Arepas con queso are corn cakes stuffed plump with cheese and either pan-seared or griddled. They're a staple in many Latina American cultures but this recipe is for a Colombian-style arepa.
My Family's Favorite Way to Make Arepas
Like with any Colombian family, arepas are a high-demand food in our home. Our blended Colombian-American family loves to eat arepas lightly fried and stuffed with cheese (although a close second is a thin salty arepa with a pat of butter and a runny fried egg).
Arepas have a long history in many Latinx cultures, being most popular in Colombia and Venezuela. Decades ago, my husband, John, used to have an arepa business in Colombia. He made the arepas the traditional way by grinding whole dried corn. Nowadays, most households--including ours--make arepas with precooked cornmeal, known as masarepa.
Making arepas con queso is not difficult, and requires only a few ingredients. However, if you are new to making them, it can seem daunting! My sister-in-law Cristina, who has since passed away, taught me how to make them. She was here on an extended visit from Colombia to help us after I gave birth to my first baby, Lilia. She was a wealth of knowledge, both in raising babies and arepas, among other things. She never measured anything when making it, but instead went by the feel of the dough! I'll explain more of that below, but I of course am offering measurements.
Our family's arepa recipe has by far been the most requested one people ask me to share, so I'm excited to get it all written down here, even though I feel like arepas aren't really a "recipe", but more of a how-to. I know your family will love them as much as ours do.
So let's get to making it! The text below offers some tips for making it, or you can scroll down to the bottom for the complete recipe.
More of a visual learner? Check out the video of me making it (below near the recipe) to see just how it's done!
Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The full recipe with quantities is listed below this text in the recipe card. If substitutions are available for this recipe, they'll be listed here. If you don't see a substitution you are looking for, please leave a comment below.
- masarepa (see below for more information on where to buy this, but please note it cannot be substituted for any other masa)
- water
- softened butter
- salt
- oil, for cooking
- sliced or shredded mozzarella cheese (you could use another cheese here, but one that melts well is best)
Let's Talk Masarepa
Masarepa is the "flour" used to make arepas. The masarepa is made from corn that is pre-cooked. It can sometimes be labeled as "instant". It is similar to cornmeal, but not interchangeable.
Masarepa is made with both white corn and yellow corn and either will work here. The two most common brands out there are PAN or Goya, and can be found in most grocery stores or small Latinx markets. In our home we always use PAN. You can also buy it easily online.
Making Arepa Dough
The masarepa dough is really easy to work with. You essentially just mix all the ingredients together. The recipe calls for hot water.
Using hot water is useful for a few reasons:
- It helps dissolve the salt to distribute it in the dough evenly
- It melts the butter to distribute in the dough evenly
- And it makes the dough easier to work with
Mix the arepa ingredients together well to ensure all the masarepa is hydrated. Then let it sit for 2-5 minutes. This will ensure the masa soaks up the water. It is at this point that you'll be able to tell if your masa is properly hydrated. You might need to add in a bit more water, or even a bit more masa to make sure your dough is the proper consistency.
Troubleshooting the Dough
The dough should be soft, like playdough, but it shouldn't be so wet that it sticks to your hand. After the dough has rested, pick it up and see if it's still very sticky.
If it's too sticky, add in 2 tablespoons more masa at a time until the dough is just dry enough.
If you haven't added enough water, the dough will easily crack as you form it into it's shape. In this instance, add 1-2 tablespoons more water at a time until the dough is easily formed into an arepa without cracks.
Forming the Arepas
Here are the steps needed to form an arepa:
- Gather a ball of dough
- Roll the ball until it's smooth and even
- Make an indentation with your finger, stuff it with cheese, and then close it back up.
- Pat the stuffed masa ball flat using your two hands.
- Optionally, if yours isn't even on the edges, you can roll the flattened disk on a flat surface until the edges are even. Cristina never had to do this, as her arepas were perfectly even, but mine never are, so this is the trick I use!
You'll noticed I use a muffin scoop to portion out the masa. I find this super efficient to do. But you can just grab the dough and estimate the size. You also can make arepas practically any size you want. Obviously the larger the arepa, the longer it will take to cook through.
When we make arepas without cheese, we pat the dough thinner.
Cooking the Arepa con Queso
If you go into a Colombian restaurant here in the states, you'll likely encounter a grilled arepa. But in our house, we love them lightly fried in a pan. They not only have a great crunch on the exterior, but they also cook quicker than they do on a grill pan.
