Arepas con Queso

top view of an arepa cut in half with melted cheese inside

2.60 from 10 reviews

Arepas con queso are savory, cheese filled corn cakes cooked until they are soft inside and crispy and golden brown on the outside. Perfect as a snack or served as part of a meal.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Colombian, Latin America

Keyword arepas con queso, arepas con queso recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Resting Time 10

Total Time 40

Servings arepas

Calories 512kcal

Author Chef Kathy McDaniel

Ingredients

2 cups masarepa pre-cooked white cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or Kosher salt
2 ounces 1/2 cup finely crumbled Cotija cheese
1 tablespoon butter softened
1 1/4 cup warm water plus more if needed
8 ounces 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Oil or butter for cooking

Instructions

In a medium bowl combine the masarepa, salt, crumbled cheese, butter and warm water.
Knead the mixture, until a smooth dough is formed. The dough should not be sticky but have the consistency of homemade play-dough. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
Check the consistency of the dough by flattening a small amount of dough between the palm of your hands. If the edges crack, the dough is too dry. Add additional water, one tablespoon at a time until the dough is pliable.
With lightly wet hands, divide the dough into 8 even pieces. Roll each piece into a ball then, pat each dough ball into a circle that is approximately 5-inches in diameter and about ¼” thick.
Working with one circle at a time, add a couple of tablespoons of shredded mozzarella cheese in the center leaving about a 1/2-inch border. Place a second dough circle on top and seal the edges. Press the dough lightly between the palm of your hands smoothing the sealed edges to form a disk of about 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining dough and cheese.
To cook the arepas on the stove top: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. If using butter, heat the skillet and then add the butter, spreading it around to coat the skillet.
To cook the arepas in an electric griddle: Heat the griddle to 325ºF. Add the butter and spread it around to coat the griddle’s surface.
Place the arepas on the skillet or griddle and cook, moving them around occasionally for about 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and cook for about 4-5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the skillet and serve warm, with additional butter on top (optional).

Notes

Masarepa is dehydrated cooked white or yellow cornmeal. It’s different from regular cornmeal. You can find Masarepa in the Latin section of most supermarkets. The most popular brand is P.A.N
Make sure to use masarepa instead of masa harina for the dough.
This recipe was made with white pre-cooked cornmeal (masarepa).
If your arepa dough feels too dry and crumbly, add a bit of water (a tablespoon at a time) until the dough has the consistency of play dough.
Wet your hands before shaping the corn cakes to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands.
Don’t be intimidated by the shaping of the dough! It’s like playing patty cake with play dough! Fun and easy.
Instead of a griddle or non-stick skillet, you can use a cast iron skillet to cook arepas.

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