We’re big fans of Disney’s Encanto, and we’ve always wanted to try one of Mirabel’s mom’s famous arepas. The healing powers were a plus, but we also just wanted to try that tasty traditional Colombian food!
Luckily, our dreams of getting a bite of one of the Madrigal family’s arepas are finally coming true! How do you even begin a task like this? Well, we’ll tell you!
Disney released a recipe for White Corn and Mangalitsa Pork Arepas With Hogao. The chef who created this has also created food for the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, so we know we’re in for a real treat.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients
For Hogao:
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup sliced scallions
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cups diced tomatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For pork rillettes:
- 3 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, cut in large pieces
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup celery, diced
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup Colombian lager or chicken broth
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
For corn arepas:
- 2 1/2 cups precooked white cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 cups warm water
- 1/4 canola oil
Here’s how to make them:
Directions
First, make the Hogao:
- Preheat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes, until hot. Add scallions, garlic, and cumin. Sauté for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, until tomatoes are softened.
- Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until thickened.
- Cool completely and store covered in refrigerator up to 1 week.
Next, make the pork rillettes:
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Generously season pork with salt and pepper; set aside.
- Heat oil in a large, deep-sided pot over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add onions and garlic and sweat until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Be careful not to brown.
- Add reserved pork, celery, chicken broth, lager (or chicken broth), bay leaves, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a gentle boil. Cook until liquid reduces slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Cover, transfer to oven, and cook until fork tender, about 3 hours. Remove from oven.
- Remove pork from liquid, reserving cooking liquid, and transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cool for 10 minutes. Mix on low speed until meat is broken up.
- Strain solids from reserved sauce.
- Run mixer at low speed, and slowly add sauce back into meat until it reaches pâté-like consistency. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Set aside and cool while making arepa dough.
Lastly, make the corn arepas:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix cornmeal, sugar, salt, and melted butter in a large bowl; slowly add water until thoroughly mixed.
- Wet hands and form a ball of dough with 1/4 cup of cornmeal mixture. Press to form arepa cake about 3 inches wide and 1/4-1/3 inch thick. (Dough will continue to stiffen. If dough becomes too stiff, add a small amount of water).
- Form 2 tablespoons of pork rillettes mixture into a small ball. Place in center of arepa and form cake around meat mixture. Once pork is totally covered, gently press into a flattened cake. Repeat until all arepas are ready for cooking.
- With caution, heat 1/4 cup canola oil in large sauté pan or skillet over medium heat, until hot. Working in batches, fry arepas for 5 minutes. Turn and fry and additional 5-6 minutes, until golden.
- Place on prepared baking sheet and repeat step until all cakes are fried, adding more oil to pan if necessary.
- Bake 5-10 minutes or until arepas sound lightly hollow when tapped.
- Remove from oven and top with hogao before serving.
BOOM! You’re ready to live your Encanto life! Be sure to stay tuned to DFB for all things Disney!
Click here for more Disney recipes!
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.

Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
Will you be making this recipe? Let us know!
TRENDING NOW
Disney and Starbucks have once again joined forces to launch new mugs to their Discovery...
Check out this brand-new Bluey collection at H&M!
A favorite Disney World perk is returning to Disney's Animal Kingdom soon and we're bringing...
A NEW entertainment offering is coming to Disney Springs soon!
If you break this rule, you could be temporarily BANNED from Disneyland.
How to join Indy on stage!
Disney revealed the name and story details of the new pirates-themed lounge coming to Adventureland...
A new Disney Loungefly collection inspired by Sleeping Beauty just debuted online, and you're NOT gonna...
Disney adults -- you have to see these items on sale on Amazon!
Looking for a great spot to eat in Magic Kingdom? These are the three restaurants...
A recent project was just completed on Interstate 4 in Orlando that could make getting...
Fans of the Disney Dining Plan will want to sit down for this EPCOT news...
We tried TWO new items at Everything POP at Disney's Pop Century Resort, and while...
If you've been eying a new Loungefly bag, this sale is perfect for you!
Watch out, these Minnie ears may disappear faster than the speed of light!
Mother's Day is quickly approaching! Need a last-minute gift? We've got you covered!
Make sure you follow these rules if you ever visit Disneyland's Club 33!
These perks make staying at a Disney Hotel extra worth it.
Some of the popular styles of up to 1/2 OFF!
New Aldi stores are coming to the Central Florida area this year!