The last time I ate an arepa was pre-pandemic. I met with an old friend and we chatted happily–until our arepas arrived. The thick corn cakes were split and crammed full of different roasted meats, beans, fruits, and cheeses, and we forgot the other person was there for a moment (or five minutes). Sadly, that restaurant closed during lockdown, but the memory of crispy-yet-fluffy corn pockets lives on (and I had to have them once more).
I had never tried making arepas from scratch before. Sometimes food feels special when you don’t know how to make it, like there’s magic in the mystery. Now that I’ve made arepas, I can tell you they’re dead-easy to make, they taste incredible, and the magic is still there.
What are arepas?
Arepas are small, hand-held corn cakes with pre-Columbian origins in the regions of present day Panama, Colombia, and Venezuela. With modern-day shipping and ingredient availability, arepas are now commonly made and enjoyed in numerous places (including my kitchen), with subtle differences between them and lots of different fillings.
Arepas are made with very few ingredients, which is part of why they’re so approachable. All you need is corn flour masa, water, (optional) fat, and salt. I didn’t have a go-to recipe, and my Colombian family contacts didn’t have one either. (But they did tell me all of their favorite ways to eat arepas.) The most common issue people seem to run into when making arepas was a “raw taste,” and the best way to avoid this is to use masarepa precocida, which is a pre-cooked corn flour that is readily available online and in grocery stores (check the international aisle). I found two different options in my local market, both from Goya.
What are arepas de choclo?
Arepas de choclo, also called “arepas de chócolo,” are the sweet, sometimes cheesy, yellow variety of arepa made with blended fresh corn kernels. They’re prepared like any other arepa, with an extra corn-blending step, and some recipes will call for milk instead of water.
Depending on where you go grocery shopping, you might be able to find both kinds of arepas packaged in the refrigerated section. Those are heat-and-eat. They taste good, but homemade have a noticeable textural advantage.
How do you make arepas?
For a simple arepa Colombiana, I used this recipe from Vecina Vegetariana with some slight modifications to the method. Melt a couple tablespoons of butter or margarine, if using, in a cup of hot water. Add the liquid to a large bowl. Stir in about 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Now add a cup of masarepa to the liquid. I started pouring slowly and stirring with a whisk to knock out any possible clumps early on (messing up a pot of polenta really traumatized me once).
About halfway through, when the mixture got too thick for a whisk, I switched to a rubber spatula and added the rest of the masarepa. Many recipes recommend using your hands to knead and work the dough thoroughly. I continued smashing the dough with my spatula and it went swimmingly.
Cover the bowl and let it rest for about 15 minutes. There is no gluten in this recipe, so this rest time is primarily to allow the flour to fully absorb the available moisture in the mixture. Start heating up a frying pan over medium to medium-high heat. If you have a large frying pan, you might be able to cook two arepas at a time.
The arepa dough should feel soft and moist, but not sticky. When you roll a portion into a ball there should not be much cracking. Small cracks are okay, but nothing that would equate to dryness. (If they do seem dry, knead in a tablespoon of water at a time until you reach the consistency I described.)
Get started on your ingredient list:
Or if you just want to eat arepas now:
I divided the dough into five equal balls to get four-inch wide arepas, but if you want large arepas, go for it. After you roll a portion of dough into a smooth ball, start to smash and rotate the dough between your palms, working the dough into a flat disk. I used my thumbs to press the edge of the arepa to “heal” the cracks that would form. Once the dough is about four inches across and a 1/4-inch thick, it’s ready to toast in the pan.
You can toast these in a dry pan; the butter you added to the dough will provide more than enough fat. If you want a crunchier fried exterior, you can add a teaspoon of oil. Cook these in a hot pan for about four minutes per side. Flip back and forth for a little extra time, maybe another two or three minutes per side, to get those lovely charred spots. Repeat with all of the arepas.
How do you eat arepas?
Cool them on a wire rack for a few minutes; they’ll be screaming hot. When you lightly squeeze the sides, you’ll feel that the exterior has a crispy “skin.” Split the arepa by cutting around the outer edge and squeezing the sides to open it up slightly. I cut around the edge about three quarters of the way to make a pocket, then added a slice of quesito Colombiano, but arepas taste stellar with fresh mozzarella, or really any cheese.
Arepas can be stuffed with eggs, beans, or meats, eaten as a side (dip them is soup), or enjoyed with a cozy cup of hot chocolate. The outside is crispy and the interior is all fluffy, soft cornmeal. The flavor is mild and buttery with an aroma of sweet, warm corn. It’s a flavor that pairs well with anything. As I mentioned before, they’re naturally gluten-free, and the butter can be omitted or substituted with vegan margarine or oil to meet a vegan diet.
Arepas Colombianas
(Recipe from Vecina Vegetariana with modified method)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of hot water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons of butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup masarepa precocida
In a large bowl, add the hot water, salt, and butter. Stir until the butter melts. Slowly whisk in half of the masarepa to break up any initial lumps. Switch to a rubber spatula and mix in the rest of the masarepa. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Divide the dough into four or five equally sized portions and roll them into smooth balls. Using your palms, rotate and flatten the dough balls, using your thumbs to press and smooth any cracks that develop on the edges. The disks will be about four inches wide and a 1/4-inch thick.
In a large frying pan, over medium to medium-high heat, add one arepa at a time. No oil or fat is needed for frying. Toast each arepa for about four or five minutes per side, flipping back again if you want more color on either side. The arepa is done when you have numerous charred spots on both sides. Enjoy warm. Arepas are best eaten the day they’re made, but you can wrap them after they’re cool and freeze them for up to a month. Reheat for a few minutes in a toaster.