5 Venezuelan Recipes I Make on Repeat

There’s a small list of recipes in my kitchen that never retire.

I’ll try a hundred new things in a year (you know me) but these are the ones I keep coming back to, over and over, because they taste like home. Like my mom’s kitchen in Maracaibo. Like Sunday mornings and Christmas eve and every party we’ve ever thrown.

So here they are: my five most-repeated, most-requested, most this-is-who-I-am Venezuelan recipes, all in one place for you, finally, I know.

Jump to a recipe: Arepas · Tequeños · Quesillo · Patacones · Bollitos Pelones

Venezuelan Arepas, 3 Ways

If you asked me to eat one thing for the rest of my life, it’s this. Three ingredients, one bowl, and the most versatile bread-adjacent situation that exists (sorry bagels, sorry English muffins, it’s not even close). I make them baked, fried, and with a little hole in the middle depending on my mood, and I stuff them with whatever’s in the fridge that day.

Get the full Venezuelan arepas recipe →

Venezuelan Tequeños

Our tequeños are a serious business, and I’m so proud about it. If you’re a respectable Venezuelan (un tipo serio), you serve them at breakfast, snack, supper, a casual party, or a fancy one, and yes, during your wedding is a must. Don’t you dare plan a wedding without a proper servicio de tequeños, ever.

They’re not a regular mozzarella stick (please don’t ever tell a Venezuelan they are) they’re glorious tiny fried cheese sticks wrapped in fresh, homemade dough. My version uses a squeaky white cheddar (the closest I’ve found in Montreal to queso palmita) and a dough folded six to eight times for that flaky, crispy bite.

Get the full Venezuelan tequeños recipe →

Traditional Venezuelan Quesillo

I’m not a big sweet-palette kind of girl, but when I hear quesillo, I’m the first one in line to get a piece. This is my grandma’s recipe: a classic, traditional Venezuelan dessert that’s a mix between a flan and a crème brûlée: but trust me, even better.

Five ingredients, one blender, and a homemade caramel that needs nothing but patience (put the phone down, this is a serious tip). The result is an incredible creamy custard with a caramel top that drizzles over the plate the second you flip it, insert all the happy tears.

Get the full Venezuelan quesillo recipe →

Mini Stuffed Patacones, Three Ways

If you’ve been my friend around here, you know my love for plantain is pretty clear (Maaaracaiiiibing). These little cups of scrumptiousness can be filled with cheese, pork, ground beef, carne mechada, shrimp, pico de gallo, and honestly, whatever else you can imagine. They’re one of my kids’ favourite treats, and they come together fast enough for a weeknight or a party platter.

The secret is in the plantain: fried once, pressed into a cup, then fried again until golden and crisp before you fill it.

Get the full mini patacones recipe →

Venezuelan Bollitos Pelones

This one’s my mom’s favourite, and honestly, it’s the easiest thing: ground beef meatballs wrapped in arepa dough and simmered in a rich tomato sauce. You’ll rarely find bollitos pelones on a restaurant menu, they’re strictly a traditional-homes recipe, which is exactly what makes them special.

They’re naturally gluten-free, and a perfect balance of carbs and protein, my mom’s answer to a Sunday dinner that feeds everyone twice.

Get the full bollitos pelones recipe →

Five recipes, one kitchen, a whole lot of Maracaibo in every bite. Which one are you making first? Tell me in the comments — or better yet, tag me when you do, I want to see ♡