Arepas are gluten free corn cakes, eaten in Venezuela in place of bread. They're crunchy outside, tender inside, and delicious when filled with chicken or cheese or anything you like. This authentic arepa recipe pairs homemade arepas with a scrumptious Venezuelan chicken and avocado salad.
My good friend Sonia is from Venezuela. Last week we spent a really fun afternoon together cooking in her kitchen. She taught me how to make one of her favorite authentic recipes from back home, Reina Pepiada: Venezuelan arepas with chicken and avocado.
What Are Arepas?
Arepas are english muffin-shaped cornmeal cakes that are eaten in place of bread in Venezuela. They are typically served warm from the oven, split open, and filled with a variety of savory stuffings such as shredded beef, grated cheese, scrambled eggs, or chicken and avocado. They have a mild corn flavor and are firm and crunchy on the outside, soft and tender inside. The filling is what sets them apart.
Reina Pepiada is Sonia's family favorite - shredded white meat chicken tossed with tender avocado, mayonnaise, garlic, onion, bell pepper, jalapeno and cilantro. It's easy to imagine how delicious this chicken salad would be just from reading the ingredients, right? Just wait until you try it sandwiched between an arepa that's still warm from the oven!
How To Make Arepas
Arepas are made from just three ingredients: corn meal, water and salt. Made from a special type of corn flour, arepas are naturally gluten free. The corn flour used for arepas, also called Masarepa, is precooked and ground. The most common brand is P.A.N.
I had no problem finding it at a few different stores, including Stop and Shop. Or you can order it on line.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed sinking my hands into the bowl of warm water and corn flour and kneading. Sonia commented, too, about how this part of the recipe - the feeling of the dough in her hands and the smell of the warm corn flour - transports her back home to Venezuela and back to her grandmother's kitchen, where she learned to cook arepas.
After you shape the arepas, you sear them in a hot skillet with just a bit of oil. Sonia explained that you just want to seal them and get them a little brown.
Once they're seared, they finish cooking in a hot oven for 15-20 minutes.
Remove the arepas from the oven, split them open, stuff them, and enjoy them while they're still warm.
Venezuelan Arepas (Arepas Venezolanas)
In Venezuela you can find arepas for every occasion - arepas appetizers, arepas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks. There are also many restaurants around town called areperas, where you can grab a quick arepa with the filling of your choice.
Once you learn how to make arepas, you can get creative with what you put inside. Butter and white cheese (or substitute feta) is another version that Sonia recommended to me.
Reina Pepiada is an exceptionally good arepa. By the way, in case you're curious about the name, the literal translation of Reina Pepiada is "curvy queen." Apparently, as the story goes, back in 1955 a Venezuelan woman won the Miss World title. This scrumptious chicken & avocado arepa - recognized as a thing of beauty - was named in her honor.
Here's the Venezuelan Arepas Recipe. If you make this I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think!
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Arepas with Chicken and Avocado
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
Description
Venezuelan corn meal cakes filled with chicken & avocado salad. [gluten-free]
Ingredients
For The Poached Chicken (or skip this step and use 3 cups cooked shredded chicken)
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
- ½ small onion, sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon salt
For The Chicken & avocado salad
- 1 pound shredded poached chicken (about 3 cups) (see recipe below)
- 2 Haas avocados, peeled, pitted, roughly mashed
- 2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- ½ red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, diced
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped white onion
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
- ½ jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic (2 medium cloves)
- ½ teaspoon salt or more, to taste
- Fresh ground black pepper
For The Arepas
- 3 cups precooked white corn flour (P.A.N. or Masarepa)
- 3 ¼ cups warm water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Oil
Instructions
- Poach the chicken Put the chicken onion, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt in a medium saucepan. Cover by an inch or two, with cold water. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer gently (water should vibrate but not bubble) for 10-14 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (Check for doneness after 10 minutes. Cut into the largest piece to make sure there's no pink color). Remove chicken from the pot, let it cool for a few minutes, and shred it.
- Make the chicken avocado salad In a medium bowl mix the mashed avocado with mayonnaise and lime juice. Add the rest of the ingredients: chicken, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and store in the fridge until you're ready to eat. Can be made a few hours ahead and kept covered in the fridge. Will be delicious the next day too, but green color may not be as vivid.
- Make the arepas Preheat oven to 350ºF. Pour the warm water into a large bowl. Stir in salt to dissolve. Pour in the corn flour and immediately start kneading the mixture with your hands, being sure to squeeze out any lumps. Allow the dough to sit for 3-5 minutes. Divide dough into 8 pieces. To shape an arepa, roll the dough into a ball and then pat it, between your hands, into a disc. Press your thumbs around the outside of the disc to form a nice edge. Discs should be 3 ½ - 4 inches in diameter and ⅓ to ½ inch thick. Set discs on a large platter or baking sheet as you form them. (If the dough seems dry or cracks when you roll it, add a more warm water)
- Sear the arepas in a skillet Lightly oil a large non-stick skillet (cast iron is great). Turn the heat to medium and get the skillet nice and hot. Brown the arepas in batches, about 4 minutes per side, until they are seared with some brown areas on both sides. Set them back on the platter or baking sheet as you go.
- Finish the arepas in the oven When all the arepas are seared, set them directly on the wire rack in the center of the oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until they are puffed up a bit. They will have a very taut outer skin. Set them back onto the baking sheet for just a minute or two until they're cool enough to handle. Cut them open. Fill them with Reina Pepiada chicken & avocado salad. Serve warm. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 40 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Category: Lunch or Dinner
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: Venezuelan
Wendy
I only made the arepas...but oh my do I love them! I used shredded chicken, sliced avocado and fresh mozzarella plus a sprinkle of Chipotle pepper.
cici
these are amazing!! was wondering how long the chicken salad is good for? thank you!!
Lisa Goldfinger
So glad you like this dish! The chicken salad will keep for 3 days in the fridge and it will be delicious but its vivid green color will fade - that's what happens with avocados. If you mix in some additional lemon juice in and seal it up tightly, that will help preserve the color.
Kayla Witham
We love arepas but this was my first time making them. I chose your recipe because your photos looked closest to the ones we've eaten in the past. I must say these were amazing and even better than the ones we've had before. Thank you so much! This recipe is a keeper!
Madonna Robert
Delicious and easy to make. Thank you!
Amy Rivera
Delicious!! Me and my boyfriend loooved it.
You have to try it if you havent already and you are reading this.
Brian
Is the filling in the Arepa served warm or cold?
Lisa
Hi Brian. The chicken salad filling is served cold.