Şahnur Ilıcalı
21 June 2026 Last updated: 09 September 2026

A Colombian street-food staple, the arepa is made from flat dough of whole-grain corn flour, cooked on a hot surface and filled with shredded beef and hot pepper. This sandwich-style family recipe makes a hearty dinner with gluten-free corn dough and a spicy filling.

Step by Step

How to make it?

1

Start cooking the beef

5 min

Put the beef chunks, half an onion, and salted water in a pot and bring to a boil.

2

Simmer until tender

30 min

Cover and simmer the beef over low heat for 30 minutes. When tender, shred it with a fork.

3

Make the Sauce

15 min

Sauté the garlic, tomato, and hot pepper in neutral oil and season with cumin. Stir in the shredded beef and cook for 10 more minutes.

4

Make the Arepa Dough

10 min

Knead the corn flour with warm salted water into a smooth dough and shape it into flat rounds.

5

Cook

15 min

Cook the arepas in a hot skillet until a light crust forms on both sides. Split them through the middle and fill with the beef mixture.

Reminder

If the edges crack while shaping the arepa dough, add a few drops of warm water and knead again; otherwise, the edges may break while cooking in the skillet.

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Comments (2)

3.7 3 reviews 67% recommend it 1 rated without leaving a comment
5 1
4 1
3 0
2 1
1 0
A
Ali Turan Aide de Cuisine 1 month ago

Eti bir gün önceden haşlayıp buzdolabında bekletince editör notunda dediği gibi didiklemesi gerçekten çok daha kolay oldu. 30 dakikalık haşlama süresi eti tam istediğim yumuşaklığa getirdi, hiç zorlanmadan lif lif ayrıldı.

N
Nesrin Alkan Aide de Cuisine 2 months ago

Acı biber yerine birkaç damla hazır acı sos kullandım ama istediğim acılık seviyesine gelmedi, tadı biraz yavan kaldı. Mısır hamurunu da tavada pişirirken iki tanesi ortadan çatladı, hamuru biraz daha kalın açmam gerekiyormuş.

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