Braised Black Bean and Chorizo Arepa Mole Verde

The Mole Verde pops in this classic Venezuelan favorite — Braised Black Bean and Chorizo Arepas. The slight sweetness of the cornmeal cakes are deliciously complemented with a filling of hearty Mexican chorizo and a black beans. Tomatillos, poblanos, jalapeños and serranos give the Mole Verde a fresh, spicy, and slightly tart flavor that perfectly brightens the dish. This is comfort food at its best. Find the recipe and printable recipe PDF below! 

 
 

Yield: 20-25 Arepas

Ingredients

Black Beans and Chorizo Filling

½ lb. black beans, sorted, soaked overnight

4 ea. garlic clove

½ ea. white onion

1 ea. bay leaf

1 tsp. cumin, ground

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 qt. water

1 lb. Mexican chorizo

2 lbs. prepared masa (find the recipe here)

2 qts. Mole Verde (find the recipe here)

1 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled

1 cup red onion, small dice

1 cup radishes, thinly sliced

Method

For the filling:

  1. Drain beans and place into a pot with the garlic, onion, bay leaf, cumin, olive oil, and water.  Bring to a simmer, and cook on low until softened and creamy, about 1 ½ hours. Allow to cool in liquid.

  2. Drain beans.

  3. Cook chorizo on medium heat until cooked through and crumbly. Mix beans and the chorizo together, set aside.

  4. Separately, knead the masa and divide into balls about 1½ inches in diameter. Then roll into cylinders about 2½ inches long. Make into oval tortillas, either by hand or in a tortilla press. Then spread a tablespoon of the chorizo and bean mixture down the center of the masa and fold over, pressing the edges of the dough together to seal and lightly press and form into an oval shape.

  5. Cooking the arepas: Wipe the skillet (preferably non-stick) with a bit of oil and put it over medium heat.

  6. Allow the pan to fully heat up before adding the arepas.

  7. Once the pan is hot, add the arepas to the pan and cook without moving them in the pan for 5-7 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and cover the pan with a lid to help the arepas cook a bit faster.

  8. Flip the arepas over when lightly brown and allow them to cook on the other side for about the same amount of time.

  9. You may need to turn them several times cooking for an additional few minutes until they are done.

Serve smothered with mole Verde and garnish with queso cotija, red onion, and radishes.

 
 

This recipe and video were produced by The Culinary Institute of America as an industry service,
thanks to the generous support of the International Olive Council.