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
Keyword arepas, corn and cheese arepas, frozen arepas in air fryer, trader joe's arepas, trader joe's arepas air fryer instructions, trader joe’s air fryer recipes, trader joe’s arepas air fryer, trader joe’s corn and cheese arepas, trader joe’s corn and cheese arepas air fryer