Arepas Reina Pepiada – Venezuelan Corn Cakes with Chicken and Avocado
The cut does not split the arepa in two: it opens like a lid across three quarters of the rim, so the filling does not escape when you bite it. The dough goes in warm and the chicken mixture cold — that contrast is what makes a reina pepiada.
Arepas are Venezuela's daily bread: corn cakes with a crisp crust and a soft middle, split open and filled. Reina Pepiada is the most famous filling of all — chicken, avocado, mayonnaise and cilantro (coriander).
The one indispensable ingredient is pre-cooked cornmeal (harina de maíz precocida, brand P.A.N. or Juana). It is not the same thing as cornmeal, polenta or cornstarch (cornflour), and none of those work as a substitute: only the pre-cooked flour binds with cold water into a workable dough. Latin American grocers, the world-food aisle of larger supermarkets and online shops all carry it. Naturally gluten free. Made with fresh corn instead of flour, the close relative are the cachapas.
🔎 What is precooked corn flour? — where it comes from, what goes in it and how it differs.
Ingredients
- 250 g pre-cooked white cornmeal, P.A.N. type (2 cups)
- 625 ml lukewarm water (2 1/2 cups)
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1 tbsp corn or sunflower oil, for the dough
- 500 g chicken breast, cooked and pulled into shreds
- 2 large, well-ripened avocados
- 3 heaping tbsp mayonnaise
- 1/2 small onion, very finely diced
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Neutral oil, as needed, for the pan
- Salt, freshly ground black pepper and fresh cilantro (coriander), chopped, to taste
Method
- 1
Hydrating the dough: put the lukewarm water into a large bowl and dissolve the salt in it. Rain the pre-cooked cornmeal in gradually, stirring constantly with your fingers so no lumps form. Add the tablespoon of oil.
- 2
Kneading and resting: knead in the bowl for 3 minutes, until the dough is smooth and compact and no longer sticks to your hands. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let the dough rest for 10 minutes, so the grain hydrates fully.
- 3
The filling (Reina Pepiada): in a separate bowl, mash the flesh of one and a half avocados with the lemon juice to a purée (dice the remaining half avocado and set it aside). Fold in the pulled chicken, the finely chopped onion, the mayonnaise and the fresh cilantro. Season, add the reserved avocado dice and mix carefully so they do not break up. Keep it in the fridge.
- 4
Shaping the arepas: divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Roll each into a smooth ball, then flatten it gently between your palms into an even disc about 10 cm across and 1.5 cm thick. The edges must not crack — if they do, the dough is too dry and needs a splash of water worked in.
- 5
Searing on the griddle: heat a griddle or heavy-based pan over medium heat and brush it with a thread of oil. Cook the arepas for 5 to 7 minutes a side, until a firm golden crust forms and releases on its own.
- 6
Finishing in the oven (the puffing trick): put the arepas straight onto the rack of an oven heated to 190-200 °C for 10 to 12 minutes. You will know they are ready when a tap in the middle with your fingers sounds hollow.
- 7
Assembling: take them out and let them cool for a minute. With a serrated knife, cut around three quarters of the circumference, making a lid that stays attached. Pull out a little of the hot crumb if you need the room, and fill generously with the cold chicken and avocado mixture. Serve at once.