Arepa Rellena con Queso is a popular dish in Colombia and Venezuela. This is a Colombian-Style Cheese Stuffed Arepa recipe. It's very easy to make and delicious.
What is an Arepa?
It is one of he most popular foods in Colombia and Venezuela. There are many variations of this dish in Colombia. They are basically patties made with precooked corn flour. They can be filled or topped with different ingredients and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
These cheese stuffed arepas are very easy to make and the recipe doesn't require a lot of ingredients. They are rich, cheesy and absolutely delicious. You can eat them alone or served with huevos pericos on the side.
If you want to try more arepa recipes, check my arepas de yuca, arepa de huevo, arepa de papa and arepa Boyacense.
Ingredients to Make Arepas de Queso
You'll find the printable recipe card with exact amounts, cooking directions and step by step cooking video below.
Pre-cooked Corn Flour: To make arepas you must use masarepa or pre-cooked corn flour, some brands are P.A.N. and Goya. Some regular grocery stores sell it on the international food aisle. You can also find it in Latino markets or online.
Salt: To flavor the dough.
Water: Use lukewarm water to make arepas.
Butter: To make the dough and to cook the arepas.
Cheese: I recommend using whole milk mozzarella cheese.
How to Store Arepas
You can store them in the refrigerator for up to 7 days in a ziploc bag or in an airtight container.
If you want to freeze them, let the arepas cool completely and wrap them well with plastic wrap. Then place inside a freezer ziploc bag and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Cheese Stuffed Corn Cakes Recipe (Arepas Rellenas de Queso)
Ingredients
- 2 cups pre cooked corn meal masarepa
- 2 cups warm water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon soft butter divided
- 12 slices mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- In a medium bowl mix the masarepa, water, salt and butter. Knead with your hands for about 3 minutes moistening your hands with water as you work.
- Form 6 small balls with the dough. Place each ball between 2 plastic bags or parchment paper and with a flat pot cover flatten to about ⅓ inch. The arepas should be about 5” in diameter.
- 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 until they are golden brown.
- Split the arepas using a knife as you would do with an English muffin and stuff wit 2 slices of mozzarella cheese.
- Place the stuffed arepas back on the skillet over medium high heat and cook 2 minutes on each side or until the cheese is melted and serve immediately.
Vanessa
I made this for breakfast...it came out great! Thanks for the posting these recipes!!!
NELLY GRILLI
Que rico se ve, pero debo preguntar , ¿que es la Masarepa? o como se prepara esa masa?, muchas gracias, desde Argentina,, un saludo ....
vicente perez
la masarepa o arepapan es el maiz cocinado, molido, secado y molido como Harina .cuando ud lo necesite para hacer la arepa coge la harina le echa agua calientica, amasa hace la arepa y la pone a asar
Colombiana Laura
I recommend that you add shredded cheese in the bowl before mixing it and also a little bit of brown sugar. i also recommend putting hot water(really hot) in the batter then mix it (NOT WITH YOUR HANDS but with a big spoon or something).When you make the balls add more shredded cheese to the inside of each ball (a lot of cheese) before flattening them. then just flatten them and cook in a pan like you said. Cook it at a low temperature and let it cook thoroughly. Take my advise... Just try it! They will taste even better.
Angela
I can't wait to make this recipe!!! I'm an adult Colombian adoptee who has traveled to Colombia twice and met my birthfamily last year. Delicious Colombian food takes me back and definitely feeds my soul. Thanks for all your hard work on this website!
Paola
OMG... you have the best recetas ever they always come out so good like home.... living in the united state without mom is hard to get home cooking... thank so much for sharing
Annie
I just wanted to thank you for posting all of these amazing Colombian recipes! My boyfriend is from Colombia and I know how much he misses his comfort food, and I've been dying to make him something that reminds him of his home. Thanks so much!!! You're amazing 🙂
Dulce
Hey Erica, I was wondering about the prep time and the cook time for this recipe.
I'm doing a project for school & were going to have cultural food day.
Colombiana Laura
oh the arepas just need to be golden on each side and the cheese melted... cook at a low temperature. If it takes long its normal. sometimes its fast and sometimes not.
Dawna
Hi Erica,
I made these for breakfast today (topped with poached eggs, with a side of sausage). Wonderful! I made a half-batch, since there were only two of us, and was really happy with how well they turned out. I suspect I will be making these fairly frequently going forward, by popular demand! I'm also looking forward to trying your other arepa recipes. Cheers!
Lisa
Thanks to your website I'm starting to love arepas! I prefer the taste of the arepas fried in oil (as your egg arepas are). Any way this recipe can be modified to first fry them and then add the cheese? Not sure if the part to melt the cheese should still be done in a skillet with butter but just fry the arepas first? Your opinion on this will be great!
Aimee
Thank you for your recipe! Now my husband doesn't have to rely on the frozen ones!!
Anonymous
They r so good and easy to make
Ana
YOU ARE MY HERO. Enough said.
Here lately I have fell in love with you and your blog. I read in one of your post earlier that you felt homesick and were going to the Latin Store. Totally my kind of day today... I am totally homesick and wishing abuelita was here to spoil me... 🙁 But since she's not 'chocolate y arepas' as soon as i can come back from the Latin Store!
Thankyou so much for taking the time to do all these. I bet your husband feels like he hit the jackpot with you! (Saying that because i have made about 4 of your recipes and my fiance thinks he's the luckiest man on Earth... and I definitely wouldn't say I am a good cook!)
So seriously... thank you! 🙂
Erica
Hi Ana- Thank you so much for your beautiful comment.....:) I truly appreciate it!
Isabel M
Tambien se puede utilizar queso mejicano como el queso fresco, le da un sabor mas de campo....Also try it with a type of mexican cheese called queso fresco..... yummy
LeeAn
Please share if someone knows how to make the arepas like at the airport in Bucaramanga! Is it a different corn??? I love them and have nit had one in about 24 years!
Diana Lopez
Just wanted to give you guys an update on this recipe. I tried it last weekend just as Erica wrote it but I added two thin slices of honey ham and one slice of mozzarella cheese. They were out of this world!
Diana
I made these this weekend for breakfast and they were deeeelicious! Just like the ones we eat in Medellín. The one thing I would change is to add a bit more salt to the masa but that's just a personal preference in taste. I also ended up cooking the arepas for about 5 minutes per side before adding the cheese, 3 minutes were not enough. A couple of tips for anyone who is not familiar with Masarepa, make sure you add the water slowly and see how much more or less you may need as you knead, don't throw it all at once. Also, let the arepas rest before cutting them and adding the cheese. Thanks Erica, this was a wonderful recipe!!!