Arepa pelua

Name: Arepa pelua
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 23 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Venezuela
Ingredients: 500g Beef; 1 Onion; 1 Red Pepper; 2 cloves Garlic; 1 tsp Cumin; 1 tsp Oregano; 1 tsp Paprika; 1 L Beef Stock; 2 1/2 cups Water; Pinch Salt; 200g Cheese; Pinch Extra Virgin Olive Oil

By The Spice & Simmer Kitchen · Published May 3, 2026

A one-pot Beef recipe with Venezuela flavors, built for busy weeknights when you want real food without a sink full of dishes. Comes together in roughly 57 minutes, serves about 4, and uses ingredients you can find at any normal grocery store. The technique is simple: build a base in your pot, layer in the main ingredients, simmer until everything has had time to talk to each other, and serve straight from the pan. If you're cooking for picky eaters, this one tends to land — the flavors are recognizable, the texture is comforting, and there's nothing weird hiding in the ingredient list. Perfect for the kind of evening where you want dinner on the table by 7pm and the kitchen empty by 7:30.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings · 35 min total

500g Beef
1 Onion
1 Red Pepper
2 cloves Garlic
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Paprika
1 L Beef Stock
2 1/2 cups Water
Pinch Salt
200g Cheese
Pinch Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Step-by-step instructions

Cook the meat: Place the flank steak in a pot with broth or water and salt. Cook over low heat for about 2 hours, until tender and easy to shred.
Shred the meat: Once cooked, drain and shred the meat using two forks.
Prepare the vegetables: Sauté chopped onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a little oil. Add cumin, oregano, paprika, and salt. Stir in the meat and cook for a few minutes until the flavors are well combined.
Make the dough: In a bowl, mix the cornmeal with warm water and salt until a soft dough forms. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
Form the arepas: Divide the dough into 6 portions, shape into balls, and flatten into thick discs.
Cook: Cook the arepas on a griddle or skillet over medium heat for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden. You can then bake them for a few minutes if you prefer them crispier.
Fill: Slice the arepas open on one side, fill with the hot shredded beef, and top with grated cheese.

Why this works on a weeknight

Arepa pelua lands at about 35 minutes total — a little longer than our 30-minute target, but most of that time is hands-off simmering, which is why it earned a spot in our Skillet & One-Pan collection. The technique is forgiving, the ingredient list is grocery-store standard, and the active cooking time is short enough that you can answer a text message in the middle without ruining dinner.

Cleanup notes

This is a single-pan recipe, so the cleanup is exactly one pan, one cutting board, and one knife. While the dish rests, fill the pan with hot soapy water — by the time you are done eating, the residue lifts off with a single pass of a sponge. Skip the steel wool on cast iron; a stiff brush and warm water are all you need to keep the seasoning intact.

Make-ahead and leftovers

Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in a dry pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce. Arepa pelua actually improves overnight as the flavors keep talking to each other, so doubling the recipe and packing tomorrow's lunch is a high-leverage weeknight move.

Filed under 🥘 Skillet & One-Pan Beef Venezuela