Reina Pepiada Chicken Avocado Salad (Venezuelan Style, No Mayo)

The avocado. That’s 26g of the fat and most of the calories. Nothing else in here is heavy. If you want it lighter, use one avocado instead of two and add an extra tablespoon of Greek yogurt to keep it creamy. That drops you to about 330 calories and 15g fat per serving.

Every one of these serves two, and every serving has a whole avocado in it. That’s on purpose. The fat is what makes it a meal without carbs. If the number is more than you want, split it four ways. Half an avocado each, works as a snack or a light lunch. The toast isn’t in the macros.

Sourdough toast most days. Thick slice, toasted hard, salad piled high, extra lime over the top. If I’ve got the time and the cornmeal, it goes in an arepa, which is the way it’s meant to be eaten. The arepa method is below.

Serves 2. No cooking. 15 minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (about 10 oz)
• 2 ripe avocados
• 2 tbsp Greek yogurt or mayo
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/4 small red onion, finely diced
• 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 serrano, minced (optional)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 4 slices sourdough, toasted

To serve: sourdough toast, lettuce cups, a tortilla, or straight from the bowl.

Steps

1. Mash one avocado in a bowl until smooth. Dice the second and set aside.
2. Stir yogurt, lime juice, cumin, salt, and pepper into the mashed avocado.
3. Add chicken, red onion, cilantro, and serrano. Mix.
4. Fold in the diced avocado last.
5. Pile onto toast. Finish with extra lime.

If you want the real thing, it goes in an arepa. Split it open while it’s hot, pull out a little of the soft center, and pack the salad in. That’s reina pepiada.

Ingredients (makes 4)

• 1 cup precooked white cornmeal (P.A.N. or similar)
• 1 1/4 cups warm water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp oil for the pan

Steps

1. Stir the salt into the warm water. Add the cornmeal and mix with your hand until there are no dry spots. Let it sit 5 minutes.
2. Divide into 4 balls. Flatten each into a disc about 1/2 inch thick.
3. Heat a lightly oiled skillet over medium. Cook 5 to 6 minutes per side until golden and crisp outside.
4. Split with a knife, scoop a little from the middle, and fill.

Arepa macros aren’t in the label above. One arepa adds roughly 130 calories and 28g carbs.

This is the one I make most. Shredded chicken in the fridge, onion and cilantro already chopped, and the whole thing comes together in the time it takes the toast to brown.

Don’t freeze the finished salad. Avocado turns to water. In the fridge, press plastic wrap right on the surface and it holds for two days. Better move: freeze the shredded chicken in portions, prep the add-ins, and mix with fresh avocado the day you eat it. Two minutes.

What is reina pepiada?

A Venezuelan arepa filling made with chicken, avocado, lime, onion and cilantro. This version is the same filling served as a salad on toast, with cumin and serrano added.

Can I make reina pepiada without mayo?

Yes. Mashed avocado is the binder. A spoonful of Greek yogurt keeps it creamy, and you can skip even that if your avocados are ripe.

Can I eat reina pepiada in an arepa instead of on toast?

That’s how it’s meant to be eaten. The arepa method is on this page. Toast is just how I eat it on a weekday.

How long does reina pepiada keep?

Two days in the fridge with plastic wrap pressed on the surface. Don’t freeze it.

• Greek yogurt: mayo, or skip it and use the full second avocado mashed.
• Serrano: jalapeño, or a few dashes of hot sauce.
• Red onion: white onion or shallot. Rinse it under cold water if raw onion is too sharp for you.
• Sourdough: an arepa, lettuce cups, or a tortilla.