This is the traditional Venezuelan arepas recipe. Or the recipe for the authentic arepas venezolanas. And I would say these are also the everyday Colombian arepas (keep reading, and I will tell you why.) These are the arepas we eat for breakfast and dinner. And I bet you will love them as much as we do if you try them!
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These are the same arepas that are perfect for school and office lunches. The same that we used to eat in the areperas (arepa restaurants) across Venezuela, my home country. No wonder, along with our pabellón criollo, they are considered the national dish of Venezuela!
Luckily for us now you can find them in arepa places and food trucks along the US, where they are sold as gourmet street food, stuffed with a wide variety of fillings, including black beans and queso blanco, chicken avocado salad, carne mechada, and so on.
- What is an arepa?
- What are the origins of the arepa?
- What are arepas made of?
- What is the best arepa flour?
- Where to buy arepa flour?
- How do you cook arepas?
- Can arepas be frozen?
- How to reheat arepas
- How do you eat arepas?
- With or without an arepa maker?
- How to make arepas from scratch?
- More arepa recipes
- Traditional Venezuelan arepas recipe
- Authentic Venezuelan Arepas Recipe
What is an arepa?
An arepa is a round, flat cake or corn patty we eat instead of bread. Its flavor is pretty neutral, hence the arepa versatility regarding the many fillings you can put inside it.
Arepas are for Venezuelans and Colombians, similar to tacos are for Mexicans, sandwich bread is for Americans, and baguettes are for Frenchs. They are our daily bread. Period.
What are the origins of the arepa?
Arepas have pre-Columbian origins. Indigenous people from what is now Venezuela, Colombia, and Panamá benefited from abundant corn harvests, which they considered a gift from the gods.
They soaked and ground the corn kernels and added water to make a dough. That dough was cooked in round, flat patties. That’s how the arepa was born. It’s generally accepted that the name arepa derives from the voice erepa.
Erepa was the name Cumanagoto people gave to corn. Cumanagotos were native Americans from northeastern Venezuela who spoke the Cariban language.
What are arepas made of?
Arepas are made with only three ingredients: arepa flour (we have pre-cooked corn flour specially created to make arepas), water, and a pinch of salt. And because of that: arepas are gluten-free too! Bingo!
Before Harina P.A.N. was launched in Venezuela in 1960, making arepas was tough and harsh. Women were in charge of this laborious process.
Corn kernels had to be soaked in water. Then, kernels were manually processed in huge wooden mortars called pilón, to take the peel away. After this process, corn was finely ground to make a dough with water and salt.
In the mid-’50s, Venezuelan engineer Luis Caballero-Mejías created the pre-cooked corn flour as we know it today. He patented his creation as Harina de Masa de Maíz (corn flour dough) or Masa de Maíz Deshidratada (dehydrated corn dough.)
In Venezuela, the actual women’s liberation came later, in 1960. After buying Caballero-Mejías’ patent, Lorenzo Mendoza Fleury launched Harina P.A.N. The acronym P.A.N. stands for Producto Alimentario Nacional (National Alimentary Product.)
That name was premonitory because Harina P.A.N. became an immediate success and a staple in every Venezuelan household.
What is the best arepa flour?
My favorite arepa flour is Harina P.A.N. Not only is this brand part of Venezuela’s DNA, and it is part of our identity. Harina P.A.N. is also Venezuela’s most popular brand. We call it “harina pan.” And because of the vast Venezuelan diaspora, arepas and Harina P.A.N. are becoming increasingly popular everywhere!
This pre-cooked flour makes arepa dough in less than 10 minutes. We use this arepa flour not only to make arepas. We also make hallacas, bollitos, hallaquitas, empanadas, mandocas and so on.
You have to be careful, though. This arepa flour should not be confused with the cornmeal used to make cornbread in America.
Neither with the Mexican masarina used to make corn tortillas and tamales, nor any other masa harina or pre-cooked cornmeal. Arepa flour is made with white corn, while tortillas and tamales are made with corn that has passed through a nixtamalization process.
Where to buy arepa flour?
Harina P.A.N. is sold in Latino stores across the U.S. and major grocery stores where it can be found at the international food isles. More recently (January 2020), and to my happiness, I saw it at Costco in Miami! You can also buy it online.
As a result of the increasing Venezuelan diaspora, Harina P.A.N. is also sold in Central and South American countries, as well as in most of Europe.
Harina P.A.N. also sells yellow corn arepa flour, and I love it. They sell sweet corn cachapa flour too. And more recently (2019,) they launched their whole-grain pre-cooked arepa flour.
