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You are here: Home / Most Popular Recipes / Reina Pepiada: Venezuelan Arepas with Chicken and Avocado

Reina Pepiada: Venezuelan Arepas with Chicken and Avocado

March 29, 2014 Updated January 17, 2022 by Lisa 53 Comments This post may contain affiliate links

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venezuelan arepas with chicken and avocado
an arepa stuffed with avocado chicken salad and a stack of arepas in the background

Arepas are gluten free corn cakes, eaten in Venezuela in place of bread. They're crunchy outside, tender inside, and delicious when filled with chicken or cheese or anything you like. This authentic arepa recipe pairs homemade arepas with a scrumptious Venezuelan chicken and avocado salad.

Arepas stuffed with chicken avocado salad

My good friend Sonia is from Venezuela. Last week we spent a really fun afternoon together cooking in her kitchen. She taught me how to make one of her favorite authentic recipes from back home, Reina Pepiada: Venezuelan arepas with chicken and avocado.

What Are Arepas?

Arepas are english muffin-shaped cornmeal cakes that are eaten in place of bread in Venezuela. They are typically served warm from the oven, split open, and filled with a variety of savory stuffings such as shredded beef, grated cheese, scrambled eggs, or chicken and avocado. They have a mild corn flavor and are firm and crunchy on the outside, soft and tender inside. The filling is what sets them apart.

Reina Pepiada is Sonia's family favorite - shredded white meat chicken tossed with tender avocado, mayonnaise, garlic, onion, bell pepper, jalapeno and cilantro.  It's easy to imagine how delicious this chicken salad would be just from reading the ingredients, right? Just wait until you try it sandwiched between an arepa that's still warm from the oven!

Arepas are gluten free corn cakes, eaten in Venezuela in place of bread - crunchy outside, tender inside, filled with chicken or cheese or anything you like. This recipe pairs homemade arepas with scrumptious Venezuelan chicken and avocado salad.

How To Make Arepas

Arepas are made from just three ingredients: corn meal, water and salt. Made from a special type of corn flour, arepas are naturally gluten free. The corn flour used for arepas, also called Masarepa, is precooked and ground. The most common brand is P.A.N. I had no problem finding it at a few different stores, including Stop and Shop. Or you can order it on line. 

how to make dough for Venezuelan arepas

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed sinking my hands into the bowl of warm water and corn flour and kneading. Sonia commented, too, about how this part of the recipe - the feeling of the dough in her hands and the smell of the warm corn flour - transports her back home to Venezuela and back to her grandmother's kitchen, where she learned to cook arepas.

how to make Venezuelan arepas

After you shape the arepas, you sear them in a hot skillet with just a bit of oil.  Sonia explained that you just want to seal them and get them a little brown.

how to make Venezuelan arepas

Once they're seared, they finish cooking in a hot oven for 15-20 minutes.

how to make Venezuelan arepas

Remove the arepas from the oven, split them open, stuff them, and enjoy them while they're still warm.

Venezuelan arepas stuffed with avocado chicken salad

Venezuelan Arepas (Arepas Venezolanas)

In Venezuela you can find arepas for every occasion - arepas appetizers, arepas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks. There are also many restaurants around town called areperas, where you can grab a quick arepa with the filling of your choice.

Once you learn how to make arepas, you can get creative with what you put inside.  Butter and white cheese (or substitute feta)  is another version that Sonia recommended to me.

Venezuelan arepas stuffed with avocado chicken salad

Reina Pepiada is an exceptionally good arepa. By the way, in case you're curious about the name, the literal translation of Reina Pepiada is "curvy queen." Apparently, as the story goes, back in 1955 a Venezuelan woman won the Miss World title. This scrumptious chicken & avocado arepa - recognized as a thing of beauty - was named in her honor.

Here's the Venezuelan Arepas Recipe. If you make this I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think!

