Craving a warm, tasty cornmeal cake? These Trader Joe’s arepas in the air fryer are the perfect solution. In just about 15 minutes, you can have a warm arepa that’s perfect for breakfast, lunch, or a snack anytime you’re craving one!
Arepas are a slightly sweet cornmeal-based cake originating from Columbia and Venezuela. The corn dough is patted into a disc shape and traditionally fried. It may be served with toppings, or cut open and stuffed with meats, beans, and other foods.
Thankfully, you can skip the prep work and the deep frying thanks to Trader Joe’s. These tasty arepas cook right from frozen, no defrosting required! You’ll use way less oil with the air fryer than you would with the deep fryer as well.
TJ’s version are cheese-filled arepas con queso, which are delicious in a pseudo grilled cheese sort of way all on their own. However, you can also dress them up with other toppings and sauces if you want!
They’re also naturally gluten free, making them perfect for a variety of dietary needs.
What You’ll Need: Ingredients
1 box Trader Joe’s frozen corn and cheese arepas
Additional toppings if desired
Ingredient Notes and Tips
The air fryer cooking method works with any brand of frozen arepas. If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby, feel free to swap in another brand like Goya, Mambo, or La Fe instead
A little bit of salted butter on top is a traditional serving, but you can add less traditional items such as a fried egg, chili, beans, sweet and spicy jam, hot sauce, or guacamole to yours!
How to Make Trader Joe’s Arepas in an Air Fryer
Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (or the closest setting your air fryer has)
Cut a piece of foil or parchment to fit both the arepas and your air fryer basket
Remove the arepas from all exterior packaging and place them on the foil into the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer
Spritz the exterior of the arepas with a little oil spray if a crispier exterior is desired (optional)
Air fry for 12 minutes at 375°F, pausing halfway to flip and reapply oil if desired
Arepas are done when they are brown on the edges, hot in the middle, and the cheese is completely melted. If needed, add an additional 1-3 minutes of cooking time as necessary
Serve with your favorite toppings or sides!
What to Serve With Arepas
Salted butter
Sweet or savory jam
Hot sauce
Chimichurri
Sour cream
Fried egg
Cheese
Chili
Chicken salad
Pulled pork
Shrimp
Chorizo
Ceviche
Guacamole
Salsa
Beans
Fried plantains
Coconut rice
Fresh papaya
Hot chocolate
Soda
Pilsner beer
Chardonnay
As you can see, there are a variety of both sweet and savory options that you can serve with arepas. Choose whatever suits your mood, or try a variety and find your favorite preparation!
Can You Air Fry Trader Joe’s Corn and Cheese Arepas?
Yes, you can air fry Trader Joe’s corn and cheese arepas. The air fryer produces a similar browned exterior as deep frying, using far less oil.
You may need to cook in batches depending on the size of your air fryer, as the arepas need to be in a single layer.
How Do You Reheat Trader Joe’s Arepas?
To reheat Trader Joe’s arepas, cook them in the air fryer for 5-7 minutes at 360°F, or until warmed through.
This method works for other types of leftover arepas as well, and is not exclusive to Trader Joe’s brand.
How Do You Know When Arepas Are Done?
Arepas are done when the bread has puffed up slightly. The exterior should be crispy, but should give when pushed.
Tapping on the top with a spoon should create a hollow sound.
Should Arepas Be Crispy or Soft?
As to whether arepas should be crispy or soft, the answer is both. The exterior should be browned and crispy, while the interior should be soft and almost cake-like in consistency.
Grilled arepas will not have as crispy of an exterior as the fried versions, but will still be crispier where it touched the grill.
What Time and Temperature Should I Use to Air Fry Arepas?
Air fry arepas at a temperature of 375°F-380°F for 12-15 minutes. This may vary slightly based on your specific arepas and air fryer, but is a good average range.
This temperature is perfect for getting the outside lightly browned and crispy and allowing the cheese to melt, without burning.