How do you cook arepas?
In Venezuela, we cook arepas on a pan or griddle called budare. We first cook them in the budare and we may finish them in the oven. I use a non-stick griddle, and that’s it.
Arepas can also be fried. More recently, it’s common to cook them in convenient arepa makers.
Besides plain arepas, there are other varieties of arepas, like the sweet ones that we also fry. Lately, there has been a boom in flavored and colored arepas. A good example of this type of arepa is the ones I make by adding carrots, spinach, and beets to the dough for a colorful presentation.
You can incorporate almost any flavoring and coloring agents into the dough. I make arepas enriched with eggs and cheese and they are to-die-for! In that sense, your imagination is the limit. This post, however, is about plain and simple Venezuelan arepas.
Can arepas be frozen?
Yes, arepas can be saved in the refrigerator for a few days in an airtight container, and they can also be frozen. You can save leftover arepas or make them in advance and refrigerate or freeze them.
How to reheat arepas
If the arepas are frozen, it is better to thaw them before heating them again. Before filling them, you can reheat them in the microwave, oven, toaster, cast-iron skillet, or a non-stick pan with a lid. My favorite method is in a pan with a lid.
How do you eat arepas?
Due to their neutral flavor, arepas are the perfect vehicle for all kinds of stuffings. Think of arepas as a pocket. That pocket can be stuffed with all kinds of delicious fillings (but peanut butter jelly or Nutella).
One of the most popular arepa fillings is a chicken, avocado and mayo salad. That is the glorious arepa “Reina Pepiada.”
Other popular fillings are asado negro, pernil de cochino (roasted pork leg), and carne mechada (shredded beef). Any Venezuelan animal protein goes perfectly with arepas.
My favorite fillings are tuna salad with mayo, fresh white cheese with butter, and Muenster cheese with tomato and crunchy bacon (and avocado if I have it handy). I also love arepas with perico (Venezuelan scrambled eggs).
My favorite fillings are tuna salad with mayo, fresh white cheese with butter, and Muenster cheese with tomato and crunchy bacon (and avocado if I have it handy). I also love arepas with perico (Venezuelan scrambled eggs).
With or without an arepa maker?
Traditionally, authentic Venezuelan arepas are shaped by hand. Giving the arepas their perfect round, flat shape is a piece of cake. I don’t consider myself a good arepa shaper, though. So, my good friend Luisa Chesneau was in charge of the arepa making for the video in this post.
There are two known ways to solve the shaping “problem.” The first one is by practicing. The second one is with an arepa maker.
These days, arepa makers are becoming more and more popular. You make a little dough ball, and the arepa maker will do the rest of the job, including shaping perfect circumferences and perfectly cooking them. Cooking times vary according to every brand.
Some of the arepas in the pictures that illustrate this post were made in an arepa maker.
How to make arepas from scratch?
The recipe for the traditional Venezuelan arepas is printed on the Harina P.A.N. package. Following those directions will give you the perfect malleable and soft dough. This is precisely what I do. My only “secret” is that sometimes I don’t add any salt. But the salt thing is a personal choice.
For those unfamiliar with making arepas, here is the not-so-secret formula to make the best plain ones:
- The water ratio to arepa flour is 1.25:1. This is 1 1/4 cup of water for every flour cup.
- Place lukewarm water in a large or medium bowl, then add the flour.
- Add the flour in two parts and stir with your fingers (you can also use a fork or wooden spoon) to avoid lumps.
- Knead the dough until it is soft and malleable. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Preheat an anti-adherent griddle to medium heat and grease it lightly with vegetable oil.
- Cook the arepas on the slightly oiled griddle for 5-6 minutes.
- When golden brown, flip the arepas and cook them for another 5 minutes.
- You will know the arepas are ready when you tap them with your hand, and they sound “hollow.”
More arepa recipes
Hungry for more arepa recipes? Check these out:
- Arepas with Scrambled Eggs with Chorizo
- Arepas with Tuna Salad and Mayo
- Arepas Enriched with Eggs and Cheese
- Multicolored Arepas
Traditional Venezuelan arepas recipe
The following is the recipe used yesterday by Empresas Polar in my home country to celebrate the 50 anniversary of Harina P.A.N. They entered the Guinness Record Book with an arepa weighing 493.2 kilos! Isn’t it incredible?
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Authentic Venezuelan Arepas Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
- 1 pinch salt optional
- 1 cup Harina P.A.N. pre-cooked white or yellow arepa flour
Instructions
- Place water in a large bowl.
- Add salt and stir to dissolve.
