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How to Make Arepas
5 from 9 votes

How to Make Arepas

Easy recipe for homemade arepas, made with precooked corn flour, water, salt, and cooked on a hot griddle.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 4 - 5 large arepas or 8-10 smaller ones
Course: Side Dish, Breakfast, Lunch
Cuisine: South American, Venezuelan, Colombian

Ingredients

For the arepas:
  • 2 cups precooked corn flour white or yellow, PAN brand or other
  • 2 ½ cups water warm
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • cooking oil 1-2 tsp
Easy scrambled eggs with tomato and onions (Huevos Pericos):
  • 1 tablespoon of oil
  • ¼ cup onion finely chopped
  • ¼ cup diced tomato
  • 2 egg whisked, large
  • salt to taste
Additional arepa filling ideas:
  • black beans Venezuelan-style or caraotas negras preparadas
  • shredded beef Venezuelan-style or carne mechada
  • cheese
  • avocado
  • plantains fried, ripe

Instructions

To make the arepas:
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add 2 ½ cups of warm water and the salt. Use a spoon to slowly mix in the corn flour, adding it little by little and stirring well. Let the mix rest for about three minutes to allow it to take on some consistency.
  2. Knead the corn dough vigorously until it no longer sticks to the edges of the container. There should be no lumps left and it should have a smooth consistency.
  3. Use a brush to lightly oil a large skillet or griddle pan and heat the pan over medium-high heat.
  4. Use your hands to form the dough into balls the size of a small orange. Then, flatten them with the palms of your hands until you obtain round, thick patties about 4 inches or 10 cm in diameter. You can also make smaller-sized arepas to serve as appetizers.
  5. Place the arepas in the hot pan without overcrowding and cook for about 5 minutes, use a spatula to flip each arepa and cook for another 5 minutes.
  6. If you want the arepas extra crispy, you can put them in a pre-heated oven for another 5 minutes at 180 C or 350 F. They will puff up slightly and, if tapped gently, produce a hollow sound.
For the filling of scrambled eggs with tomato (Huevos Pericos):
  1. Add the oil to a frying pan over medium-high heat, sauté the diced onion, then add the tomato and continue cooking for another five minutes.
  2. Add the whisked eggs and a pinch of salt.
  3. Cook and stir for about three minutes, remove from the heat.
  4. Slice and open the arepas using a sharp knife. Fill them with scrambled eggs and your choice of other fillings. Serve immediately.