Arepas are the everyday corn cakes of Venezuela and Colombia, crisp outside and soft inside. This Venezuelan-style recipe makes eight thick arepas to split and fill with chicken-avocado salad, shredded beef or cheese, using precooked corn flour, water and salt.
Arepas at a Glance
Arepa Essentials
| What it is | A round corn cake, griddled and then baked, split and stuffed or served as bread |
|---|---|
| Made from | Precooked corn flour (harina de maíz precocida), water and salt |
| Where it is from | Venezuela and Colombia, with roots going back some 3,000 years |
| Texture | A crisp, lightly charred shell around a soft, steamy center |
| Classic fillings | Reina pepiada, carne mechada, black beans and cheese, grated cheese, perico eggs |
| Time | About 40 minutes from bowl to plate |
| Diet | Naturally gluten-free; the plain dough is vegan |
| Not the same as | Pupusas, gorditas or cachapas (see the comparison below) |
What Are Arepas?
An arepa is a disc of corn dough, usually 3 to 4 inches across. Venezuelan arepas are about ¾ inch thick and puff slightly as they cook, so they can be split into a pocket. Many Colombian arepas are thinner and wider and are eaten whole. Both are traditionally cooked on a budare, a flat round griddle once made of clay and now usually cast iron.
What makes an arepa an arepa is the flour. It is made with precooked corn flour: corn that has been cooked, dried and milled into a fine meal. That is different from Mexican masa harina, which is corn treated with lime (nixtamalized), and from raw cornmeal. Because the corn is already cooked, the dough comes together with nothing but warm water and salt in about a minute.
In Venezuela the arepa is eaten at breakfast, lunch and dinner, at home and at areperas, shops that sell nothing but arepas, often late into the night. A 2015 survey found that nearly 70 percent of Venezuelans ate arepas regularly. In Colombia it sits beside almost every meal, from a bandeja paisa to a bowl of sancocho.
Where Do Arepas Come From?
Long before the Spanish arrived, the corn-growing peoples of what are now Venezuela and Colombia were cooking flat cakes of ground maize. Food historians date arepas to roughly 3,000 years ago among the Muisca of Colombia’s Andean highlands, and to around 2,800 years ago in Venezuela. The name is usually traced to erepa, the word for corn bread in Cumanagoto, a Carib language of eastern Venezuela.
For most of that history, arepas were hard work. Dried corn had to be soaked and hulled, pounded in a wooden mortar called a pilón, boiled, and ground wet into dough every day before a single arepa hit the griddle.
That changed in the 1950s, when Venezuelan engineer Luis Caballero Mejías developed a way to make precooked corn flour. In 1960 the Venezuelan company Empresas Polar launched Harina P.A.N., short for Producto Alimenticio Nacional (“national food product”). Hours of work became five minutes with a bowl and warm water, and the arepa became the fast, everyday food it is now.
As millions of Venezuelans and Colombians settled abroad, the arepa went with them, and areperas now line streets from Miami to Madrid. Fans even celebrate World Arepa Day (Día Mundial de la Arepa) on the second Saturday of September.
Venezuelan vs. Colombian Arepas
Both countries claim the arepa as their own, and the argument is a friendly national sport. The dish is older than either border, but the two traditions did grow apart:
Venezuelan arepasSplit and stuffed
Shape: Thick (about ¾ inch) and puffy, so they open into a pocket.
How they are eaten: As the meal itself, stuffed like a sandwich with named fillings such as reina pepiada or pabellón.
Flour: Almost always white precooked corn flour, plus salt and water.
Where: Home kitchens and areperas, from breakfast to late at night.
Colombian arepasTopped or served alongside
Shape: Often thinner and wider, and usually not split.
How they are eaten: Beside a meal like bread, or topped with butter, salt, cheese or hogao.
Flour: White or yellow corn, plus dozens of regional doughs with fresh corn, cheese, egg or sugar.
Where: Next to almost every meal; each region has its own version.
For more on each side, see our guides to Venezuelan food and Colombian arepas.
The Right Flour for Arepas
Arepas need precooked corn flour, sold as harina de maíz precocida or “arepa flour.” The best-known brand is Harina P.A.N. from Venezuela; Goya’s precooked corn meal and Colombia’s Areparina work the same way. White is the everyday choice. Yellow tastes a little sweeter and more like corn.
Do not substitute masa harina, cornmeal or polenta. Masa harina (Maseca) is nixtamalized corn for tortillas: it tastes different and cracks when shaped thick. Cornmeal and polenta are raw and gritty and will not hold together. See Harina P.A.N. vs. Maseca for the full difference.