- Add half the arepa flour and stir.
- Add the rest of the arepa flour and stir until well combined.
- Knead the dough with your hands until it is soft, malleable, and has no lumps.
- Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes.
- Preheat a budare, griddle, cast iron pan, or non-stick skillet on the stovetop to medium-high heat.
- Divide the dough to make 6 balls.
- Take every ball, and make a flat round patty with your hands. Arepas must be the size of an English muffin.
- If you see cracks in the arepa edges, wet your fingertips and seal them (check the video to see how).
- Add a thin layer of oil to the budare or griddle. The idea is to have a slightly oiled griddle.
- Place arepas in the griddle or grill pan and cook them for 5-6 minutes.
- Reduce the fire to medium heat, flip the arepas, and cook them on the second side for another 5 minutes.
Video
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
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Really great recipe! So easy to follow especially after watching the video. Very delicious
Thankk you Pam.
I saw this recipe just this month, with a filling of black beans, bananas and avocados mentioned. I didn’t see the filling quantities listed in the recipe. Do you do anything to the filling or just chop them up? Wanting to try it!
Hi Rozanne. I didn’t specify the type or amount of filling. Feel free to add whatever you want (except for Nutella and peanut butter jelly hahahahah).
For a refried black beans filling, check this out: https://enrilemoine.com/en/2024/02/24/venezuelan-caraotas-negras-refritas-refried-black-beans/
To the black beans, you can add fresh white cheese, fresh avocados and fried ripe plantains.
These traditional Venezuelan arepas is a recipe I never knew I needed in my life. Light and fluffy , so good. We had them for breakfast with a little honey.
Honey? That’s so cool, and something that I would never try. But I must confess, one day I sent a couple of arepas stuffed with cheese and turkey to a co-worker of my son, and he said “this must be good with honey”. Isn’t cool?
Just had arepas once before and I always wanted to find a recipe with easy-to-follow instructions. This is just perfect, really looking forward to trying the recipe soon.
Yayyyyy! Thanks for stopping by, Laura.
So glad I’ve found your recipe. A Venezuelan friend is coming to visit us and we are planning a surprise party. I’m sure he will love these delicious arepas. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Your friend is gonna be happy. Trust me!
We loved these! Not only are they so easy to make but they are also so delicious! We loved them drizzled with hot honey!
The third person telling me the honey thing. I have to try them. Thanks for stopping by.
I love food history and learning about the cuisine in other countries! Such an interesting post! I’m not sure that I can find arepa flour here in Italy, but am going to look for it or try ordering online!
Hi Jacqueline, I’m pretty sure you can find Harina P.A.N. in Italy because many Venezuelan Italians (people born in Venezuela from Italian descendants) went back to live in Italy. Also, you may try to find it on Amazon.
I’ve never heard of Arepas before, lovely video of arepas. We make similar bread too using corn flour or millet flour. Thanks for sharing this recipe
I’m so glad that I introduced you to our daily bread, Hayley.
I’m so glad I introduced you to our daily bread, Hayley.
This post was so very informative. Have never ever tried making these Arepas. Simple and a must try recipe soon.
Tru it, Veena. I would love to hear your opinion on our beloved arepas.
It is so interesting to see the origin of different flatbreads and I am always amazed at how every country has some similarities with others. I learned something new about the arepa flour and will definitely be making this soon.
You’ll love them, Sandhya. Thanks for stopping by.
Thank you so much for your informative post. I always enjoy learning about other cultures and their food history. It is great to see that this flour made making arepas so much easier and I had no idea it was different than the Mexican style masa.
I’m glad to hear that my post was informative to you and that you learned something from reading it. Now, time to make arepas, Bernice!
Love how these arepas turned out! They were so soft and pillowy. We stuffed them with some spicy shredded beef and could not have been happier. So good.
Yaaaaayyyyyyy! I’m happy to hear that Amanda!
Is there a substitute that I can use for the corn meal?
Hi Kayla. Arepa flour is not exactly cornmeal but pre-cooked corn flour. I don’t think there is substitute for that.
So I didn’t watch the video and I’m pretty sure I should have. The videos recipe is different then what is written under the recipe which called for 2 1/2 cups of water and 2 cups of the flour. It’s ok I just made a bigger batch. But they still came out good.
Hi Dana. I’m happy to hear your arepas came out good. The ratio is 1 cup of arepa flour for 1 1/4 cup water. I’ll update the recipe card to avoid confusion. Thanks for stopping by.
I am a bread fanatic. I know I would love these little gems. I need to get the ingredients and give these a try soon.
