You know, I truly love cooking and blogging because I get to travel all over the world, trying different foods. And whenever I find a fantastic new recipe, I can’t help putting my little spin on it. Then I get anxious and excited to share it with you. These patty-shaped arepas are my latest discovery and are pretty spot-on addictive. And the best part is they pair well with almost anything you like! Especially with carnitas and guacamole. Aah! They are so heavenly!
Recipe Ingredients
Arepas have a somewhat crispy exterior and a soft, slightly creamy inside. And they are effortless to make with only a few ingredients.
Masarepa – You can find this specialty flour in the Latin section of your favorite supermarket. You’ll usually see brands like Areparina (which I use), Goya Masarepa, and Harina PAN – among others.Butter – Besides adding creamy and rich flavor to these corn patties, butter creates a light and tender texture to our arepa dough.Mozarella – This is optional, but the gooey, chewy, and warm, melty cheese makes these masa arepas even tastier. So, why would you skip it?
How to Make Venezuelan Arepas
Make the Dough Fry the Dough
Recipe Variations
Tips and Tricks
Make-Ahead Instructions
Arepas are best enjoyed straight from the pan to enjoy the warm and crispy. However, you can make the dough ahead to have some ready for frying for emergency cravings. To properly store uncooked arepa dough for later, simply wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for three days or freeze it for two months. Thaw and cook as instructed when ready to serve.
Serving and Storing Instructions
Serving – I could actually make a long list for you. First off, that crispy exterior and soft, creamy, doughy inside is pure heaven on its own! To serve it for breakfast, you can go for butter or jam, eggs, or ham and cheese. Simply cut it in half to create two pieces, as you would for an English muffin, and slather it with whatever you like. Storing – You can store leftover arepas in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, 4-5 days in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer. Reheating – Bring the arepas to room temperature while preheating the oven to 350℉/177℃. Thaw overnight inside the fridge if frozen. Then brush the arepas with water or melted butter, cover with foil, and bake for 15 minutes or until warm.
What to Serve with Venezuelan Arepas
Arepas make a wonderful appetizer, side dish, or breakfast, lunch, or dinner, especially when you fill them with the following recipes.
More Mouthwatering Bread Recipes to Try
Conclusion
If you love trying different cuisines, these arepas make an excellent starter to enjoy Venezuelan dishes. I love my arepas filled with cheese and topped with meaty fillings, too. What delicious fillings do you use? Please let me know in the comments. 😉
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”pzUQMPd0″ upload-date=”2022-07-22T14:01:37.000Z” name=”VENEZUALAN AREPAS.mp4″ description=”Venezuelan Arepas are flat, round, savory corn flour patties made with only five ingredients for crispy on the outside and tender on the inside delights. ” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”] This blog post was originally published in April 2019 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.