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 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.

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 one hand tied behind her back, and so can I now.

The secret

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

Aniseed.

Why it's so good

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.

How to serve

These are served as a side dish with our lunch, but you can also serve them as an appetizer with a dip. I recommend our mayoketchup sauce, or creamy avocado dip.

About our recipe

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.

This recipe yields 4 servings, of about 3 arepitas per person.

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. Share it in the comments!

Buen provecho!

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[Recipe + Video] Arepitas de Maiz (Cornmeal Fritters)

By: Clara Gonzalez

Arepitas de maiz (cornmeal fritters), a delectable side dish that can also be served as a snack or appetizer, are very easy and quick to make.

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

Tips and Notes

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

Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutritional information.

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