You will find precooked corn flour in the Latin aisle of most supermarkets, or online. Our guide to Harina P.A.N. covers the white, yellow and flavored versions, and Venezuelan ingredients covers the rest of the pantry.
How to Make Arepas
The dough takes five minutes. The real skill is heat: build a crust first, then give the center gentle time to cook through so it turns soft and steamy instead of gummy. Here is the method at a glance; the full recipe card with amounts follows.
Salt the water
Stir 1 teaspoon of salt into 2½ cups of warm water, adding 1 tablespoon of oil or melted butter if you want a softer dough. Warm, not hot, water gives the smoothest dough.
Add the flour slowly
Rain in 2 cups of precooked corn flour while mixing with your hand so no lumps form.
Knead and rest
Knead 1 to 2 minutes until it feels like soft play dough, then rest 5 minutes. It firms up as the flour drinks the water.
Shape 8 discs
Roll into balls and flatten between your palms to about ¾ inch thick. Smooth any cracked edges with a wet fingertip.
Crust on the griddle
Cook on a lightly oiled cast-iron pan or budare over medium heat, 5 to 6 minutes per side, until golden with dark spots.
Finish in the oven
Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 12 to 15 minutes, until they puff and sound hollow when tapped. Split, butter and fill.
Homemade Arepas
Classic Venezuelan-style arepas made with precooked corn flour, water and salt: browned on a griddle for a crisp, freckled crust, then finished in the oven until the centers are steamy and soft. Split them open and stuff them, or serve them alongside a meal like bread.
Ingredients
- 2 cups precooked white corn flour (harina de maíz precocida), such as Harina P.A.N.
- 2 ½ cups warm water
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or melted butter (optional, for a softer dough)
- Vegetable oil, for the griddle
Instructions
- Pour the warm water into a large bowl and stir in the salt, plus the oil or melted butter if using, until the salt dissolves.
- Rain the precooked corn flour into the water a little at a time, mixing with your hand or a wooden spoon so no lumps form.
- Knead in the bowl for 1 to 2 minutes until the dough is smooth and soft, like play dough. Cover and rest 5 minutes; it firms up as the flour hydrates. If it cracks when you press it, work in more warm water 1 tablespoon at a time. If it sticks to your hands, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Divide the dough into 8 equal balls. Flatten each between your palms into a disc about 3½ inches wide and ¾ inch thick. Run a wet fingertip around the edge to smooth any cracks.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet, griddle or budare over medium heat and brush it lightly with oil. Cook the arepas in batches, without crowding, 5 to 6 minutes per side, until a firm golden crust with darker spots forms.
- Transfer the arepas to a baking sheet or directly onto the oven rack and bake 12 to 15 minutes, until they puff slightly and sound hollow when tapped.
- Rest 1 to 2 minutes, then split each arepa most of the way through with a serrated knife, leaving a hinge. Butter the inside and fill as you like.
Notes
Flour: Use precooked corn flour (harina de maíz precocida) such as Harina P.A.N. Masa harina (Maseca), cornmeal, polenta and corn starch will not work in this recipe. White flour is traditional; yellow gives a slightly sweeter corn flavor.
Stovetop only: Skip the oven. Cook over medium-low, covered, 8 to 10 minutes per side, turning as needed for even browning, until hollow-sounding.
Air fryer: Brush the shaped arepas with oil and cook at 380°F for 16 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway.
Make ahead: Cooked arepas keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. To freeze, cool completely, wrap individually and freeze up to 3 months; reheat from frozen in a 375°F oven or air fryer for about 15 minutes.
The plain dough is gluten-free and vegan (use oil, not butter). Check that your flour is labeled gluten-free if you need it to be.
Four Ways to Cook Arepas
| Method | How | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Griddle + oven | 5 to 6 minutes per side on a medium-hot griddle, then 12 to 15 minutes at 375°F. | The classic: crisp shell, fully cooked center, best for stuffing. |
| Stovetop only | Medium-low heat, covered, 8 to 10 minutes per side, turning as needed for even browning. | Softer crust; good when you do not want to heat the oven. |
| Air fryer | Brush with oil; 380°F for 16 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway. | Very crisp, with almost no oil. |
| Deep-fried (arepas fritas) | Shape slightly thinner; fry in 350°F oil 4 to 5 minutes, turning once. | Puffy, golden and crunchy; richer than griddled arepas. |
How to tell they are done
Tap the arepa with a fingertip: a cooked one sounds hollow, feels light for its size and has puffed slightly. If it sounds dull and feels heavy, the center is still gummy. Give it another 5 minutes in the oven.
