Easy Crispy Yuca Fries with Chimichurri Aioli

Yuca is this starchy tuber, similar to potatoes, but even starchier, and if you’re curious about the difference between cassava (yuca) vs potato, I break it down for you there.

If you’ve ever had Colombian soup called sancocho, it’s full of starchy vegetables, and yuca really gives sancocho its thickness.

So I’m all in when there’s a chance to turn it into super crispy yuca fries.

However, unlike a potato, yuca requires a slightly different cooking process to get them tender on the inside and crispy and light golden brown on the outside.

Olga’s Notes

1. This is a great recipe for a group get-together.
2. Pair cassava fries with any of your favorites. Yuca has a mild flavor, which can easily go with any flavor profile.
3. Prepare this recipe in less than 30 minutes, so it’s an easy last-minute go-to.

How Are Yuca Fries Different Than French Fries?

Unlike a yuca fry, a french fry doesn’t require boiling before frying. The BEST fries are soaked in salt water to remove extra starchiness before frying, but they’re not cooked beforehand.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Ingredients you’ll need to make these crispy yuca fries.

1. Frozen yuca or cassava
2. Avocado Oil
3. Salt
4. Chimichurri Aioli
5. Water

How To Make Yuca Fries Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Start by boiling the yuca in salty water (think pasta water so the yuca can absorb the flavor). Note: I add the frozen yuca into the boiling water.
2. Prepare your sauce of choice while the yuca cooks. I made a vegan chimichurri aioli in this case, but you can use regular mayo.
3. In a separate pot, preheat your oil. I love avocado oil for frying. Set it at low to medium heat. You don’t want the oil to be too hot, this will burn the fries instead of giving them a light golden brown color.
4. Once the yuca is fork-tender, remove it from the boiling water -. You’re looking for the yuca to be cooked all the way through.
5. Then, you can either cut the yuca into thick fries or use two forks to pull them apart. Note: I love pulling them apart because they create crinkly edges that become extra crispy after frying.
6. Remove the tough, inedible, stringy thread found in the middle of the yuca before frying.
7. Pat the yuca with a paper towel before frying. Add the yuca to the hot oil, test a small piece before adding more, to make sure your oil is hot enough.
8. Then fry it until it’s light golden brown. Immediately after removing them from the oil, place them on a rack and salt.
9. Serve with your favorite aioli or sauce. Enjoy!

Top Tips For Tender Yuca Fries

1. Boil in extra salty water to incorporate flavor before frying.
2. No additional time thawing the yuca is required, just go from frozen to boiling to save time.
3. Remove the tough thread found in the core of the yuca before frying.
4. Make sure to pat the yuca dry before adding to the oil.

What To Serve With Yuca Fries?

Yuca fries have a mild flavor and are starchy enough that they taste so good with a tangy sauce. So I love to pair them with my favorite sauces., including aji picante, and authentic chimichurri sauce.

Ribs and yuca fries are also a pairing made in heaven. Try this no-marinate costillas recipe.

FAQs

Extra Crispy and Tender Yuca Fries with Chimichurri Aioli

Olga Muñoz

Super crispy yuca fries are undefeated; they're so good when they're done right.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 27 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine Colombian, Cuban, Puerto Rican

Servings 6 people

Calories 400 kcal

Equipment

• 2 Cooking Pots I like to fry in a smaller pot to use less oil.
• 1 Cutting Board
• 2 Forks

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 lbs Frozen Yuca
• 2 qts Filtered Water Enough to cover the yuca
• 14 oz Avocado Oil Enough to cover the yuca
• 1 tsp Salt

Instructions

 

• Step One:

  Start by boiling the yuca in salty water (think pasta water so the yuca can absorb the flavor). Note: I add the frozen yuca into the boiling water.
• Step Two:

  Prepare your sauce of choice while the yuca cooks. I made a vegan chimichurri aioli in this case, but you can use regular mayo.
• Step Three:

  In a separate pot, preheat your oil. I love avocado oil for frying. Set it at low to medium heat. You don’t want the oil to be too hot, this will burn the fries instead of giving them a light golden brown color.
• Step Four:

  Once the yuca is fork-tender, remove it from the boiling water -. You’re looking for the yuca to be cooked all the way through.
• Step Five:

  Then, you can either cut the yuca into thick fries or use two forks to pull them apart. Note: I love pulling them apart because they create crinkly edges that become extra crispy after frying.
• Step Six:

  Make sure to remove the tough, inedible, stringy thread found in the middle of the yuca before frying.
• Step Seven:

  Pat the yuca with a paper towel before frying. Add the yuca to the hot oil; test a small piece before adding more to make sure your oil is hot enough.
• Step Eight:

  Then fry it until it’s light golden brown. Immediately after removing them from the oil, place them on a rack and salt.
• Step Nine:

  Serve with your favorite sauce or aioli, and enjoy!

Notes

Top Tips For Tender Yuca Fries

1. Boil in extra salty water to incorporate flavor before frying. Try adding garlic cloves to infuse garlic flavor into the yuca.
2. No additional time is required to thaw the yuca; go from frozen to boiling to save time.
3. Remove the tough thread found in the core of the yuca before frying.
4. Make sure to pat the yuca dry before adding to the oil.

Nutrition

Calories: 400kcalCarbohydrates: 66.7gProtein: 1.3gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 2.3gSodium: 20mgFiber: 2.7gSugar: 3gVitamin C: 13.3mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 0.47mg

Keyword cassava fries, yuca fries

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