There’s a new cheese-filled flatbread in town, and it’s called arepas con queso. These Venezuelan treats are made from corn flour dough that is grilled or baked until crispy, then stuffed with gooey cheese. So if you’re looking for a cheesy snack to satisfy your cravings, look no further than the delicious arepas con queso!
If you’ve seen the Disney movie Encanto, then you’ve seen Colombian Arepas Con Queso. Julieta Madrigal is Mirabel’s mom and she healed people with food including arepas de queso.
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❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Budget-friendly – Arepa Colombiana Con Queso Recipe is cheap to make but rich in flavor. It has a smooth texture that makes it easy to chew, and the cheese forms pockets that are filled with deliciousness that explode in your mouth.
- Unique – Arepa Colombiana Con Queso recipe is different than other kinds of food because it’s so cheesy. The really good thing about this recipe is that you can find it easily, anywhere in the world.
- Easy – The Arepas Con Queso recipe is easy to make due to its simplicity. All you need are the ingredients and cooking utensils listed below!
🛒Ingredients
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- white corn flour – sometimes called Masa or Masca
- warm water, a tablespoon at a time more if needed.
- queso mozzarella, shredded
- butter
- Pinch of salt
- oil for frying
See the recipe card below for quantities.
🔪 How to Make Make Arepas Con Queso
Add warm water, butter, and salt to a bowl. With your hand mix in half of the cornflour. Add in a little bit of water at a time, until you get a dough texture.
Once mixed, mix the rest of the flour in. Add half the cheese and knead the dough for 5 minutes.
Take a baseball size ball of dough and form it into a crater in the palm of your hand. Add a tablespoon of cheese and form the dough around the cheese.
Flatten into a thick patty like 1/2” thick.
Repeat until the dough is gone.
Bring a skillet to medium-low heat and coat with oil.
Fry your arepas on for 3 minutes on each side
Let them cool slightly and enjoy while still warm.
Hint: I add about one tablespoon of oil to the skillet when frying these homemade arepas.
📝Variations
Do you want to change up this arepa Colombiana con queso recipe and make it your own? Here are some ways that you can do that!
- Spicy – add chili pepper flakes to the dough for a spicy kick.
- Cheese-less – you can make arepas de choclo (arepas de Maiz) con queso which is an arepa without the cheese.
- Corn-less – You can make Jibaritos or ‘little hillbilly sandwiches’ with cheese inside the crispy flatbread to make an arepa con queso without corn by using white flour instead.
If you love delicious appetizer or snack recipes, you may also this Air Fryer Soft Pretzels Bites recipe.
🥄 Equipment
Here is a list of equipment needed to make this recipe.
- mixing bowl
- skillet or cast iron frying pan
🥫 Storage
Store leftovers in the fridge for 5 days in an airtight container.
💭 Tips
- I like to use fresh mozzarella for delicious cheese results.
- Be careful when frying these and keep little ones out of the kitchen as the cheese can ooze out and splatter some.
- For a quick Spanish lesson while enjoying these cheesy treats, teach your children to deliciosas arepas which means delicious arepas. You can also each them to say arepa de queso which means cheese arepas.
⁉️ FAQ
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
This translates to mean cornbread with cheese.
Arepas are a type of cornbread that is usually made with a special kind of cornmeal called masarepa. The dough should be mostly filled with cheese because it’s what makes this recipe so delicious!
Absolutely! However, they will taste different.
Yes, you can freeze this dish by placing it in an airtight container or freezer bag and putting it in the freezer for up to three months.
If you’re reheating the arepas con queso it is best to use a skillet with a little oil to get them nice and crispy again.
No, they are not the same, so I don’t recommend that you use precooked cornmeal to make these cheese arepas.
🍽 More Appetizers or Snack Recipes
Do you enjoy appetizers and snacks, try these delicious recipes:
🧾 Arepas Con Queso
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Arepas Con Queso
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- skillet or cast iron frying pan
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups white corn flour
- 1 cup warm water tablespoon at a time more if needed.
- 1 pound mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Pinch of salt about 1/8 teaspoon
Instructions
- Add warm water, butter and salt to a bowl. With you hand mix in half of the corn flour.
- Once mixed, mix the rest of the flower in. Add half the cheese and knead the dough for 5 minutes.
- Take a baseball size ball of dough and form it into a crater in the palm of your hand. Add a tablespoon of cheese and form the dough around the cheese.
- Flatten into a thick patty like 1/2” thick.
- Repeat until dough is gone.
- Brink a skillet to medium heat and coat with oil.
- Fry your arepas on for 3 minutes on each side
- Let cool and enjoy!
Disclaimer:
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.
Nutrition
My son loved Encanto, and these made his day watching it again on Disney+ more special. Thank you.