The starchy consistency of yuca makes it perfect for frying just like potatoes. Yuca fries are a tasty treat you can enjoy as a side dish, appetizer, or snack. They’re delightful seasoned simply with salt, but adding a good dipping sauce or tangy pickled onions makes them especially delightful.
Yuca fries are especially popular in Latin and Caribbean countries. These yuca fries featured in this recipe were inspired by the ones I enjoyed in Cuba.
To make yuca fries, the yuca is boiled until tender before frying. After boiling, they are fried until crisp and seasoned with salt. They can also be made in an air fryer.
Yuca, also known as cassava or manioc, is a woody shrub with a starchy, tuberous root. The root is long and tapered, with commercial varieties usually measuring 2 to 4 inches in diameter and 6 to 12 inches long.
Originating in South America, yuca is now cultivated predominantly in Nigeria and is the third-largest source of carbohydrates in the tropics. It’s enjoyed around the world in many forms—boiled, mashed, fried, roasted, added to soups, and more.
For the perfect yuca fries, ensure you choose pieces that are firm, completely free of soft spots, with snowy white flesh without any black spots or discoloration. A mild, subtly sweet, and slightly nutty yuca will serve best for this recipe.
For variations to your yuca fries recipe, you could season your cooked yuca fries with fresh herbs or a spice blend of your choosing. You could also decide to experiment with different dips to find your best fit.
The spice mayo recipe here combines