Recipe Pro Tips
The foil or parchment paper is used to help catch drips as the cheese starts to melt. You can go without, but you’ll have to clean melted cheese off your air fryer basket!
It’s important as well that you do not block all air flow in your air fryer by completely covering the basket or rack with foil. I just fold mine to size to fit the arepa, which leaves plenty of open vents around it
I recommend a spatula for flipping the arepas, as they will slide a little bit as the cheese starts to melt so you’ll want a quick flip
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover cheese arepas in an airtight container in your refrigerator and consume within 3 days. You should not refreeze them
To reheat your Trader Joe’s arepas, cook them in the air fryer for 5-7 minutes at 360°F, or until warmed through. Alternatively, they may be cut in half first and then microwaved for 45-60 seconds, but will lose their crispy exterior
Other Trader Joe’s Foods to Make in Your Air Fryer
These tasty Trader Joe’s arepas con queso are the perfect way to enjoy a warm, cheesy, corn-based treat anytime. They cook directly from frozen and are ready to enjoy in 15 minutes or less!
I eat them for all sorts of meals, whether it’s adding an egg to the top and enjoying breakfast, or slicing my arepa open and stuffing it with savory fillings for lunch. You can’t beat the combo of the light sweetness of the arepa when paired with salty, savory, and spicy foods.
They’re also pretty easy to reheat, which makes them great for a quick snack or an on-the-go lunch the next day.
Trader Joe’s arepas cook up directly from frozen in your air fryer in under 15 minutes. The slightly sweet corn and cheese griddle cakes are a perfect breakfast, lunch, or snack!
Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (or the closest setting your air fryer has)
Cut a piece of foil or parchment to fit both the arepas and your air fryer basket
Remove the arepas from all exterior packaging and place them on the foil into the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer
1 Box Trader Joe's frozen arepas
Spritz the exterior of the arepas with a little oil spray if a crispier exterior is desired (optional)
Oil mist or nonstick spray
Air fry for 12 minutes at 375°F, pausing halfway to flip and reapply oil if desired
Arepas are done when they are brown on the edges, hot in the middle, and the cheese is completely melted. If needed, add an additional 1-3 minutes of cooking time as necessary
Serve with your favorite toppings or sides!
Notes
The air fryer cooking method works with any brand of frozen arepas. If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby, feel free to swap in another brand like Goya, Mambo, or La Fe instead
A little bit of salted butter on top is a traditional serving, but you can add less traditional items such as a fried egg, chili, beans, sweet and spicy jam, hot sauce, or guacamole to yours!
The foil or parchment paper is used to help catch drips as the cheese starts to melt. You can go without, but you’ll have to clean melted cheese off your air fryer basket!
It’s important as well that you do not block all air flow in your air fryer by completely covering the basket or rack with foil. I just fold mine to size to fit the arepa, which leaves plenty of open vents around it
I recommend a spatula for flipping the arepas, as they will slide a little bit as the cheese starts to melt so you’ll want a quick flip
Store leftover cheese arepas in an airtight container in your refrigerator and consume within 3 days. You should not refreeze them
To reheat your Trader Joe’s arepas, cook them in the air fryer for 5-7 minutes at 360°F, or until warmed through. Alternatively, they may be cut in half first and then microwaved for 45-60 seconds, but will lose their crispy exterior
Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand and flavor of ingredients, any sauces or sides added, and quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only
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I enjoy trying new recipes, creating my own, and dabbling with new techniques all the time. My husband loves to protest when I make him my guinea pig, but it’s all for the love of food!
My cooking philosophy is that great tasting food doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming to make. I'm a home cook with over 20 years of experience feeding myself and others. I've learned from a variety of different people, things I've learned online, and some trial and error as well.
I enjoy cooking a variety of foods, from convenience to comfort foods, as well as international cuisine. You can rest assured that all of my recipes have been actually made, thoroughly tested, and most importantly: tasted! I want you to enjoy my food as much as I do!