I've never tried them on an outdoor grill, but I'm sure you could make them that way as long as you weren't using a smoker--that would add the wrong flavor.
How to Serve Them
Arepas are best served fresh, as in right away.
They are served at breakfast most commonly, but in our home we will eat them at any meal because we really love them.
I cannot recommend storing any leftover cooked arepas. While I've certainly tried, reheated arepas never have the same taste as fresh.
Watch It: How to Make Arepas con Queso
Making the recipe? Be sure to leave a comment with a star review on your experience! Have a question? Leave a comment below and I'll get back to you as quickly as I can!
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Arepas con Queso
- Prep Time: 00:15
- Cook Time: 00:12
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 10 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Pan Fry
- Cuisine: Colombian
Description
Arepas con queso are corn cakes stuffed plump with cheese and either pan-seared or griddled. They're a staple in many Latina American cultures but this recipe is for a Colombian-style arepa.
Ingredients
- 2 cups hot water
- 2 tablespoons softened butter
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1-½ cup amount of masarepa (really heartily recommend P.A.N brand)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella (you can also use sliced mozzarella)
- ¼ cup oil, for frying
Instructions
- Add hot water, softened butter and salt in a bowl. Stir together until the butter is mostly melted.
- Add in the masarepa, about ½ cup at a time, and mix together with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
- Mix together until it is fully combined, making sure to hydrate all of the masa. It should be the consistency of playdough. It should be soft, but it shouldn't be so wet that it sticks to your fingers. If for any reason the dough is too wet, add in a tablespoon more of masa at a time until it has reached a soft non-sticky batter. (See notes for troubleshooting.)
- Portion the dough into roughly 10 (¼ cup) balls.
- Make an indentation in the ball, and stuff it with about 1 tablespoon shredded (or sliced) mozzarella. Gather the dough to close up the arepa, making sure to cover the cheese with the masa dough. Once it’s sealed, roll the ball to smooth it out.
- Then pat the ball between your hands to make a flat cake, about 3” wide and ½” thick. To even out the edges, roll the corn cake on a hard surface (see video for how to do this).
- Moving quickly (so the dough doesn’t dry out) repeat with remaining arepas.
- Heat oil over medium heat in a large heavy skillet. Once hot, add arepas. Cook for until lightly golden, about 5-7 minutes. Moderate the heat as needed.
- Flip and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until arepa is golden on both sides. The cheese might begin to bubble at this point. Remove from the pan, and repeat with any remaining arepas.
- Let the arepas drain excess oil on a paper towel. If desired, sprinkle with flaky salt.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Masarepa is not interchangeable with any other masa or flour. I recommend PAN brand.
The dough should be soft, like playdough, but it shouldn't be so wet that it sticks to your hand. After the dough has rested, pick it up and see if it's still very sticky. If it's too sticky, add in 2 tablespoons more masa at a time until the dough is just dry enough. The dough is more likely to be too wet than it is to be too dry, but it is possible for it to be too dry. If you haven't added enough water, the dough will easily crack as you form it into it's shape. In this instance, add 1-2 tablespoons more water at a time until the dough is easily formed into an arepa without cracks.
The arepas can be griddled/grilled or lightly pan-fried as the recipe suggests. To grill, preheat an indoor grill pan or outdoor grill (not a smoker) and grill on each side about 5-7 minutes, or until the masa is dry and the cheese has started to bubble.
Keywords: Arepas con queso
Jill Katz
I just made these for dinner. I am so grateful for you and this recipe. I have been trying to make these for years but have never been in love with my results. That changed today. I am in love with the result today and that is directly the result of your recipe and the instructions.
Thank you!
★★★★★
sarah
my kids and i loved this recipe! easy to make and hit the spot for both kids and grown ups. they also freeze well 🙂
★★★★★
Kalena
OMG! This is fantastic recipe! I have been searching for a Arepas recipe that is tasty and came out. I have tried so many recipes that I was going to finally just throw in the towel and give up on ever making an Arepas. But when I found your site ... I thought I would try one more time, since I still had the Pan white corn meal. So, if you are in search of a delicious Arepas, this is a must try recipe! My search is over, and this is my go-to recipe! Thank-you so very much for sharing it!!
★★★★★