Arepitas de Maiz (Cornmeal Fritters)

Arepitas de Maiz (Cornmeal Fritters) is a delectable side dish that can also be served as party food and is so easy and quick to make.

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Arepitas de Maiz (Cornmeal Flour Fritters) can often be found even in the most humble Dominican eatery as part of el plato del día --an inexpensive Dominican lunch meal-- and on the dining table of countless Dominican homes on any given day.

The secret

This was one of my mom's favorite dishes. You can imagine that I have eaten more than my lifetime allotment of Arepitas de Maíz. My mom could make them with her eyes closed, and so can I now.

There is a secret to making The World's Best Cornmeal Fritters™. It's a little seed that packs a potent flavor...

Aniseed.

About our recipe

Arepitas de Maiz (Cornmeal Fritters) are popular throughout the country, and while there may be small differences in each family's corn fritter recipe, the differences are just that: small. They should taste very similar to each other.

Aside from the aniseed, I think the other key ingredient in this is the little bit of sugar in it. This does not produce sweet cornmeal fritters; the sweetness is very subtle, and it just works well.

This is my mom's recipe, it's so easy to make, and I love it, I hope you do too. But if you have a different way to make these, I'd love to hear about it too.

Buen provecho!

Cornmeal Fritters Recipe

By: Clara Gonzalez

Arepitas de Maiz (Cornmeal Fritters) is a delicious Dominican side dish that can also be served as hors d'oeuvres.

4.91 from 11 votes

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 15 mins

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Dominican, Latino

Servings 4 servings

Calories 322 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup of cornmeal
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons of milk
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of aniseed
• 1½ teaspoon of sugar
• 1 cup of oil for frying

Instructions

 

• 
  Mixing ingredients: Mix cornmeal, milk, eggs, salt, aniseed, and sugar. Cover and let it rest in the fridge for an hour (this step is optional, see notes)
• 
  Frying: In a frying pan heat the oil over medium heat. Pour the mix one spoonful at a time into pan, making small thick pancakes. Fry and turn till golden brown on both sides.
• 
  Serving: Serve hot as a side dish, as finger food, or to accompany an afternoon drink (cocoa, coffee, or fruit shake).

Video

Notes and Tips

Letting the mixture rest helps the cornmeal rehydrate better and produces a more moist fritter.

The cornmeal that we use in the DR is grittier than wheat flour but finer than polenta. If you can't find something like that, you could get away with using polenta, but you may need to add an extra bit of liquid. Fry the first one, try and go from there. Be mindful that it will not result in the exact texture that we're used to.

Nutrition

Serving: 2gCalories: 322kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 7gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 475mgPotassium: 178mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 145IUCalcium: 30mgIron: 1.6mg

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