Yessssss! Thank you, Gloria.
I made these for the first time today. I cooked them for approximately 6 min per side. My question is, what is the texture suppose to be inside? Some of mine seemed a little wet.
Hi Pat. They are kind of crusty outside and soft inside. I always let them sit for about 4 minutes before opening them (to fill them with meat, cheese or salads). They shouldn’t be wet.
this looks delish. lovely recipe !!! Happy New year
Thank you Nina.
I’m a bit fan of your recipes and these venezuelan arepas are the bomb!
Thank you Luna.
I love, love, love Harina PAN, but now I need to have that arepa maker.
Not really Morena. You can make them by hand.like in the video.
These look amazing! One of my goals for 2020 is to cook more at home. Might have to try these soon! My son would love them
You’ll lovw this Chloé.
Gluten free and under 100 calories, sign me up! Even the cornbread looks delicious!
Yesssss! Thanks for stopping by.
So funny, I was just watching Jane The Virgin and they were just eating these. Now I have to try them! Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us!
How fun Krysten! I’m watching Jane the Virgin too. They are from Venezuela, but their accents are either Cuban or Mexican, LOL.
Wow! voy a pedir que me traigan esa harina para preparar esa authentic arepas recipe! se ven tan sabrosas y crocantes. Gracias Enri por ser tan generosa con tus tips de cocina.
These sound very tasty and look easy enough to make. I will give it a try over the weekend.
I love it arepas. Very love Venezuelan cuisine!
Enri, I already got the harina, so this 2020 I will finally make the traditional Venezuelan arepa using your recipe.
Feliz 2020!
Y al Pinterest!
Which by the way is the Harina PAN recipe! Happy 2020 Verito!
These look delicious! I’ve never heard of arepas, but the fact that they are gluten free means they could work for my family. My boys would love an alternative to the dry gluten free breads for their sandwiches. I think I will give these a try. Thanks for sharing.
You guys will love arepas Jenn.
Amiga , objetivo 2020 probar tus deliciosas arepas . I love Venezuelan Cuisine y feliz año .
Feliz 2020 Daqui Divino!
These look gorgeous. I have to say I’ve never heard of them or tried them, but I love trying out new food from different cultures. I’ll have to keep an eye out for these.
Thank you for sharing.
Hace no mucho probé mi primer arepa en casa de una amiga y me encantó! Voy a probar tu receta, debe ser muy buena!!
Oh my goodness, nothing like arepas! But I had no idea I needed a specific pan… 🙁
Not at all. You can make them in a regular pan. The nice thing about arepa makers is that you don-t have to shape the arepas by hand, but you dont need it.
Venezuelan cuisine is so good! It’s flavorful and creative. I’ve tried traditional Venezuelan arepas before and they are amazing!! I need to try to do them by myself.
I learned how to make arepas from my daughter in law who is from Colombia!! It was very different than I was expecting but so yummy! And another friend from Colombia makes burgers with arepas! So fun!
I’ve never heard of Arepas, so it’s something completely new for me. I love the fact that I can have them with my favourite fillings. 🙂
I have never used an arepa maker. We always make our arepa process by hand.
And our recipe is a tad different. Will follow yours next time!
Ay no no no, now I want to know how do you make them!
I have to lose my fear and try to make a decent arepa 🙂 Thanks for sharing your authentic arepas recipe and your “secret”!
Nadie….. NADIE! puede resistirse a una arepa venezolana. Y a mi deben ponerme en primera fila.
Resulta con cualquier relleno en mi caso. Es una delicia de mucha magnitud de la venezuelan cuisine.
La verdad que me encantan las arepas, las probé una vez en casa de una amiga venezolana, y las comimos de pollo con queso y una salsa exquisita, era una arepa que la disfrute. I love your traditional Venezuelan arepa recipe.
Tú me conoces Enri, yo amo las arepas. Gracias por los tips de una de las comidas que más atesoramos los venezolanos. Love this traditional Venezuelan recipe.
Is the Pan cornmeal the same as Masa Harina?
Nope! PAN is a corn pre-cooked flour…
Me encantan las arepas, buena receta!
Yessss! Es la que viene en el paquete…
I need to prepare arepas. CAn you believe it that I’ve never tried them? Or I have a better idea… I will invite myself to your house for lunch one day and I can try them prepared by the best.
Ale arepas are super cool and GF. And the arepa flour that we get in the US is made in Texas in a USDA GF certified facility.
