Reina Pepiada Arepas: The Ultimate Comfort Food

Ingredients

For the arepas:

• 2 cups Arepa Flour—Harina Pan, Masarepa (do not use Masa Harina or corn flour for tacos)

• 2 cups warm Water, and more as needed

• 1 tsp. coarse Sea Salt

• 1 tbsp. Grape Seed Oil + more for skillet

For the filling:

• 1 ½ lb. skinless, boneless Chicken Breasts

• ½ small Onion

• 2 Garlic Cloves

• Coarse sea salt

• Freshly ground Black Pepper

• 2 ripe Avocados, pitted, peeled, and mashed

• ½ cup Mayonnaise

• 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed Lemon Juice plus more, if needed.

• ½ cup Red Bell Pepper, finely chopped

• ¼ cup Scallions, finely chopped

• 2 tbsp. Cilantro, finely chopped

Directions

For the arepas:

• In a bowl, mix water, salt, and oil. Pour in flour slowly and mix with a spoon until ingredients have incorporated. Let it stand for 5-7 minutes. Gather dough forming a ball, place it on a board or clean surface, and knead with hands for about 5 minutes; make sure to moisten your hands as you work with the dough. Break dough into equal-sized portions and form balls (about 8) with your hands, and then flatten slightly with palms to form discs.

• Heat cast iron skillet over medium-high temperature. Brush with oil. Cook arepas on each side until a thin crust has formed and some light browning appears in the center of the arepa. You may have to do this in batches.

• Transfer arepas to oven, directly on the baking rack, and bake for about 15 minutes minutes or until they have rised. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

For the filling:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add chicken breasts to pot. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and allow cooling down completely. Save ¼ cup of poaching liquid. Shred chicken finely and set aside (this can be made ahead).

• In a large bowl whisk together avocado mash, mayonnaise, and fresh lemon juice. Stir in red peppers, scallions, and cilantro; season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and mix together; add a 2 tbsp. of poaching liquid, if needed, or more to achieve desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

• Get the warm arepas out of the oven, slice in half to create pockets, and stuff them with this tasty salad!

Pro Tips

Plain arepas are naturally Vegan, wheat-free, and gluten-free.