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arepas 101

Celestina9000 avatar
Recipe by
C G
@Celestina9000
Vallèe du Willamette, OR

Almost to the point of having to order masarepa online when lo and behold I found it recently at our local Mexican/Latin American market-finally! Having never used this product before I was surprised to learn after opening up the bag that masarepa has almost the same look and texture (and taste!) as that of American grits (minus those small, dark specks in grits.) If you cannot find masarepa where you live go ahead & use grits as a substitute. You will need to grind the grits to a finer consistency with the use of a clean, dry coffee mill.

yield 8 arepas, approximately
prep time 15 Min
cook time 5 Min
method Pan Fry

Ingredients For arepas 101

  • 2 c
    masarepa or finely ground american grits
  • 1 tsp
    salt (omitted)
  • 2 c
    warm water
  • 2/3-3/4 c
    grated cheese (i like a sharp white cheddar for arepas)
  • butter or oil suitable for frying at higher heat

How To Make arepas 101

  • 1
    Directions taken from the back package of Goya™ brand masarepa: In a mixing bowl stir together 2 cups masarepa or the finely ground grits, salt (if using) 2 cups warm water and the shredded cheese. Let set 5 minutes.
  • 2
    Heat up the oil or butter a large cast iron skillet on medium heat.
  • 3
    Shape the dough into 4" round circles and approximately 1/2" thick. Tip: I use a tortilla press to shape the circles.
  • 4
    Fry the arepas in batches and without crowding on each side 2-3 minutes until golden brown. See aside to drain then serve. We enjoy our arepas with any or all of the following: hot sauce/salsa or fresh tomato slices, avocado, fried egg, lettuce.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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