Arepas Filled With Avocado Chicken Salad (Reina Pepiada)

Delicious Venezuelan Arepas filled with the best avocado chicken salad. Perfect for a quick lunch and dinner! Use it in sandwiches, arepas or by itself! Yum

I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Influence Central for P.A.N. Cornmeal. I received product samples as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation

Arepas Filled With Avocado Chicken Salad (AKA Reina Pepiada)

I am super honored and excited to showcase a recipe that’s very dear to my heart. Of course I tweaked it a bit for the American palate. The Avocado Chicken salad is made with cilantro, lime, leftover rotisserie chicken and roasted almonds. I serve them on delicious arepas. If you’re not familiar with arepas, they are a Venezuelan corn cakes that can be stuffed with endless variety of items. In fact, they make regular food portable.

Arepas are made with P.A.N Cornmeal so they are naturally gluten free. Just add the meal, water, salt and you’re done. Guess this is the easiest bread you will ever make. In fact, arepas are not even baked, they are cooked in a skillet for about 3-4 minutes per side. My daughter eats one every morning filled with cheese.

In Venezuela, We call this dish “Reina Pepiada” named after our famous beauty queens. When you take a bite out of the warm arepas, you’ll notice the toast on the warm outside and the creamy and crunchy inside. Chicken avocado make an amazing combination when paired with some acidity and crunch.

If you’re not fan of arepas you can eat the chicken salad as is, or use it inside sandwiches, pita pockets, etc. But I definitely recommend making an arepa. It’s so easy and delicious! I guarantee that it’s going to be a success with your family.

Sometimes when we are hosting brunch or even dinner. I make dozens of arepas and serve the chicken avocado salad and other toppings on the side. People who come to the party, have fun stuffing their own. And believe me, they are less messy than a taco. 😉

If you’ve been following this blog since the summer, you may have noticed that this is my 3rd recipe using P.A.N Cornmeal. The first one was an Italian Polenta for dinner, the second was an American Maple Bacon Corn muffin and now I am showcasing Arepas stuffed with Chicken Avocado Salad. It just goes to show you how versatile a single ingredient can be. You can also make empanadas, fried dough balls, etc. And serve it for breakfast, snack, lunch and dinner. Now that P.A.N is finally available in the States, you can cook these delicious recipes too! To find more recipes using PAN Cornmeal, head on over

I hope you can try these delicious Arepas Filled With Avocado Chicken Salad at home. If you do, please upload a pic on Instagram and tag me @Livingsweetmoments or use the hashtag #LivingSweet. I promise to repost it.

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Arepas Filled With Avocado Chicken Salad (Reina Pepiada)

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

20 mins

 

Delicious Venezuelan Arepas filled with the best avocado chicken salad. Perfect for a quick lunch and dinner! Use it in sandwiches, arepas or by itself! Yum

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Latin

Servings: 6 -8 arepas

Author: Tiffany Bendayan

Ingredients

• For Arepas
• 2 Cups of P.A.N Cornmeal
• 2 1/2 Cups of Water
• 1 Teaspoon of Salt
• For Avocado Chicken Salad
• 1 Ripe Avocado
• 2-3 Cups of cooked chicken shredded or chopped
• 1/4 Cup of Cilantro chopped
• 2 Tablespoons of Mayo
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 1/2 Teaspoon of onion powder
• 1 Teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/4 Cup of slivered almonds toasted
• Salt + Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. For Arepas
2. In a bowl place the water and salt. Slowly add the PAN Cornmeals and mix with your hands
3. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes
4. Meanwhile, heat a skillet or griddle on medium high heat. Spray the pan with nonstick spray or rub with oil
5. Divide dough into 6-8 portions. Roll out into balls and flatten them with your hands
6. Cook on the griddle for 4-5 minutes on each side
7. Remove from heat
8. If you're making a few batches, keep the hot arepas in a warm oven until ready to use
9. For Avocado Chicken Salad
10. In a bowl, place the avocado and mash with a fork, add the mayo, lemon juice, cilantro, onion powder and garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix
11. Incorporate the chicken into the avocado and with a spoon, mix the mixture together
12. Finally add the almonds
13. Assembly
14. Cut your arepas halfway lengthwise
15. Stuff with the chicken salad
16. Enjoy!