Print

Arepas with Chicken and Avocado

Arepas stuffed with chicken avocado salad
Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.9 from 14 reviews

Venezuelan corn meal cakes filled with chicken & avocado salad. [gluten-free]

  • Author: Lisa
  • Prep Time: 40 mins
  • Cook Time: 35 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
  • Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
  • Category: Lunch or Dinner
  • Method: oven
  • Cuisine: Venezuelan

Ingredients

Units Scale

For The Poached Chicken (or skip this step and use 3 cups cooked shredded chicken)

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
  • ½ small onion, sliced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 peppercorns
  • ½ teaspoon salt

For The Chicken & avocado salad

  • 1 pound shredded poached chicken (about 3 cups) (see recipe below)
  • 2 Haas avocados, peeled, pitted, roughly mashed
  • 2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
  • ½ red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, diced
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped white onion
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
  • ½ jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic (2 medium cloves)
  • ½ teaspoon salt or more, to taste
  • Fresh ground black pepper

For The Arepas

  • 3 cups precooked white corn flour (P.A.N. or Masarepa)
  • 3 ¼ cups warm water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Oil

Instructions

  1. Poach the chicken Put the chicken onion, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt in a medium saucepan. Cover by an inch or two, with cold water. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer gently (water should vibrate but not bubble) for 10-14 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (Check for doneness after 10 minutes. Cut into the largest piece to make sure there's no pink color). Remove chicken from the pot, let it cool for a few minutes, and shred it.
  2. Make the chicken avocado salad In a medium bowl mix the mashed avocado with mayonnaise and lime juice. Add the rest of the ingredients: chicken, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and store in the fridge until you're ready to eat. Can be made a few hours ahead and kept covered in the fridge. Will be delicious the next day too, but green color may not be as vivid.
  3. Make the arepas Preheat oven to 350ºF. Pour the warm water into a large bowl. Stir in salt to dissolve. Pour in the corn flour and immediately start kneading the mixture with your hands, being sure to squeeze out any lumps. Allow the dough to sit for 3-5 minutes. Divide dough into 8 pieces. To shape an arepa, roll the dough into a ball and then pat it, between your hands, into a disc. Press your thumbs around the outside of the disc to form a nice edge. Discs should be 3 ½ - 4 inches in diameter and ⅓ to ½ inch thick. Set discs on a large platter or baking sheet as you form them. (If the dough seems dry or cracks when you roll it, add a more warm water)
  4. Sear the arepas in a skillet Lightly oil a large non-stick skillet (cast iron is great). Turn the heat to medium and get the skillet nice and hot. Brown the arepas in batches, about 4 minutes per side, until they are seared with some brown areas on both sides. Set them back on the platter or baking sheet as you go.
  5. Finish the arepas in the oven When all the arepas are seared, set them directly on the wire rack in the center of the oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until they are puffed up a bit. They will have a very taut outer skin. Set them back onto the baking sheet for just a minute or two until they're cool enough to handle. Cut them open. Fill them with Reina Pepiada chicken & avocado salad. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Keywords: Arepas with Avocado Chicken Salad

 

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Filed Under: All Recipes, Chicken, Entertaining, Lunch and Brunch, main course, Most Popular Recipes, South America, Special Features, Venezuela Tagged With: dairy-free, gluten-free, sandwiches

Reader Interactions

Comments

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Madonna Robert

    December 05, 2021 at 2:46 pm

    Delicious and easy to make. Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Amy Rivera

    January 11, 2021 at 8:05 pm

    Delicious!! Me and my boyfriend loooved it.
    You have to try it if you havent already and you are reading this.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. Brian

    December 30, 2020 at 9:45 pm

    Is the filling in the Arepa served warm or cold?

    Reply
    • Lisa

      December 31, 2020 at 6:58 am

      Hi Brian. The chicken salad filling is served cold.

      Reply
  4. James

    September 07, 2020 at 9:32 am

    Can I use Goya cornmeal for this?

