If you want to try out a side dish that is crispy and filling for your next meal then yuca frita is everything you need. Yuca frita (fried yuca) is also famous in the Latin American region due to its lightly-browned outer layer and moist soft inside. Yuca or cassava, fried is as yummy and crispy outside as the best French fries one could imagine.

Whether you want to accompany it to other dishes as garnish, or just as a simple munching, here’s an easy way to ‘fry’ yuca to achieve that crispy outer skin to a soft, tender inside. So here’s the quick breakdown on what you need to know about making yuca frita at home with only the essentials.

Ingredients for Yuca Frita

To prepare yuca frita at home, remember that you will require few items, major ones, which you probably would have in your kitchen. The yuca is more or less the focal ingredient in the dish while the other seasonings and the cooking oil enhance the flavor of the yuca. Here’s what you’ll need:

2 pounds of yuca (fresh, peeled and cut in large pieces)
1/2 teaspoon of salt for boiling water
1/2 teaspoon’s salt, for sprinkling over (after it has been fried).
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder (optional)
Oil of your choice for deep frying preferably vegetable oil (sufficient enough to immerse the yuca in the pan.)

This is as basic a preparation as it can get for yuca as the vegetable is seasoned lightly in this preparation.

Step by step Recipe

Yuca Frita

Consequently the following is the procedures involved in the preparation of yuca frita:

Peel and Cut the Yuca: To prepare yuca start by removing the outer skin of the yuca root which tends to be hard using a knife or the vegetable peeler. Yuca should be cut into large uniform pieces with size of ca. 3-4 inches in length to ensure that all the pieces cook uniformly.

Boil the Yuca: In a large container, heat enough water for boiling process and put about 1/2 teaspoon of salt into it. Drop the yuca chunks into the boiling water and continue to boil for 15-20 minutes or until yuca is soft. Do not overcook it; the yuca must be easily pierced by a fork yet should not be mashed.

Drain and Cool: When yuca is soft enough, throw away the water and allow the yuca to cool a little. This step is crucial so that before frying it will not easily break apart when frying.

Remove the Fibrous Core: After, peel the skin off and, cut each chunk of yuca in half vertically. Scrape off the hard brown skin off the yuca and then carefully cut through the center fiber which is indigestible.

Heat the Oil: For frying, pour oil about one inch in a deep skillet or in a frying pan and heat on medium high. It should be hot enough to fry yuca but not smoky when adding yuca into the hot oil.

Fry the Yuca: Submerge the yuca pieces gently in the hot oil and fry in portions if you have too many pieces as this can cause the temperature of the oil to drop down. Fry the yuca for 3-4 minutes on both sides or until they have a golden brown color on the outside.

Season and Serve: Take fried yuca out from the oil and put it on a paper towel plate so that it absorbs extra amount of oil. It has to be seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, if you are using any of it, as soon as you add the butter to the pan.

Enjoy: Consuming the yuca frita hot, yuca frita is ideal to be served as a side dish, snack, or appetizer.

Ingredient Alternatives

In the preparation of Yuca Frita, there are some ingredients that can be substituted for other ingredients in order to come up with the best preferred way of preparing the dish. If you’re looking to modify this yuca frita recipe to suit different tastes or dietary preferences, here are some ingredient alternatives you can try:

Baking instead of Frying: In case you are not comfortable with frying here is an opinion that you should boil the yuca. Check to make sure that water has boiled away from the yuca, preheat oven to 425°F then spread the yuca in an oven-proof dish, drizzle the yuca with olive oil then bake for 20-25 minutes on each side. This method, however, preserves the crispiness on the exterior while soaking the inside part in oil for a short while, not as much as with the first method.

Air Fryer: To make it healthier, you could try and fry the yuca in an air fryer instead. After boiling yuca, pat it dry and toss in a little oil and seasonings and put it in the air fryer at 400 F for 10-15 minutes flipping it halfway through before it becomes crispy.

Sweet Potato Yuca Frita: For people who would love to have a change of taste, you can decide to go for yuca and sweet potato frita. Same to the above steps for frying but replace chunk of potato with sweet potatoes that are healthier meals with some extra sweetness.

