Arepa is a patty made with precooked corn flour which can be baked, grilled or fried. They are popular in Colombian and Venezuelan cuisine, and are a very versatile food that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
What is an Arepa Made of?
The most popular arepa in Colombia and Venezuela is made with precooked corn flour (masarepa). You can buy it online on Amazon or at a Latin market. However in Colombia, we also make them with fresh sweet corn, hominy corn, plantains and cassava.
The recipe I am presenting to you today is made with yuca, masarepa, butter, milk and cheese. Served with cheese, hogao or guacamole on top, it's hard to resist going back for seconds. The outside is crispy and golden, while the middle stays wonderfully moist.
These Arepas de Yuca are delicious as a side dish with eggs or grilled beef, or paired with hot chocolate for breakfast or an afternoon snack. So if you are even remotely fond of arepas and yuca, I thoroughly recommend this recipe!
How to Make these Arepas
The process to make this recipe is very simple. These cassava arepas are made with cooked yuca, precooked cornmeal, butter, milk and salt. You can cook the yuca a couple hours before making this recipe.
First you have to mash the cooked yuca and add the masarepa, milk, butter and salt to your taste. Let the mixture rest for about five minutes.
Make small balls with the yuca mixture and shape the dough into cakes using your hands. You can make them thick or thin depending on your taste. I prefer mine thicker.
Add the butter to a nonstick pan over medium heat. Place the yuca arepas in the pan, and cook about 3 minutes on each side, until a crust forms or they are golden brown.
Serve them with your favorite toppings for snack or appetizer. They are also delicious a served as a side dish with egg, grilled meats and poultry.
How to Store Arepas
I prefer eaten them warm and fresh, but if you want to store the leftovers or make a double batch. Place the cooked yuca arepas in a zip lock bag or sealed container in the refrigerator up to 3 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.
Arepas de Yuca (Cassava Arepas)
Ingredients
- 1 pound of yuca cooked
- ½ cup of masarepa
- 2 tablespoons of milk
- 2 tablespoons of melted butter
- ¼ cup of grated mozzarella cheese or queso blanco
- Salt to taste
- Butter to cook the arepas
Instructions
- Mash the yuca and add the masarepa, milk, butter and salt to your taste. Let mixture stand for five minutes.
- Make small balls with the yuca mixture. Shape the dough into thick cakes.
- Add the butter to a nonstick pan over medium heat. Place the arepas in the pan, and cook about 3 minutes on each side, until a crust forms or they are golden brown.
Nutrition
More Snacks to Try
Evelyne@cheapethniceatz
The yuca arepa looks so good. I have not cooked with yuca in too long and this recipe is very tempting. Very hungry now, wish I had some here.
Angie@Angie's Recipes
I have never cooked with yuca...these patties (pancakes?) look awesome, Erica.
Carmenza Reese
Angie thank you for putting up this website and reminding me of our Latin America culture. Yuca is one of my favorites ingredients when cooking stews and sancochos or any other soup. When I was young we also used yuca as glue for small jobs and it did a very good job. However, I have never done or eating yuca arepas. This look delicious due that the Yuca has this wonderful soft - sweet taste.
grace
i've never eaten any sort of arepa but they always look so delicious. these in particular look soft and fantastic!
Juliana
Oh I love yuca, but do not have often since I moved to US...this sound and look delicious, I love the texture of it.
Have a great weekend Erica 😀
sonia
I am Brazilian and I buy yucca/cassava at Walmart. It's in the frozen vegetables section, close to the latin /asian frozen food. Cook for 15 minutes according to the package directions, let it cool and toss with olive oil, garlic salt, pepper and seasonings to your liking. Roast at 400 F , till it gets browned and crispy about 30/40 minutes. No need to fry. Good luck. (The brand is Goya).
maria
My aunt would make these for us when we were little and I had forgotten what they were called. We had them for dessert. Love them. Thank you for sharing recipe. Definitely going to make them
Virginia
I have made these many times, and they are absolutely wonderful! Thank you so much for this great recipe!
MWhittington
Hi, thank you for the recipe. The ingredients list calls out for mozzarella or white cheese but is not in the directions, do you mix it with everything or is just to eat them with the cheese after they are done?
Anonymous
Where does the grated Mozarella go????
Catalina Suarez
When you mix all the ingredients
Bernardo Ordoñez
the easy way is add the cheese to the dough, and then cook. The less easy way is to cook them, and when the arepa is cooked, open it into 2 halves, put the cheese beetwen them, close and put it again in the pan up the cheese is melted. In both cases are delicious.
Jordan
Is there a vegan or dairy-free version to this recipe? I’m sadly allergic to dairy products
Frances K.McCune
I am looking for a recipe with Yuca, in which the yuca patty is fried. It puffs... then the egg is added into a slit in the top, resealed & then fried to cook the egg inside.When we lived in Barranquilla, it was a favorite breakfast etc.
Thank you
Bernardo Ordoñez
Hi, this is called "arepa'e huevo" (in the way as costeños speak).
Frances K.McCune
Thank you that reply...Do you have a recipe to make the arepa'e huevo that you would share? I have access to the Yucca flour, just no recipe...I also realize they are deep fried, at least they were when I lived in Barranquilla in the 50's & early 60's.
I am now 86, but I still remember the taste.
I don't remember the Yucca flour being mixed with corn flour as the arepas were quite thin & crispy. Does a recipe exist where the Arepa can be made without the corn flour & do you have one? I will await your reply..I wish you well.
Erica Dinho
Here is the recipe for arepa de heuvo: https://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/arepa-filled-with-egg-arepa-de-huevo/