    Reply
    • Lisa

      September 08, 2020 at 12:00 pm

      Hi James. You can use the kind of Goya cornmeal that's pre-cooked. It should say P.A.N. on the bag or it might say "Masarepa." This type: https://www.goya.com/en/products/masarepa-yellow-corn-meal

      Reply
  5. Rosa

    August 02, 2020 at 10:33 pm

    Fantastic recipe and I'm so glad I can make these at home. I didn't have the PAN corn mix so I used mazeca and it was a great substitute. Thank you for sharing.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  6. Emjae

    September 11, 2019 at 7:50 pm

    Thanks Lisa! I made these for dinner tonight and my husband and I really liked them. I think I’ll add a little more jalapeño and black pepper to the avocado chicken salad for a bit more zip. Next up is the Tex Mex casserole. I’ve been sharing your newsletter with my friends and they love your recipes too.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa

      September 12, 2019 at 11:52 am

      I am so happy you and your husband enjoyed the arepas! I hope you like the Tex Mex Casserole too. And thanks so much for telling your friends about Panning The Globe. I am very appreciative 🙂

      Reply
  7. Dai Lowe

    May 20, 2019 at 8:41 am

    Here in Edinburgh Scotland I was introduced to arepas yesterday in a Spanish jamonceria by a Venezuelan guy. He uses an arepa maker, but my friend Saras says no no no, do them traditionally.
    So I just got the Pan harina (amarillo) from a local African shop(!) and this is gonna be the first recipe I make.
    I 'tweet what I eat' @dailowe, so I'll link to you when I do. ¡Muchas gracias!

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa

      May 22, 2019 at 2:41 am

      Great. i hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  8. Ryan

    March 18, 2019 at 8:22 pm

    Absolutely Amazing! I generally do the cooking in the house but I found my kiddos loved helping along the way. I actually used a rotisserie chicken I bought the day before and put in the fridge overnight. However, as a result, I think I will double the Jalapeno due to the larger amounts of chicken next time. I like it spicy though. Also, I found that I had a lot of leftover dough. I had enough to make almost 12 of them. Maybe make them thicker and wider than four inches when you try them out. Regardless, absolutely amazing!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  9. Katerina

    December 16, 2018 at 6:10 am

    I love this recipe and I always use it when making arepas! Thanks, Lisa =)

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa

      December 16, 2018 at 7:04 am

      I'm so glad. Thanks for letting me know Katerina. Happy cooking!

      Reply
  10. Cheryl

    November 13, 2018 at 10:17 am

    Fabulous arepas and chicken salad. Made the mistake of buying sweet corn PAN masa. I'll get plain white corn next time (today). Sweet ones are great for dessert. I put lime juice on them to break down the sweetness.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  11. Ana

    August 05, 2018 at 1:07 am

    My family LOVED this recipe! I loved this recipe. Can't wait to make it again. Such great, fresh flavor. Yum yum yum. Making the arepas was fun also.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  12. Traci Eaton

    October 08, 2017 at 10:35 am

    I know this will make the purists twitch but any kind of corn flour is too many carbs for me. I am going to experiment with almond and/or coconut flour and see what I get. The chicken salad sounds fantastic and if the "Mock Arepas" turn out well I can see using them for Tuna salad or Salmon as well.

    ★★★★

    Reply
  13. Thomas

    September 19, 2017 at 5:38 am

    Great post! Have nice day ! 🙂 wrwys

    Reply
  14. Glenn

    September 09, 2017 at 7:52 am

    Can I get on a mailing list?? The few recipes I drooled over look amazing!!

    Reply
    • Lisa

      September 13, 2017 at 4:31 am

      Hi Glenn. Yes! You can sign up easily. On the right side of any Panning The Globe page is a sign up form. Just scroll down a bit, under my photo, until you see it. Enter your email address. Then you will get a confirmation email that you need to click on, to confirm your subscription. Looking forward to having you aboard! Lisa

      Reply
  15. Rafael

    June 28, 2017 at 7:57 pm

    Hello Lisa,

    As a Venezuela I have to tell you that your recipe is excellent. I tried last week with my wife who is Canadian and we absolutely loved it. It is way better than all of the Venezuelan restaurant here in Vancouver, BC.
    We are planning to make it again on the weekend for her parents. It's definitely our go-to dish.
    Thank you very much it feels just like home,

    Rafael

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa

      June 29, 2017 at 9:16 am

      Thank you for your comment Rafael. I'm so thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the arepas. I love them too! I hope your wife's parent enjoy!

