in adobo
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup water (or stock)
Instructions
- If you want to make the refried beans start by roughly chopping 1/2 an onion and peel 2 garlic cloves. Saute the onion and garlic in a glug of oil over medium heat for 5-7 minutes. Drain and rinse one can of black beans. Add the black beans to the onion mixture along with 2 chipotles in adobo, 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly ground black pepper, and 1/2 cup water (or stock). Simmer for a few minutes until heated through. Combine the bean mixture in a blender or food processor. Salt to taste.
- If you're making fresh Pico de Gallo start by giving the veggies a good rinse. Chop up 2 tomatoes, 1/2 onion, 1/2 jalapeno, and 15-20 sprigs cilantro. Add to a mixing bowl along with 1/4 teaspoon salt and the juice of 1/2 lime. Combine well and take a taste for seasoning, adding more salt or lime juice if necessary.
- Cut the bread rolls in half and bake them in a 400F oven for a few minutes before adding any toppings -- this will help crisp them up. You can optionally add a layer of butter to each roll.
- Top each roll with a layer of beans and shredded cheese. Bake for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is thoroughly melted.
- Top with freshly made Pico de Gallo and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
Still hungry?!
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John Robert Small
These are DELICIOUS - Perfecto recipe thanks so much.
Two questions-
1. Can I use chipotle powder instead of canned?
2. Does the recipe scale well? 5 times for a crowd?
Thanks again!!!
Patrick
Thanks John! Yeah you can use chipotle powder and still get a great result.
And it will scale up easily. One thing I am sensitive to lately....I like to add the onion incrementally when 5x or 10x recipes, so I will chop it all up and then add it in chunks along with plenty of taste testing. This is a tough one to explain, but it seems like you can get by with a bit less onion when scaling up big. Cheers.
John Robert Small
This looks as delicious as all your recipes - I'll try next weekend. Will this scale 5x ok? (I cook for old and poor in my tiny Mexican pueblo).
Thanks very much!!
Patrick
Hey John! Yeah it will scale up well, but plopping 10 chipotles into a 5x batch of the beans might be too much heat if you are cooking for a group. I would consider adding the last few chipotles incrementally and doing some taste testing until you get the heat right. Cheers.
Rhonda E Davis
Success -- again: followed your suggestions using some leftover Charro beans with a mix of Pepper-Jack and Mozzarella cheeses. Our toppings included: Pico de Gallo, homemade Crema and avocado slices with a scoop of a quick-pickled cabbage and jalapeno slaw I keep available. Muy delicioso! Thanks for all these recipes: Bolillos+Charro beans+Pico de Gallo+DIY Crema = Molletes.
Patrick
Ooh sounds delicious Rhonda! Avocado slices too 🙂
Julianne
These look amazing, and it's so smart to make them with the triple yeast, so we don't have to wait! The proofing/rising, etc. is what keeps me from making bread. Ok. My question is...do you have any experience with converting the bread to gluten free? I have various GF flours, but I was just wondering if you've tried it. I'm desperate for a GF, fresh, yeasty bread!
Thanks! I'll be giving a GF version a try! I'm so thrilled to find your website! I could eat this food breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the rest of my life 🙂
Patrick
Ha yes, I pretty much eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner 🙂 I wish I could give a better answer on making the bolillos with gluten free flour but I haven't tried that yet! Will add notes about that if I do though. Cheers.
Mindi
I tried these today, and they were such a treat!! I used your refried bean recipe for these, and also added Cotija cheese and a habanero sauce from a local taqueria! Superb! So happy I’ve come across your blog! I’m determined to try EVERYTHING here!
Patrick
Thanks Mindi yowsa that sounds like a great combo 🙂 Cheers.
Jim Adams
I made these Charro Beans tonight for dinner as a side dish to go with grilled hamburgers. WOW!! They were fantastic!! Be careful with the amount of salt used when substituting chicken stock for the 2 cups of water. The chicken stock will add more salt to the beans, my fix was another can of beans. By far the best Charro Beans I have ever made!! Everyone loved them and I can't wait to try another recipe on your website!! FIVE STARS!!!!!
Patrick
Thanks Jim! So glad the Charro Beans worked out for you -- and thanks for mentioning the salt level, I'll note this in the recipe box for anyone who is using high sodium store-bought stock. Cheers.
Irene
Made this last night and every part of the recipe came together brilliantly. I had everything on hand except I grated some Irish cheddar.Worked out divine! Thanks so much!
Patrick
Ha awesome thanks much for the feedback Irene! I'm always amazed when a delicious meal can come together quickly using common household ingredients.
Debbie Spivey
Creamy and rich with crisp and fresh, my favorite combination! This looks delicious!
Patrick
Cheers Debbie I think you will love them! I made a huge batch of Charro Beans and have been using them non-stop for these Molletes. Someone might have to slow me down.
Mark Stephens
Patrick, I made this tonight but adapted the recipe to potato skins. They brought the house down!
Love your site and look forward to your email every week.
Patrick
Oh wow what a great idea! Funny that you mention that too as I had Molletes for lunch today and I have leftover potato skins in the fridge and never even considered using them! Thanks much for the inspiration Mark!
kruz martinez
why not use freshly cooked Peruvian beans instead of can beans, can beans are full of chemicals.
It only takes an hour to whip them up and you have better tasting food than food out of a can.
Just add a half can of tomato sauce, 2 cloves of garlic salt, and a tsp of cumin and let them simmer
walla you have perfection with taste
Patrick
Hi Kruz! Yeah home-cooked Peruanos would work great in Molletes, but this dish is meant to be quick and easy so I think you can get by using canned beans if you rinse them off well and then flavor them yourself. Cheers.
lvneonguy
Mark, when I looked at this post I though it was potato skins. The bread would change the texture some but skins with a good helping of refried and cheese with some bacon and cilantro would probably hit the spot. Need I say it would be great with the Avocado Salsa Verde as a topping.