Arepa with Chicken and Avocado - Arepa Reina Pepiada

Venezuelan Chicken Salad Sandwich

Reina Pepiada, the Venezuelan equivalent of chicken salad, is a rich and satisfying filing for these plump cornmeal patties. Other popular arepa fillings; white cheese; black beans and fried sweet plantains; ham and cheese; and butter. Have fun mixing and matching to find your favorite variety!

Makes 8 Arepas

Prep time: 25 min.

Total time: 50 min.

For the filling:

2 packets GOYA® Powdered Chicken Bouillon

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb.)

½ cup GOYA Mayonnaise

½ small yellow onion, finely chopped (about ½ cup)

¼ cup GOYA Guacamole, thawed

1 tsp. GOYA Minced Garlic

2 tsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro

GOYA Adobo All-Purpose Seasoning with Pepper, to taste

1 avocado, finely chopped

For the Arepa:

2 cups GOYA White Cornmeal Masarepa or Harina P.A.N.

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. GOYA Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1.	In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Add bouillon, stirring until dissolved. Add chicken; cook until cooked-thorough, about 20 minutes; transfer to refrigerator until cold. Shred chicken. In a medium bowl, stir together chicken, mayonnaise, onion, guacamole, garlic and cilantro. Season with adobo. Gently fold in avocado. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2.	In medium bowl, stir together masarepa and salt. Add 2 ½ cups lukewarm water. Stir until combined; let sit 5 minutes. Using wet hand, knead dough until smooth. Divide dough into 8 portions. Form dough into small balls.
3.	Heat oil in large comal or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add balls, leaving at least 3" space between dough. Using palm of hand, flatten balls to ½” thickness. Cook, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides, about 7 minutes total. Repeat with remaining dough.
4.	Using knife, halve arepas horizontally without detaching end. Divide filling evenly among arepas.

For more recipes:
Arepas - Cornmeal Patties
Egg-Stuffed Arepa
Arepas with Cheese - Cornmeal Patties

Ensure Hot, Fresh Arepas for a Crowd

Arepas taste best right off the stove when they’re steamy and soft. If you’re whipping up a big batch of arepas for a large gathering of family and friends, ensure the corncakes stay warm between batches by placing them on a parchment-lined baking sheet after they’re cooked and hold in 200˚F oven for up to 30 minutes.