      Reply
  16. Michele

    March 09, 2017 at 8:36 pm

    I'm obsessed with arepas and make them all the time... but this filling is KILLER! So good. Thanks for the recipe 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa

      March 10, 2017 at 7:01 am

      Glad you you enjoyed Michele - I agree!!

      Reply
  17. Jess

    September 04, 2016 at 2:18 pm

    Hi Lisa! I have a question. How long will the filling keep in the fridge? How long for the arepas? I'm going to separate them instead of assembling each arepa. I'm making the whole recipe and saving it for lunch throughout the week.

    Reply
    • Lisa

      September 05, 2016 at 8:03 am

      Jess, normally chicken salad can keep in the fridge for 3-5 days. Because this one is made with avocado, there's a chance it will discolor a bit over time, but with the lime juice in there it might not discolor. If it discolors just give it a toss and it should look fine. It will definitely still taste great! As for the arepas I suggest that you shape and sear the arepas in a skillet and then store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Heat them in the oven for 20 minutes or so before stuffing and eating.

      Reply
  18. kathleen diener

    July 11, 2016 at 12:21 pm

    https://venezuelanfoodanddrinks.blogspot.com/2009/01/la-reina-pepiada-curvy-queen-of-arepas.html
    How the reina pepiada got its name.

    Reply
  19. Valérie

    June 10, 2016 at 3:22 am

    Hi Lisa,

    Your recipe of Reina Pepiada looks amazing, and so is your blog btw, thanks for sharing all those original recipes 🙂
    I will definitely try this one this week-end, making the arepas myself 🙂

    Reply
  20. Kristen Chidsey

    April 25, 2016 at 8:51 am

    My neighbor is from Columbia and she makes taught me to make these! I love how you filled these!

    Reply
  21. Helene D'Souza | Masala Herb

    April 25, 2016 at 7:18 am

    Working with dough is something so relaxing. I discovered a new food today, thanks for the share! 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  22. Karen

    March 15, 2016 at 4:24 pm

    Will Maseca brand corn flour work for the arepas?

    Reply
  23. Wendy

    January 29, 2016 at 2:57 pm

    Lisa, I LOVE your recipes. I've made so many of them and they've become many of my go-to dishes. Thank you.
    This week I was so excited to make the Arepas because I'd had them in Montreal and Manhattan and they are scrumptious. So I know I did something wrong. It took a LONG time for the sides to get brown (even a little brown) in the pan, even tho it was med-to med-high on a teflon pan. I baked them about 20 minutes. They were delicious but hard as a rock. It must have been the pan part. What should I do? They really weren't brown at all after 4 min on one side. Thanks for your help!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa

      January 30, 2016 at 9:05 am

      Hi Wendy! I'm so glad that you've enjoyed a bunch of my recipes! And I'm so sorry your Arepas didn't work out so well. From what you've told me I think you may have overcooked them in the pan, in an effort to get them brown. I don't use teflon, but my guess is that it's not as good or quick at browning food as cast iron is. I suggest not worrying about getting them brown. Next time just sear them in the pan for a few minutes per side just so they're firm enough to set on the oven rack. They will be delicious whether they're brown or not, and hopefully they'll be a lot more tender next time! Let me know how it goes, if you decide to give it another try.

      Reply
      • Kimmy

        March 03, 2016 at 4:25 pm

        What kind of oil should be used? Would coconut work?

      • Lisa

        March 04, 2016 at 9:53 am

        I think coconut would definitely work. It might add a hint of coconut flavor to the arepas but I think that would be fine. You could also use olive oil, canola, grape seed, or really any cooking oil that you like to use for sautéeing.

