Colombian Cheese Arepas Recipe

Colombian Cheese Arepas Recipe
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Looking for the best Colombian cheese arepas recipe? Our easy Colombian arepa recipe is quick to prepare in just 30 minutes with our easy step-by-step instructions. Also referred to as arepas con queso, these gluten-free arepas are crispy on the outside, and soft on in the side with cheese oozing out as you pull them apart…Ahh…I love Arepas!!

If you and your family watched the Colombian-inspired Disney movie Encanto, you’ll notice Arepas throughout the whole movie. This cornbread is cooked on a skillet with a little bit of oil, this is why there deliciously crispy with a soft texture.

Arepas are a staple food in Colombia and Venezuela, they look a lot like a flatbread but they are made with corn, not with wheat flour making them 100% gluten-free. The Venezuelan arepa recipe is exactly the same as the Colombian arepa recipe, so if you’re looking for how to make Venezuelan arepas you can follow this one.

These crispy and soft arepas are made with precooked cornmeal, butter, salt, and cheese, that’s it, 4 simple ingredients. Since filling arepas with cheese involve a different technique rather than making the arepas without cheese we have included both steps.

Ingredients For Colombian Cheese Arepas

  • 2 cups Pre-cooked cornmeal (280 grams) 
  • 2 cups water, lukewarm (480 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (5 grams)
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (45 grams) at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (180 grams)
  • 3 tablespoon canola oil (40 grams)

How To Make Colombian Cheese Arepas?

  1. Add the cornmeal, salt, butter, and water into a large bowl and mix together using your fingers to a spatula until the cornmeal absorbs all the liquids and begins to turn into a dough.
  2. Pat the dough down and cover with a cloth or plastic and rest for 15 minutes.
  3. Divide the dough into 12 equal parts and roll and shape them into balls, then flatten them to about 5 inches in diameter and place them onto a tray lined with parchment paper.
  4. Fill the center of the one disc with the shredded mozzarella cheese, then place another disc on top. Seal the edges by pressing them together and patting them along the sides to avoid cheese from seeping out during the cooking process.
  5. Add the oil to a skillet or cast iron pan and heat on a medium-high setting. The oil is ready when you notice ripples along the surface.
  6. Carefully add the arepas and cook each side for about 4 minutes or until golden brown.
  7. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to remove excess oil.
  8. Serve and Enjoy!!

How To Make Arepas Without Cheese?

If you want to make these arepas without the cheese follow the same steps, the only difference is step 3.

  1. Divide the dough into 6 equal parts instead of 12, form them into balls, and pat them down to about 5 inches in diameter.
  2. Following the remaining steps from 5-7.

Colombian Cheese Arepass

Traditional Colombian Arepa Recipe

Gina
This traditional Colombian arepa recipe is easy and quick to prepare, it just takes about 30 minutes and you'll be enjoying Colombia's favorite bread. Arepas are Crispy with a soft texture, they are the quintessential cornbread that you find in every Colombian home. Made with precooked cornmeal, these arepas are stuffed with cheese and are completely gluten-free.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Dough Resting 10 minutes
Course Breads, Breakfast
Cuisine Colombian
Servings 6 pieces
Calories 200 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups Pre-cooked cornmeal 280 grams
  • 2 cups water lukewarm (480 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon salt 5 grams
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 45 grams at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese 180 grams
  • 3 tablespoon canola oil 40 grams

Instructions
 

  • Add the cornmeal, salt, butter, and water into a large bowl and mix together using your fingers to a spatula until the cornmeal absorbs all the liquids and begins to turn into a dough.
  • Pat the dough down and cover with a cloth or plastic and rest for 15 minutes.
  • Divide the dough into 12 equal parts and roll and shape them into balls, then flatten them to about 5 inches in diameter and place them onto a tray lined with parchment paper.
  • Fill the center of the one disc with the shredded mozzarella cheese, then place another disc on top. Seal the edges by pressing them together and patting them along the sides to avoid cheese from seeping out during the cooking process.
  • Add the oil to a skillet or cast iron pan and heat on a medium-high setting. The oil is ready when you notice ripples along the surface.
  • Carefully add the arepas and cook each side for about 4 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to remove excess oil.
  • Serve and Enjoy!!
Keyword Arepa, Arepas, Colombian Arepa Recipe, Colombian Cheese Arepa Recipe, Colombian Cheese Arepas, Colombian Food, Cornbread Stuffed With Cheese, Recipe For Arepas


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