Tu sabes que soy fan de tus recetas y si hablamos de arepas Venezolanas, es que me lanzo de cabeza a tu casa! Y si no fuera porque estoy tan lejos, la verdad es que te llamaría ahora mismo para pedirte que me invites a un par… Así que, no queda otra que leer bien las instrucciones y a practicar! En casa mañana comeremos Arepas, si señor!
Quiero saber quien hara las arepitas donde los Chuchis! Creo qu tengo idea…
Enri, I loooooove Arepas. Specially because they are gluten free. Tell me more about the arepa maker. Is it something similar to the tortilla maker?
Yes they are… Nope. The arepa maker is more like a a waffle maker. We should make arepas together.
Thanks for the reminder, these are still on my list.
Go and get that Harina P.A.N. Blanquita!
This looks and sounds really tasty and appetizing 🙂 It’s really easy to prepare too 🙂
Thank you!
I use Pan all the time. It’s my favorite corn flour. Now, I need to make this recipe. My husband loves arepas. Plus, I need to get my hands on one of those pans.
PAN is our flaship and arepas are the BEST!
Wow, I never knew about arepas until this post. will try this one out as I love baking breads at home.
Yesssssss!
I’ve never heard about these but they look really good! I think these would be good with taco meat and cheese. Thanks for sharing this recipe, I can’t wait to try making them.
Yes! You can put whatever inside but Nutella or peanut butter and jelly…
Thee look absolutely delicious and I suspect just about anything would be a tasty filling.
And you are absolutely right my dear!
I heard lot about Arepas, never made it myself. I need to give it try. your recipe sounds really easy. Which pan you are using for making Arepas.
The one in this post is Miallegra Arpa Maker. But you can also make them on a regular pan.
Hi. Your arepas look picture perfect! What kind / brand of arepa maker do you use please?
This one is a Mi Allegro.
This is something new for me and it looks so yummy. Thank you for sharing it❤
Thank you!
If Venezuela have arepas, Philippines have pandesal! Thanks for sharing us the special and best of Venezuela 😀
Now I want to try those pandesal!
This looks very tasty. I have never had any Venezuelan food before. Can’t wait to try this.
You will love it!
Not heard of arepas before but how yummy do they look, I am salivating just staring at them online
Oh yeah!
Those look delicious and I’m sure they go with so many things. Thanks for sharing! I’d love to make these but I don’t have that handy pan. It’s fun to learn about new foods and try them out.
No worries, you can cook them on a regular pan… will do a video soon…
I’ve never tried Venezuelan cuisine … that’s why, this recipe sounds really interesting to me! It also looks very easy to prepare! I love the fact that I can use different fillings so that it tastes differently each time! 🙂
Yes Natalia! Th sky is the limit!
This looks like a great treat! I’ve honestly never tried these before.
You’ll love them!
Wow! They look delicious. Definitely going to make these if I get the ingredient in India. I m a sucker for new recipes.
Me too! I really hope you can try them…
These Arepas look absolutely delicious! I have never tried making them myself, but this looks like it would be easy for me to make at home!
They are as easy to make as versatile!
Traditional foods are always great. It looks delicious. And the recipe looks interesting. I would love to try it out.
Thank you my dear!
They look so fluffy!! And I love that they’re such a neutral flavor so you can top them with anything!
Yessssss!
I love culture and through food you learn a lot about other culture too. Glad to learn about the traditional way of making the Venezuelan Arepas. I needed to try this out as I am planning a trip to South America next year.
Yes! Thanks for visiting!
Can’t go to Venezuela but can try out your recipe and eat Venezuelan food.. that’s great.. I wanna try to make this and eat it..
The arepa flour is now sold all over the world.
Oh wow, I have never had arepas but this surely looks so delicious I will need to try them.
Arepas are amazing. You try them and you love them!
Looks like its easy to make. Especially for a non lover of cooking and lover of food like me. I have never tasted it. would love to have it.
Oh yeah! You’re going to love this!
I love these soooo much- i was in Caracas ten years ago had arepas, and have been on a search ever since!! Turned out perfect. I added a little oil before cooking as the cook. Love!!!
Yesss! thank you Felicia!
I have always wanted to make arepas, do you know where I can find the masa pan and can I use something different to the arepa maker?
Buy Harina P.A.N. at the Latino grocery store… no need for an arepa maker. You can use your best comal. I’ll make a video to show you.
Can you share your video with me I don’t have an arepa maker, but I have a comal would love to try it.
I’ll make the video for you. Give me a couple of days and I’ll post it here!
These are super duper easy to make and so good!
Yes! They are the best! Thanks for visiting Denise!