Try this plant-based take on a popular Venezuelan chicken salad stuffed arepa recipe. We're using jackfruit instead of chicken for this vegan spin on a classic South American "sandwich".
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Arepas are eaten daily in Venezuela, as well as other countries. Traditionally, this arepa is filled with a chicken and avocado salad. I hope you enjoy this vegan version!
My detailed post on how to make arepas should be helpful if you're unfamiliar with them. For another arepa option, check out my basic vegan arepa con queso recipe.
Serve arepas with guasacaca criolla or guasacaca con aguacate, both of which are cilantro-based non-spicy salsas.
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🧄 Ingredient notes
- Masarepa corn flour - Other types of masa or corn flour will not work here. You must have "masarepa". The most common brand is PAN and is most often made from white corn. Goya also makes masarepa and you see that pictured above.
- Canned young jackfruit - This is our "chicken" substitute. Young jackfruit packed in water is what you need to look for. It shreds like chicken and makes a great vegan sub! You cannot use ripe jackfruit packed in syrup for this recipe.
- Vegan mayo - To keep this vegan and oil-free, I'm using my homemade vegan mayonnaise recipe. Any plant-based mayo you like can be used here.
🔪 Instructions
Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to make arepas reina pepiada, but vegan!
- Step 1: Add masarepa flour and salt to bowl. Mix lightly with your hand.
- Step 2: Pour water in the bowl and mix together with your hand.
- Step 3: Mix and knead the arepa dough with your hand until forms a smooth dough and there is no more dry flour.
- Step 4: Form arepa patties with dough using your hands and set the raw arepas aside on a baking tray or plate.
- Step 5: Preheat a flat griddle or pan. Then, grill arepas on the pan for about 5-7 minutes on each side.
- Step 6: Drain canned jackfruit. Then, boil the jackfruit in fresh water for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Squeeze out any excess liquid.
- Step 7: Add all vegan chicken salad ingredients together in a bowl.
- Step 8: Mix salad together well. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed.
- Step 9: Slice arepas ¾ of the way through and fill with vegan chicken salad.
- Step 10: Serve immediately with guasacaca cilantro sauce!
🥡 Make ahead and storage tips
The chicken salad can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. With avocado, you always have the risk of it browning, though the lemon juice should help prevent some of that. It's best made the day of.
Arepa dough can be made ahead and stored in a large ball wrapped in plastic wrap. Pull it out of the fridge and let it come up to room temp. Then, knead the dough a minute or two and add extra water if it's dried out any. Then, you can form your arepas.
Prepared/cooked arepas do not keep very well and Venezuelans typically don't store them to eat another day. They are best made fresh and served immediately.
🚦 Calorie density score
🟡 This recipe gets a yellow light on the calorie density chart. Some of the ingredients (the corn flour, avocado, vegan mayo and vegan butter, if using it) are higher than 600 calories per pound, so eating richer meals like this regularly may prevent you from losing body fat or may even cause you to gain weight. Learn more about calorie density from Jeff Novick, MS, RDN.
Get your own printable calorie density chart for your refrigerator and free ebook explaining calorie density in simple terms.
🗺 Cultural influences
Arepa reina pepiada is from the country of Venezuela in South America. "Reina pepiada" means "curvy queen" and this classic dish is named after Susana Dujim, who was crowned Miss Venezuela in 1955. She went on to compete at the Miss Universe pageant and won the Miss World crown in 1955.
We have several very good friends who are from Venezuela. I'm grateful for them sharing their food culture with me!
Here's an authentic, traditional recipe for this dish by Sujhey Beisser of Five Senses Palate: Arepa Asada - Reina Pepiada
See About for more information on my cultural influences and how I attribute recipes.
💜 More recipes you'll love
If you love this recipe, check out these plant-based Latin American recipes!
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Please rate it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a comment below, so I know which recipes you like the best. This helps me know what to make more of!
📖 Recipe
Venezuelan Arepa Reina Pepiada with Jackfruit and Avocado (vegan chicken salad)
Ingredients
Arepas
- 2 cups PAN masarepa harina pan 285g
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt 2.5g
- 2 cups water 457g
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter optional
Reina Pepiada Filling
- 1 can jackfruit young jackfruit, packed in water
- ½ small onion white or purple onion, minced
- 1 ripe avocado cubed
- 2 tablespoons cilantro minced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons vegan mayo
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Making the arepa dough
- In a large mixing bowl, mix PAN masarepa flour and the salt with your fingers. Pour water into mixing bowl with the flour and salt.2 cups PAN masarepa harina pan, ¾ teaspoon sea salt, 2 cups water
- Mix the dough together with your hands until it is well mixed and no dry flour is visible. Knead the dough for 3 minutes with your hands to fully incorporate the water and allow the masarepa to absorb the water.
- Check to see if the dough is good by rolling a handful of dough into a ball and then make an impression with a finger. The dough should be soft, moldable and doesn't crack where you made the impression. If it cracks, then the dough needs a little more water. Knead in a few tablespoons of water at a time until it is soft.
- Make your arepa patties by rolling a portion of dough into a ball about the size of a tennis ball in your hands. Then, gently press the ball a few times to flatten it. We want both sides of the arepa to be as flat as they can be so they come in contact with the pan to cook evenly. (Think thin hockey 🏒 pucks)(See notes in recipe card for precise weight measurements per arepa.)
Cooking the arepas
- Preheat your flat skillet over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Place arepas in the pan, gently pressing them so they make contact with the bottom of the pan, leaving plenty of room to flip them.
- Cook or grill arepas for about 5 minutes without moving them. Then, with a spatula, carefully lift the first arepa you added to see if its browning. If not, continue cooking and possibly increase the heat slightly. If it is golden brown on the bottom, flip the arepas, gently pressing them into the pan. Cook another 5 minutes on other side. Then, transfer to a towel-lined plate and cover to keep them warm.
Making the filling
- Remove any tough seeds from jackfruit, then drain it. Boil jackfruit in fresh water for 5 minutes, then drain it and set aside to cool.1 can jackfruit
- To a medium mixing bowl, add onion, avocado, cilantro, garlic, mayo, lemon juice, salt and pepper.½ small onion, 1 ripe avocado, 2 tablespoons cilantro, 1 clove garlic, 2 tablespoons vegan mayo, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Squeeze any excess liquid out of the jackfruit. Shred jackfruit with your hands and add to the mixing bowl. Stir to mix thoroughly.
- Slice open arepas lengthwise about ¾ of the way through using a serrated knife so you can fill the arepas. Spread ½ tablespoon of vegan butter inside the arepa (if using), then fill with jackfruit chicken salad. Serve immediately.2 tablespoons vegan butter
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