Cheesy Yuca Arepas Recipe | Arepas de Yuca y Queso
Arepas are eaten all over Latin America, with regions in many countries having their own unique specialties. Classic Venezuelan arepas are made with a specific type of corn meal, while traditional arepas in Puerto Rico use all purpose flour. Cheesy yuca arepas, or arepas de yuca y queso, are one of my favorite recipes out of all the varieties of arepas. With just a few ingredients, you'll be able to easily make cheesy, stretchy, pull-apart arepas that go with a variety of toppings, pair with lots of different foods as a side dish, or can be eaten on their own as a tasty snack or a quick breakfast. If you make the dough, or masa, ahead, you can make these cassava arepas in under 15 minutes.
Yuca, also known as cassava, is a starchy root vegetable that's native to the tropical Americas and has spread to other parts of the tropical world, especially in Africa. In many countries, from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, to the Ivory Coast and Nigeria, it's a staple food that's even more popular than potatoes in some places, and eaten in a variety of ways.
The yuca root can be made into porridges, mashes, fries, various types of yuca breads, added to soups and stews, and has so many other uses. And nowadays, yuca flour is a common ingredient in gluten free baking. In the Ivory Coast, fresh yuca is fermented and made into a cassava couscous called attieke, which I'll soon have an instant recipe for on my blog! It's a low effort side dish that I eat at least once a week.
You can buy whole yuca at most Caribbean, African, or Latino markets fresh or frozen. The frozen type will save prep time peeling and lasts longer in the freezer, while fresh yuca will boil faster once it's in the pot. Whichever you choose is up to you!
What to eat with cheesy yuca arepas–my favorite toppings and pairings
Refried beans: One easy topping for a yuca arepa is warm, seasoned refried beans, which add protein and fiber to the dish. I like to serve some chipotle hot sauce with the refried beans and arepas.
Seasoned ground meat: Mexican Picadillo or Puerto Rican Picadillo are my absolute favorite pairings. If you make it ahead, it can be part of a quick breakfast or lunch.
Avocado: Sometimes I add avocado with refried beans, and/or seasoned ground meat for some healthy fats and extra delicious flavor. Sometimes I also eat these with just avocado and hot sauce.
As a side with grilled pork chops, rice, and pink or black beans: These yuca arepas work as a great side to this classic Puerto Rican dish, or can be served as a delicious appetizer for this plate.
Hot chocolate: For something simple, these cheesy yuca arepas pair beautifully with a warm, frothy cup of hot chocolate.
Step 1: Boil your uncooked, peeled yuca
Set a large pot of salted water to boil over medium heat or medium-high heat. Once it's boiling, add your uncooked, peeled yuca and boil until it's fork-tender. Do not taste the yuca before it's finished cooking. Remove any spiny parts in the middle before proceeding to step 2. Here you can see a picture of what the yuca should look like once it’s done, and what you should be looking to remove before puréeing.
Step 2: Purée your cooked yuca.
I like to use a food processor to do this. Just add the boiled yuca to the food processor, and purée until you have a smooth consistency. You could also use a potato masher to do this, or a mortar and pestle, also known as a pilón, but a food processor will give you the smoothest results in the least amount of time.
Step 3: Add your yuca, salt, tapioca starch, and mozzarella cheese
Add the mozzarella cheese, tapioca starch, and about 2/3 cup or 150g of yuca purée to a mixing bowl and mix well.
Step 4: Add 1 tsp of extra-virgin olive oil to the mix
Add 1 teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil in the mixing bowl and mix well. Your yuca mixture might not look the way mine looks and that’s okay. We’re working with natural ingredients that may have different moisture contents and this is normal. We’ll make adjustments in the next step.
Step 5: Make adjustments to the amount of olive oil and/or water in the bowl
The exact amounts will depend on how much your yuca has been boiled. Some people boil their yuca to different extents. The goal is to make sure you have a smooth ball of dough that doesn't stick to your hands.
Start by adjusting the amount of water in the bowl. If your dough, or masa, is a crumbly mess, or breaks when gentle pressure is applied, add water teaspoon by teaspoon until the mixture comes together fully. Sometimes you wont need to add any water at this step, and I didn't in the photos shown. But depending on how long the yuca was boiling in the water I've added up to 3 teaspoons.
Once your masa holds together and has enough water, check to see if the dough is still sticking to your hands. You may need to add 1-2 additional tsp of oil. Add it teaspoon by teaspoon and incorporate it into the masa until it no longer sticks to your hands. Don’t add additional oil beyond this point. Once it's done, you should easily be able to form it into a smooth ball.
Heat your pan on medium-low. If you're using a nonstick skillet, you wont have to worry much about the exact heat of the pan, just make sure it's hot and any oil you add isn't smoking. If you're using a stainless steel pan, heat the pan without any oil. You'll know when it's the right time to add your arepas when drops of water dropped onto the surface of the pan form small balls that dance around the pan, rather than sizzling or immediately evaporating. Don't heat the pan too far beyond this point to prevent the arepas from burning.
Step 7: Form the arepas with the yuca mixture
Once your masa is not sticky and holds together, choose how many arepas you want to make and at what size. This recipe will make one large, 5-6 inch arepa, or you could make 2-4 smaller ones. If you want to make a larger arepa, form one large ball with the yuca. If you're making more than one, form several small balls.
Once you have your yuca balls, press them down into circles with your hands to flatten them into discs.
Noting the temperature guidance in step 6, check if the pan is the right temperature for cooking. Once it is, add a thin layer of oil to the pan. You can use spray oil for this or a little bit of extra-virgin olive oil that's evenly spread where you plan to cook the arepas.
Once the pan is at the right temperature and properly oiled, add the yuca arepa(s) to the pan.
Cook them until the bottom side of the arepas are golden brown, then flip them with a spatula and cook them until both sides are golden brown.
Remove them from the pan and add your favorite toppings. Happy eating!
How to store cheesy yuca arepa dough
I haven't tried storing the cooked arepas, but you can store the uncooked dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-4 days. This is a great opportunity to meal prep a quick breakfast or lunch, or a dinner side.
When you're ready to cook them, simply check the moisture content as you did in step 5, since evaporation can happen in the refrigerator, and add more water if needed to hydrate the dough. Then, continue cooking them in a pan from that stage.
Source: Cheesy Yuca Arepas Recipe | Arepas de Yuca y Queso
