Cantina Chicken & Cheesy Polenta Arepas
with Tomato, Pickled Red Onion & Crema
- Milk
- Wheat
- Eggs
Juicy Mexican-spiced chicken cutlets are served beside the star of this meal: homemade cheesy arepas (savory corn cakes popular in Colombia and Venezuela). You'll fill and shape the dough, brown the arepas in a pan, then bake until crispy outside and melty within. Finish with tangy crema, fresh diced tomato, pickled onion, and a sprinkle of cilantro.
Ingredients
3 tablespoon
Sour Cream
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Red Onion
1 unit
Precooked Polenta
1 cup
Mozzarella Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
82 g
Tempura Batter Mix
(Contains: Milk, Wheat, Eggs)
12 ounce
Chicken Cutlets
1 unit
Tomato
1 unit
Lime
1 tablespoon
Mexican Spice Blend
¼ ounce
Cilantro
Not included in your delivery
1 tablespoon (tbsp)
Olive Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
½ teaspoon (tsp)
Sugar
2 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
2 tablespoon (tbsp)
Cooking Oil
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
- Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash and dry produce.
- Drain polenta. In a large bowl, crumble polenta into small pieces, about the size of a pea. Add tempura batter mix,
half themozzarella, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 TBSP olive oil (2 TBSP for 4 servings) to bowl with polenta. Using your hands, mash to combine until tempura batter mix and mozzarella are thoroughly incorporated, 30-60 seconds. Set dough aside to rest for 10 minutes.
- While dough rests, halve, peel, and thinly slice half the onion (all for 4 servings). Quarter lime. Roughly chop cilantro. Dice tomato into ¼-inch pieces; season with salt and pepper.
In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine onion, juice from half the lime, 1 tsp water, ½ tsp sugar (2 tsp water and 1 tsp sugar for 4 servings), and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave until onion is softened and bright pink, 30 seconds. Carefully remove plastic wrap and stir. Set aside to pickle, stirring occasionally.
Place sour cream in a separate small bowl. Add water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide dough into
84 equal portions (168 portions for 4 servings); shape each into a ball. On a clean work surface, flatten each ball into a ¼-inch-thick round using the palm of your hand. TIP: If dough feels sticky, spray your work surface and hands with nonstick cooking spray.Divide remaining mozzarella between tops of half the dough rounds. Top with remaining dough rounds and press edges of dough rounds together to seal to form arepas. TIP: Pinch and press edges while gently pressing down on tops of sealed arepas using the palm of your hand to ensure no cheese escapes while they cook!
Heat a ⅓-inch layer of oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, carefully add two arepas to pan. Cook until bottoms begin to brown, 2-3 minutes.
Carefully flip arepas. Cook until opposite sides begins to brown, 2-3 minutes. Carefully transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining arepas. TIP: The oil will get hotter with each batch. If arepas begin to brown too quickly, reduce heat to medium.
Once all arepas are browned, bake on middle rack until dough is cooked through and cheese has melted, 10-12 minutes. Let pan cool slightly, then carefully wipe out.
While arepas bake, pat chicken* dry with paper towels and season all over with Mexican Spice Blend, salt, and pepper.
Heat a large drizzle of oil in pan used for arepas over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook until browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side. TIP: Lower heat if chicken begins to brown too quickly.
Slice chicken crosswise.
Divide cheesy arepas between plates. Fan chicken next to arepas. Drizzle everything with crema. Top with tomato, cilantro, and as much pickled onion as you like (draining first). Squeeze remaining lime wedges over the top. Serve.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved the unique and delicious flavors, especially the cheesy polenta arepas and pickled onions 🍲.
- Ease of prep: Several found it time-consuming and challenging to make the arepas, with some struggling to form or flip them.
- Suggestions: Consider adding more seasoning to the arepas; some recommend including a vegetable side or beans for balance.
- Portions: A few felt the arepas were too large or filling compared to the chicken amount.
- Texture: Some found the arepas crispy outside and gooey inside, while others had issues with dryness or crumbling.
