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Active Time
35 Minutes
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Total Time
40 Minutes
Pera learned the art of arepas from his sister-in-law. Now, they're his easy Sunday meal of choice, packed with leftovers or farm-fresh produce.
"My wife is a surgeon and works even longer hours than I do," he says, "so brunch is now my favorite meal to cook for her." These are some of Pera's go-to fillings—but anything tastes good in an arepa.
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
Step 1
Combine arepa flour and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and add 2 1/2 cups warm water. Using a wooden spoon, gradually incorporate dry ingredients, stirring until no dry lumps remain. Let rest 5 minutes to hydrate.
Step 2
Knead dough a few times in bowl, then divide into 8 pieces. Roll each piece on work surface into a ball, then gently flatten to about 1/2" thick.
Step 3
Heat 1 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 4 arepas, cover, and cook until golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Uncover, flip, and cook (keep uncovered) until other side is golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Transfer arepas to a wire rack.
Step 4
Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoons oil and dough.
Step 5
Split arepas and stuff with desired fillings; serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.
Arepa flour is precooked corn flour, not to be confused with masa harina. Sometimes sold as masarepa or harina precocida, it can be found in Latin markets and some supermarkets.
Leave a Review
Reviews (19)
Back to TopAn offensive recipe? Really!? Everyone take a deep, cleansing breath. Maybe it's just annoying and nothing to get worked up about.
estoy_listo
Seattle, WA
4/13/2018
At this moment and for the past two weeks, I have just eaten and enjoyed many arepas in Colombia. I just had "arepas con todo", imagine one large one was filled with minced browned ground beef, minced ground chicken, minced ground gizzards, as well as scrambled eggs, grated white cheese and as a garnish one quail egg. I was told these are fast food and eaten at night, at least in the department of Meta, Colombia.
Michelleofried1
Ecuador
7/22/2016
I find arepa flour in regular supermarkets by the Goya brand section packed under the brand P.A.N
sarines48
Newport RI
5/25/2016
I should be fair with review: More info about the arepas in the intro would be nice ;) This is the fried version (delicious) but there are healthier versions, like the one described below, "grilled" and baked...I also like the thin, crispy ones made in my panini toaster, I eat them like mini pizzas but with Venezuelan stuffings! Reina (avocado-chicken salad), Pelúa (schredded meat and cheddar), Catira (butter and cheese), black beans, schrip salad, perico......etc etc etc. Thanks for publishing, though!!! And regarding the fillings, I woul say...ALMOST everything tastes good in an arepa...Venezuelans will be insulted if you ever propose a sweet filling! Although, I have been secretely experimenting with a choco-chili version of it...still working on the filling!
alex_ingo
Venezuelan living in Germany
10/22/2015
I am Venezuelan. To our Mexican friends: YES, WE DO STUFF OUR AREPAS!!! Almost ALWAYS!!!! Please do not write about something if you IGNORE the facts. It confuses people! Except for small ones that we use to accompany other dishes, or when we serve them as snack (mini-arepas). WE ALWAY STUFF THEM!!! The empty ones we call "viudas" (widows). Yes, Venezuelan and Colombian Arepas are different, and TASTE different, although, our (Venezuelan) pre-cooked cornmeal (Harina PAN), which is now being produced in Colombia, Texas, and Florida, has helped to internationalize OUR version of the Arepa. Originally made from raw grounded corn meal, Venezuelans started enjoying quick-made arepas thanks to Harina PAN, over fifty years ago. God save Harina PAN and its creators! Long live the VENEZUELAN AREPAAAA
alex_ingo
Venezuelan living in Germany
10/22/2015
One last thing: Mexican gorditas are not arepas. They are very good, I have had them, but they are made of fresh corn dough, which imparts a somewhat different flavor and texture. That's all, folks!
larisag
10/3/2014
By the way, I forgot to add that we have been making arepas Venezuelan style, for our family here in the USA and they absolutely love them!
larisag
10/3/2014
OK. Let's clear this up. Arepas are made both in Venezuela and Colombia. In Venezuela for the past 30 or 40 years the preferred processed corn flour has been and is Harina PAN, which simplified the process of preparing arepas enormously, from a task that took hours, to a question of a few minutes. In Venezuela, arepas are the traditional breakfast item, stuffed with cheese, ham, scrambled eggs, deviled ham, etc. The stuffings are indeed numerous given that the arepa is neutral in flavor. At lunch and dinner they served as a side dish, akin to serving bread in the other parts of the world. Now, Colombian arepas differ in flavor, and they are not stuffed. I have had them, and the flavor is different from the Venezuelan arepa. I am not sure why, but I suspect the flours are not the same, or some wheat flour is added to the corn flour. Method of preparation for stuffed arepas calls for forming the prepared dough into balls (size according to your preference. In the areperas, akin to McDonalds, they come in 15 cm diameter, at least, big!!), flatten said balls slightly, cooking them on a very hot iron pan or skillet, slightly oiled, turning once, and then finishing in the oven at 350-400 F, for about 15 minutes. Cool, slice in half, scoop some of the cooked dough so as to create more space for your filling. The other method is making small rounds, as per the recipe, and frying them. These can just be simply topped with whatever suits your fancy, as well as serving them with sour cream, fresh cheese, butter, etc.
larisag
Venezuela and the USA
10/3/2014
Where in the article do they mention Colombia or Venezuela, how can this recipe be offensive to Colombians???
highhawk4
Caracas, Venezuela
10/3/2014
wrong recipe , we grill our arepas and certainly colombian arepas if filled with anything it will be cheese .
ampena
colombia
10/3/2014
你必须支付attention to the reviews, STUFF AREPAS ARE NOT FROM COLOMBIA, You guys should do more research before posting an article. I am a huge FAN of Epicurious, but this is offensive for Colombians, and I happen to be one.
TheChefsTable
Colombia
10/3/2014
mujerdemar in Venezuela we stuff our arepas with all kinds of savory fillings, there is a whole industry developed around that. We also have specific names for certain filled arepas like Reina Pepiada (chicken with avocado and mayo), Pelua (shredded meat and cheese), a widow (a Plain arepa with no filling), Domino (black beans and white cheese)...etc...
highhawk4
Caracas, Venezuela
10/3/2014
This are fried arepas, which are delicious, but the majority of arepas in Venezuela are cooked first by developing the crust in a hot griddle or pan with just a light brushing of oil, for about 2 or 3 minutes per side, and then finished in a hot oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Our brothers in Colombia don't know what they are missing by not stuffing them like we do...
highhawk4
Caracas, Venezuela
10/3/2014
I'll repeat thezer's review: stuffed arepas are Venezuelan. "Harina Pan" should also be mentioned. You cannot mixed the Harina Pan and water with a wooden spoon, must be done by hands. After browning the arepas on a griddle, the must go in the oven to finish cooking.
vwm
10/3/2014
Not Venezuela's or Colombia's Arepas are filled. That is a awfull interpretation of Arepas, not proper Arepas. The ones that are stuffed are Mexican Gorditas, but those ask for fresh tortilla dough
mujerdemar
Mexico
10/3/2014
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