Coconut Oil for Frying: Therefore, in case you do not fry the yuca in vegetable oil, coconut oil can be used in frying the food product. Coconut oil which gives a sweet undertaste balances the yuca that has the characteristic of being starchy.

Spice It Up: If you want bring out the spicy side of your yuca frita, sprinkle some cayenne pepper or paprika on your seasoning mixture after frying.

Herb Garnish: Instead of using the regular shake of salt and pepper, add freshly chopped coriander, parsley or sprinkle lime juice.

Secrets of the Top Restaurants on How to Fry Yuca

All in all, the difficult of making the perfect yuca frita depends on quite a number of factors as explained below. Here are some expert tips to help you nail this recipe every time:Here are some expert tips to help you nail this recipe every time:

Boil Before Frying: In preparing yuca, one has to parboil the yuca before frying it Why should yuca be parboiled before frying it? This makes it possible to have the inside part of the food tender and when frying outside part becomes crisp. Omitting this step can result to having yuca which is hard and fibrous in texture all through.

Use a Thermometer for Frying: Be careful on the temperature of your oil while frying. It is recommended that the oils temperature should be in the range of 350 to 375 degree Fahrenheit. If the oil is too cool the yuca will stick to the oil and become greasy in the process. If it’s too hot the whole exterior will char before the interior is even slightly cooked.

Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: In frying place yuca in the pan with a little space in between the pieces. This causes overcrowding of the pan which leads to low oil temperature and ends up with soft and poorly fried yuca. Fear not if it does not all fit in the frying pan as you should fry in batches.

Season Immediately: Yuca is best seasoned as soon as it has been removed from the oil. The heat enables the salt and spices to stick onto the crunchy layer making the food tastier.

Remove the Core: In the preparation of yuca it is very important to remember to take out the fibrous core once you are through boiling it. It is the toughest part of the root and cannot be eaten it should not be left in the food as it will spoil the texture.

What Accompaniments to Yuca Frita

Yuca frita is mainly taken as a side dish but it also has the capacity to be taken as a snack. It is versatile that you can serve it as a side dish with any dip or sauce or even a protein source to make an entire dish at once. Here are some delicious serving suggestions:

Mojo Sauce

Yuca frita is served with mojo sauce which is a garlic sauce which comprises garlic, olive oil, lime juice and cilantro which are ingredients that originated in Cuban cuisine. The sauce is sharp, and it blends perfectly well with the starchy and crispy feel of the Yuca it is served with.

Chimichurri

Chimichurri, an Argentinian sauce that includes parsley, garlic, vinegar, oil is also very suitable for use. Their taste is somewhat herby and when you combine the dish with fried yuca, it balances the greasiness of the fried yuca.

Grilled Meats

Consume yuca frita with barbeque inclining toward the grilled meats for it to be a complete meal inclusive of steaks, poultry and pork. In addition, the crispy yuca can be considered as an excellent substitution for fries or potatoes and combines well with the oily, grill flavour of proteins.

Ceviche

Another dish that goes well with yuca frita is ceviche, although it is a lot lighter. The citrus releasing the fish slices has such an explicit sour taste that compliments with the firmness of the fried yuca hence giving a balanced meal.

Tostones

Add more of the fried bliss by serving yuca frita with tostones, the other Latin American fried delight made from green plantain. All these merges together to produce a tasty meal that will be ideal for serving to other people.

Aioli or Garlic Mayo

When it comes to more rustic and easy good yuca frita goes well with garlic aioli or mayo. I think that the creaminess of the sauce compliments the crispiness and saltiness of the yuca adding a certain creaminess to every bite of it.

Final Thoughts

Yuca frita can be described in many ways; however, it is the best replacement for fries or chips for those who want something new and different. It’s crispy, flavorsome and very simple to prepare even without the many ingredients you would assume are required. If you are a busy person and could not buy fresh yuca, you can use frozen yuca for this recipe and you would get crispy, golden brown yuca all the time.
From these experts, tips, Ingredient substitutions, and pairing advice can turn your yuca frita into a more elevated dish that is not just perfect for snacking, side order, or the main entree. No matter what you do to it; baste it with mojo sauce, serve it as a side dish to accompany ceviche or serve it by its self, yuca frita will surely impress your guest into the next meal.