  24. Lara

    January 23, 2016 at 9:33 pm

    I made these tonight and they turned out so well! Thank you for the delicious and detailed recipe! I'm looking forward to checking your page often for new dinner ideas.

    Reply
  25. yasemin

    January 19, 2016 at 11:59 am

    Hello from Germany,
    Thank you very much for spending this!!!
    I enjoy it!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  26. Krista @ Joyful Healthy Eats

    November 19, 2015 at 2:55 pm

    OH my mother in law makes these! They are the best!!!

    Reply
  27. Laura @MotherWouldKnow

    November 18, 2015 at 10:52 pm

    I've never had arepas, but your post makes them look so delicious and intriguing that I may just have to hunt down the proper flour. Of course the chicken salad looks pretty wonderful too:)

    Reply
  28. patti

    August 14, 2015 at 11:13 pm

    Hi! Can you use masa flour instead of the pan? thank you.

    Reply
    • Lisa

      August 15, 2015 at 8:57 am

      Hi Patti, Yes, I believe Masa flour or Masarepa is the same as Masa Harina.As long as the description says: precooked yellow or white cornmeal, you should be fine.

      Reply
      • Cathy

        August 22, 2015 at 6:30 pm

        Masa Harina is not the same as Masarepa. I don't know if Masa Harina would work (I use it for making tortillas but was warned away from making arepas with it). I would highly recommend finding and using Masarepa (also known as Masarepa Blanca). It's definitely a different product.

  29. Macy Calder

    July 02, 2015 at 4:26 pm

    As a Venezuelan I've never before seen such beautiful pictures of a Reina Pepiada! Your recipe is so detailed and provocative that I'll do it this weekend. Congrats!

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      July 07, 2015 at 3:22 am

      Thanks so much Macy!

      Reply
  30. Carolyn

    April 17, 2015 at 3:13 am

    Can you freeze the Arepas at any stage? They look delicious.

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      April 17, 2015 at 8:11 am

      Carolyn, I haven't tried freezing them, but I did some research and it looks like the best technique is to sear the arepas and then freeze them. You can then just pop them in the oven right from the freezer, when you're ready to enjoy them. They should last in the freezer for several weeks.

      Reply
      • elissa mondschein

        November 03, 2018 at 10:29 pm

        They freeze beautifully! When I warm them up after they have been frozen I use the George Foreman grill (though any sandwich griddle will do). The grill heats on both sides and works really well for defrosting arepas. They will be a little crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside after you cook them from the frozen state.

        I make arepas in the Colombian style, with Mozzarella cheese, and freeze them all the time. You can also cook them on a charcoal grill, either fresh or frozen.

  31. Kelly

    February 09, 2015 at 2:38 pm

    how far ahead can I make these? Can they be reheated?

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      February 09, 2015 at 2:46 pm

      Hi Kelly. You can make them a day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. Wrap them in foil and reheat them in a 350F oven for 10-15 minutes - until heated through.

      Reply
  32. Tammy

    November 14, 2014 at 12:07 pm

    I was so excited to see this recipe. My son spent 4 months in Venezuela and fell in love with the food. Finding recipes has proved to be a challenge. at least ones I can readi n English. hahaha!!!!!!

    Reply
  33. Cathy

    July 17, 2014 at 7:22 pm

    I made these for dinner tonight following your recipe exactly. I found i needed to bake the arepas a little longer as they were still a little moist inside. I'd also add a full jalapeño next time as we like a little more heat. But otherwise, LOVED the recipe! Thank you!

    Reply
  34. Amy | Club Narwhal

    April 23, 2014 at 8:52 am

    Lisa, I adore arepas but have never made them at home. You're lucky you could cook up a storm with Sonia 🙂

    Reply
  35. Carol at Wild Goose Tea

    April 03, 2014 at 4:58 pm

    I opened this post, saw the picture and asked myself literally aloud---What is that luscious 'thing'. I love the arepas. How totally specially. I am not sure how one would actually pick this up and eat it. It's BIG. But I won't let that stop me!

    Reply

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