Arepa Troubleshooting
Edges crack when I shape them
The dough is too dry. Knead in warm water a tablespoon at a time, rest it 2 minutes, and seal edges with a wet finger.
Dough sticks to my hands
Too wet, or it has not rested. Wait 5 minutes, then add flour a tablespoon at a time. Wet your palms before shaping.
Burnt outside, raw inside
The heat is too high. Keep the griddle at medium and let the oven, not the pan, finish the center.
Hard and dry
Too much flour or too long in the oven. Wrap cooked arepas in a clean towel so they stay soft until you fill them.
The Classic Arepa Fillings
To fill an arepa, split it most of the way through with a serrated knife while it is hot, leaving a hinge. Spread a little butter inside, then pack it full. In Venezuela the favorite fillings have names, and ordering at an arepera means knowing them:
Chicken + avocado
Shredded chicken mixed with mashed avocado, mayonnaise, onion and cilantro.
Named for Susana Duijm, the first Venezuelan Miss World, crowned in 1955.
Pelúa
Beef + yellow cheese
Carne mechada (braised shredded beef) under a heap of grated yellow cheese.
“Hairy,” for the strands of cheese and beef.
Catira
Chicken + yellow cheese
Stewed shredded chicken with grated yellow cheese.
Venezuelan slang for a blonde.
Dominó
Black beans + white cheese
Black beans (caraotas) with grated hard white cheese. Vegetarian and filling.
Black and white, like a domino tile.
Beef + beans + plantain + cheese
Shredded beef, black beans, fried sweet plantain and white cheese.
Venezuela’s national dish, pabellón criollo, in an arepa.
Sifrina
Reina pepiada + yellow cheese
The chicken-avocado salad, topped with grated yellow cheese.
Slang for a posh, upper-class girl.
Scrambled eggs
Eggs scrambled with tomato and onion, the classic breakfast arepa.
The same perico Colombians serve beside their arepas.
Rumbera
Pork + cheese
Roast or shredded pork with yellow cheese.
From rumba, a party: the arepa you eat at 3 a.m.
Llanera
Grilled beef + tomato + avocado
Grilled steak, sliced tomato, avocado and white cheese.
Named for the Llanos, Venezuela’s cattle plains.
De queso
Just cheese
Grated white cheese, or a thick slice of soft queso de mano that melts into the hot arepa.
The simplest, and for many the best.
Want to go beyond the classics? Leftover carne mechada, black beans and fried plantain turn any arepa into a full meal, and a spoonful of guasacaca, Venezuela’s tangy avocado sauce, goes with almost everything. For more cheese options, see our guide to Latin American cheeses.
Colombian Arepas: Regional Types
Colombia has dozens of regional arepas; counts run from about 40 to as many as 75. Some are plain everyday bread, others are sweet, stuffed with cheese or fried with an egg inside. These are the ones worth knowing:
PaisaDe huevoBoyacenseDe chocloSantandereanaDe queso
Arepa PaisaAntioquia
Thin, white and barely salted, grilled until lightly charred. Served with nearly every meal, topped with butter or a slice of fresh cheese.
Arepa de HuevoCaribbean coast
Yellow corn dough fried until it puffs, slit open, filled with a raw egg (sometimes with ground beef), sealed and fried again. A street-food breakfast from towns like Luruaco.
Arepa BoyacenseBoyacá
Slightly sweet and golden, made with corn, butter and a little sugar and filled with melting cuajada or farmer’s cheese. Crisp outside, soft inside.
Arepa de ChocloValle & Antioquia
Made from fresh sweet corn, so it is soft, sweet and pancake-like. Cooked on a griddle and topped or filled with white cheese.
Arepa SantandereanaSantander
Thin and crisp, with yuca and crumbled chicharrón (fried pork skin) worked into the dough.
Arepa de QuesoNationwide
Cheese kneaded into the dough and melted on top, the classic Colombian breakfast with hot chocolate.
Colombian arepas are at the heart of Colombian breakfast and Colombian street food, and our guide to Colombian arepas goes deeper into each one. Across the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic has its own arepa, a sweet baked cornmeal and coconut cake that has nothing in common with these apart from the name; you will find it among our Dominican desserts.
