Arepas de Maiz Peto (Hominy Arepas) Recipe

By
Marian Blazes
Marian Blazes
Marian Blazes is a freelance writer and recipe developer with a passion for South American food. She wrote a cookbook focusing on the cuisine of Brazil.
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Updated on 06/6/22
Marian Blazes
Prep: 8 hrs
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 8 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
179 Calories
12g Fat
15g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 179
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 7g 34%
Cholesterol 33mg 11%
Sodium 694mg 30%
Total Carbohydrate 15g 5%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Protein 4g
Calcium 120mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

You can make delicious arepas de maiz peto (hominy corn) using canned hominy. But you can also make them from dried hominy corn, which results in a fresher tasting arepa with a slightly more substantial texture. I like to make these—it seems more like what traditional women would have made in the past (ie, it's more work!). You need to soak the dried hominy corn overnight to soften before boiling and grinding it the next morning (at least nowadays we can use a food processor as a shortcut).

Serve them sliced and filled with cheese, or alongside a plate of eggs.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Rinse the hominy and place it in a bowl. Cover it with water and let it soak overnight.

  2. In the morning, drain the hominy and place it in a heavy saucepan. Add 3 to 4 cups fresh water and 1 teaspoon salt, and bring to a simmer. Cook at a gentle simmer, covered, stirring from time to time, until corn is soft and chewy, about the texture of steel cut oatmeal. Add more water if needed to prevent corn from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

  3. Once most of the water is absorbed and corn is soft enough, remove from pan (drain any excess water) and place in a food procesor. Add butter and 1/2 cup milk, and process with short quick pulses until you obtain a sort of dough. The mixture should clump together and you should be able to form balls of dough with your hands. If the dough cracks when you try to flatten the dough into a disk, add more milk to the mixture.

  4. Shape the dough into flat disks, about 3 inches in diameter and about 1/2 inch thick.

  5. Rub a small amount of vegetable oil onto a heavy skillet (cast iron is good) and heat over medium-low heat. Cook arepas in batches, turning after about 5 minutes, until both sides are browned and slightly crispy.

  6. Serve warm. If you have extras, save shaped, uncooked arepas for the next day by wrapping them in plastic wrap and storing them in the refrigerator until ready to cook them. (Arepas taste best fresh off of the griddle.