Arepas The Best Venezuelan Corn Cakes You Love

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Made with just a couple of ingredients and is completely vegan. Eat as bread for breakfast like arepas con huevos, with grilled vegetables and avocado for lunch, or with slow-cooked beef for dinner. These arepas are so easy to make. So, are you ready to learn how to make Venezuelan arepas? Let’s get started!

How To Make Venezuelan Arepas

1. To make this arepas recipe start with measuring the pre-cooked maize flour and salt. Stir the salt through the flour before you continue and add the water.
2. The ratio of flour to water to use is a 1½ by 2 ratio. If you have made corn tortillas you can similarly make this dough.
3. The dough should not be too dry else the result will crack and it should not be wet either.
4. This will result in dense Arepas Venezuelan. Add warm water and stir it through the flour.
5. The maize flour will absorb a lot of moisture so make sure the water is absorbed and knead it into a consistent dough.
6. Let it sit for 5 minutes then cut it into 5 equal pieces and shape it into corn cakes. Repeat for the remaining four Venezuelan arepas.
7. I choose the pan fry oven-baked version to prepare these arepas but you can also decide to fry the corn cakes in oil or steam them like Chinese steamed buns in a bamboo steamer.
8. Preheat a skillet. When the skillet is warm put the vegan arepas in the pan and cook 5-7 minutes per side.
9. Then preheat the oven to 350℉/175℃. Take them out of the pan and let them bake for another 5 minutes in the oven.
10. When the corn arepas are done take them out of the oven and split them in half.

See How To Make Arepas

Want to see how easy it is to make arepas from scratch? Then watch the instructional video in the recipe card below with step-by-step instructions so you can follow along.

A Delicious Arepas Bread Recipe

Arepas or corn cakes are considered the most popular type of bread that is made with pre-cooked corn flour and eaten in South American countries like Venezuela or Colombia.

Funnily enough, this bread is also eaten in the Spanish Canary Islands which is miles away from South America. In Venezuela and Colombia, it is eaten daily with almost every meal.

With a lot of bread types recipes, there are many ways to make arepas and eat them. You prepare them:

• Fry
• Grill
• Boil
• Bake in the oven
• Steam

Just like bread you can eat these corn arepas as a sandwich or a regular slice of bread and eat it with sweet or savory toppings.

There are several maize flours. The pre-cooked version, for instance, comes in yellow maize flour or white maize flour. Be aware that the corn for this recipe is different than the masa harina flour used for corn tortillas.

Look for flour that says harina precocida or masa al instante. A popular brand is Harina PAN.

How To Store Arepas?

Corn arepas are best eaten fresh from the grill, pan, or oven but you can store them if you want.

• Store them in the refrigerator for a couple of days in an airtight container
• Put them in a freezer bag and store them in the freezer for a couple of months

If you want to use them thaw them first before warming them in a cast-iron griddle or skillet.

How To Reheat Arepas?

There are several ways to reheat leftover arepas:

• Comal – want to do it the authentic way get yourself a comal and preheat it to medium-hot. Add the arepas on the comal and heat for 30 seconds then turn. Repeat two or three times until the arepas are hot. Depending on the size of your arepas you can reheat two at a time
• Cast-iron skillet – you can also reheat your arepas using a cast-iron skillet. Put on the stove and preheat to medium-hot. Like the comal put the arepas in the skillet and heat for about 30 seconds and turn to reheat the other side. Repeat until the arepas are hot
• Oven – Preheat your oven to 375℉/190℃. Wrap your arepas tight in aluminum foil and heat for 7-9 minutes or until hot
• Air Fryer – Preheat your Air Fryer to 350℉/175℃ for 3 minutes. Wrap your arepas tight in aluminum foil and heat for 5 minutes or until hot
• Microwave – wet a paper towel and put it on top of your arepas. Microwave for 30-second bursts and check if the arepas are hot else repeat. You might have to dampen the paper towel again

What To Serve With Venezuelan Arepas?

You can eat these corn cakes with so many things. Take a look at all the options you have:

• Pulled chicken – like the one that is used in the pulled chicken fajitas
• Shredded brisket beef – is also a popular dish to stuff the arepas with
• Grated cheese – simple and easy. Warm them in the oven or toaster so you get grilled arepas with soft cheese
• Fried or boiled eggs – fried, scrambled, or boiled all work nicely with these corn cakes
• Low-carb tuna salad – especially tuna salad goes well with arepas
• Hamburger – yes this recipe is perfect for a hamburger or chicken burger

If you like to try other kinds of tortilla recipes then check out our ultimate guide on how to make tortillas.

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Arepas The Best Venezuelan Side Dish

Mireille

Serves: 5 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Want to make the best Venezuelan arepas, that are naturally gluten-free? Try this easy corncakes recipe. 4 ingredients and completely vegan.

Ingredients

• 1½ cup PAN Mais flour
• 2 cups warm water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Mix maize flour, salt and add the water. Then add 1 tbsp vegetable oil and knead by hand into a consistent dough
2. Let it rest for 5 minutes
3. Divide into five pieces and knead each piece into a smooth dough ball
4. Press the dough ball into a disk to the size and thickness of a hamburger
5. Preheat the oven to 350℉/175℃ degrees
6. Heat a skillet with one or two tablespoons of oil and brush the skillet. Place the four arepas in the frying pan and let them cook slowly in 5-7 minutes and brown
7. Turn the arepas over and let the bottom also turn brown for 5-7 minutes
8. Remove the arepas from the pan and place them on a baking sheet and cook them in the oven for another 5 minutes
9. Remove from the oven and cut in half

Notes

Serve with meat, cheese, beans or a hamburger

Click To Play Recipe Video

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Nutrition facts

Calories: 128; Fat: 4.6g; Carbs: 21.6g; Protein: 0.1g;

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