Sep 10 2026
Restaurants›Cilantro & Ajo South Side›Cachapa With Venezuelan Cheese (queso De Mano) Recipe

Cachapa With Venezuelan Cheese (queso De Mano) Recipe

Inspired by Cilantro & Ajo South Side
Time45m
Serves4

Sweet corn pancake stuffed with Venezuelan cheese.

Jump to Recipe

Was this page helpful?

Help improve this recipe for others.

Send this recipe to your inbox.

We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.

Ingredients

Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Cachapa Batter

Filling & Serving

Method

Prepare Batter

  1. 1

    Process corn

    Remove fresh corn kernels from 3 ears (about 3 cups). Place kernels in a blender or food processor.

  2. 2

    Blend to coarse purée

    Add 1 cup whole milk and 1 large egg to the blender with the corn. Pulse to a coarse purée — you want some texture (small corn pieces) remaining, not a totally smooth liquid. Scrape down sides as needed.

  3. 3

    Combine dry ingredients

    In a medium bowl, whisk 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt until combined.

  4. 4

    Mix batter

    Pour the corn mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add 2 tablespoons melted butter and mix until a thick, spoonable batter forms. If batter is extremely thick, stir in up to 2 tablespoons more milk to loosen slightly. Let rest 5–10 minutes.

Cook Cachapas

  1. 5

    Preheat skillet

    Heat a 10–12 inch nonstick or cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. Brush lightly with vegetable oil (about 1 teaspoon) and wipe excess with a paper towel so the surface is evenly greased.

  2. 6

    Spoon batter

    For each cachapa, scoop about 1/3 to 1/2 cup batter onto the hot skillet and spread with the back of the spoon into a roughly 5–6 inch circle. The batter should be thick and hold some texture.

  3. 7

    Cook first side

    Cook 3–4 minutes until the bottom is golden and you see bubbles and set edges. Adjust heat as needed to avoid burning — medium to medium-low works best to cook through without overbrowning.

  4. 8

    Flip and finish

    Carefully flip the cachapa and cook the second side 2–3 minutes until golden and cooked through. Repeat with remaining batter, wiping and re-oiling the skillet between batches if needed. This recipe yields about 6–8 cachapas depending on size.

Assemble and Serve

  1. 9

    Slice cheese

    Slice 10 oz queso de mano into 1/4 inch thick slices or tear into pieces if very soft. If using substitution (mozzarella or queso blanco), slice similarly.

  2. 10

    Fill cachapas

    When a cachapa is cooked, place 2–3 slices (about 1.5 oz) of cheese on one half of the pancake and fold the other half over like a semicircle. For very large cachapas, use more cheese as desired. Repeat for each cachapa while warm so cheese melts.

  3. 11

    Butter and finish

    Briefly return filled cachapa to the skillet seam-side down for 30–45 seconds to help the cheese melt. Remove and brush the outside lightly with 1 tablespoon melted butter for shine and flavor.

  4. 12

    Season and serve

    If desired, sprinkle a tiny pinch of salt over cachapa or serve with a side of crema, sliced avocado, or guasacaca. Serve hot.

More from Cilantro & Ajo South Side