What to Serve With Arepas
- Sauces: Guasacaca (Venezuelan avocado-herb sauce), Colombian hogao (tomato and scallion), or a simple garlic sauce.
- For breakfast: Huevos pericos, butter and fresh cheese, with coffee or hot chocolate. Our Venezuelan breakfast guide has more.
- As bread with a meal: Pabellón criollo, bandeja paisa, sancocho or any stew.
- On the side: Fried plantains, black beans and more Venezuelan side dishes.
- To drink: Papelón con limón, fresh juices or aguapanela. See our list of Venezuelan drinks.
Arepas vs. Pupusas, Gorditas and Cachapas
These corn cakes get mixed up constantly. The two things that tell them apart are the flour and when the filling goes in.
| Dish | From | Made with | Filling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arepa | Venezuela, Colombia | Precooked corn flour | Split and stuffed after cooking, or eaten plain |
| Pupusa | El Salvador | Masa harina (nixtamalized corn) | Sealed inside before cooking |
| Gordita | Mexico | Masa harina | Split and stuffed after cooking; thinner, often fried |
| Cachapa | Venezuela | Fresh sweet corn batter | A sweet corn pancake folded over soft cheese |
How to Store, Freeze and Reheat Arepas
Fridge
3–4 days
Cooked arepas, cooled and sealed in an airtight container. Raw dough keeps a day, tightly wrapped; knead in a splash of water before shaping.
Freezer
3 months
Cool cooked arepas completely, wrap each one and freeze in a bag. No need to thaw before reheating.
Reheat
375°F
10 minutes in the oven or air fryer (about 15 from frozen), or a dry skillet. Skip the microwave: it turns them chewy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Arepas
What are arepas made of?
Just precooked corn flour, water and salt. Some cooks add a little oil or butter for a softer dough, and Colombian regional arepas may add cheese, egg, fresh corn or sugar.
Are arepas Venezuelan or Colombian?
Both. Arepas were made by indigenous peoples in both countries’ territories long before either nation existed. Venezuela is known for thick arepas split and stuffed as a meal; Colombia for a wide range of regional arepas, often served plain or topped.
Are arepas gluten-free?
Yes. Corn contains no gluten, so arepas made from precooked corn flour are naturally gluten-free. If you need to avoid gluten strictly, buy a flour labeled gluten-free and check your fillings. The one to watch is Colombia’s arepa boyacense: some recipes add wheat flour.
Can I make arepas with masa harina or cornmeal?
No. Masa harina is nixtamalized corn for tortillas and makes dense arepas that crack and taste like tortillas. Cornmeal is raw and will not form a dough. You need precooked corn flour such as Harina P.A.N.
Why do my arepas crack?
The dough is too dry or has not rested. Add warm water a tablespoon at a time until it feels like soft play dough, rest it 5 minutes, and smooth the edges with a wet fingertip before cooking.
How do you eat an arepa?
Venezuelan style, split it open while hot, butter the inside and stuff it like a sandwich. Colombian style, eat it whole with butter, salt and cheese on top, or tear it and eat it alongside your meal.
Are arepas healthy?
A plain arepa is a simple food: whole corn, water and salt, with no added sugar and very little fat when griddled or baked. Most of the calories in a stuffed arepa come from the filling, so beans, chicken, eggs and vegetables make lighter choices than piles of cheese and fried plantain.
What is the difference between an arepa and a pupusa?
An arepa is made from precooked corn flour and filled after cooking. A pupusa, from El Salvador, is made from masa harina with the filling sealed inside before it hits the griddle.
More Arepa Recipes and Guides
Venezuelan FoodsColombian FoodsVenezuelan BreakfastColombian Breads & SidesCachapasTequeños
Sources
- Wikipedia: Arepa
- Wikipedia: Harina P.A.N.
- Wikipedia (Spanish): Rellenos de arepa en Venezuela
- Colombia Country Brand: Discover the variety of Colombian arepas
- Enri Lemoine: Traditional Venezuelan Arepas
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Jorge Garcia is the founder of AmigoFoods, where he has spent over 20 years helping readers discover authentic Latin American and Spanish cuisine. Raised in a Cuban-American household, Jorge learned to cook at the hands of his mother and grandmother, carrying forward generations of family recipes. That heritage, backed by his family’s four-generation history in the Latin food industry, inspired him to launch AmigoFoods in 2003. With more than 1,000 published articles on recipes, ingredients, and food culture, Jorge’s mission is simple: make authentic Latin cooking approachable for home cooks everywhere while honoring the traditions behind every dish.