These Air Fryer Yuca Fries are perfectly crispy + yummy + make the perfect plant-based, gluten free snack or side dish! Great alternative to traditional French Fries! Serve with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce!
What Is Yuca?
Yuca is a starchy tuber, the root of the cassava plant. Not to be confused with yucca, which is an ornamental plant (similar looking to a palm tree) that is not eaten. Like its cousin, the potato, yuca is typically eaten boiled or fried. This wonderful vegetable is high in vitamins A + C, folate, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium. Recently, cassava (yuca) flour has become a popular flour in the rise of gluten free + grain free alternatives to traditional all purpose flour.
Tara’s Tips For Perfect Air Fryer Yuca Fries
- I am all about cooking without oil as much as I possibly can. However, these fries need a little spray of avocado oil. Not a lot, but they do need some or they will stick to each other.
- Seasoning options: I simply use salt + red pepper + garlic powder. Alternatively, you could sprinkle them with onion powder, paprika, Trader Joes 21 Seasoning, or black pepper.
- Pro tip: I start with a 3 lb bag of frozen yuca. That way, they are already prepped + peeled making my life a little easier. The frozen version is just as healthy!
- Starting with fresh yuca? They need to be washed, ends cut off, peeled, fibrous core removed, boiled (same method as with the frozen version), and then cut into evenly sized pieces.
- The fibrous core needs to be removed whether you are starting with fresh or frozen yuca. I find this easiest to do after boiling.
How To Boil Yuca Before Air Frying
- The first step in making perfect + crispy yuca fries is to boil the yuca first. I prefer to do this in my Instant Pot but you can boil them in a pressure cooker or stovetop.
- Instant Pot Method: First, place yuca in Instant Pot, cover the yucca with water. Second, place the lid on, be sure it is locked in place. Third, turn the valve to ‘seal’, press ‘manual’. Then, adjust the time to 9 minutes. Finally, when 9 minutes is up, release the pressure manually, carefully remove the lid, drain the hot water.
- Pressure Cooker Method: First, place yuca into the pot of the pressure cooker, cover yucca with water. Second, pressure cook for one whistle. Third, remove from heat, allow pressure to release naturally. Lastly, after the pressure releases, open the cover and carefully drain the hot water.
- Stovetop Method: First, fill a large pot with water, and bring to a boil. Second, add yuca, lower heat, simmer for 20 minutes or until yuca is soft when pierced with a fork. Finally, remove from heat and carefully drain water.
Love Healthy Cooking In Your Air Fryer? Me too!
Follow These Links For My Favorite Air Fryer Recipes:
Sweet Potato Fries or Sweet Potato Crinkle Fries
Beet Chips
Air Fryer Yuca Fries
These Air Fryer Yuca Fries are perfectly crispy + yummy + the perfect plant-based snack! Great alternative to traditional French Fries!
Ingredients
- 3 pounds of fresh or frozen yuca
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 - 1 1/2 tsp red chili pepper powder (to taste, this gives the spice level, only add a little if you are sensitive to spice)
Directions
- Step 1 I use frozen yuca which has the skin and ends already cut off. You simply need to thaw the yuca first. If you are starting with fresh yuca, you will need to carefully peel the skin off, then cut the ends off. The skin on yuca is very thick and tough so be sure to carefully do this with a sharp knife as a vegetable peeler will not work. From there, the cooking instructions are the same for fresh or frozen.
- Step 2 First step is to boil the yuca.
- Step 3 Instant Pot Method: Place yuca in Instant Pot and add enough water to just cover the yucca. Place the lid on, be sure it is locked in place, turn the valve to ‘seal’, press ‘manual’, adjust the time to 9 minutes. When 9 minutes is up, release the pressure manually, carefully remove the lid, drain the hot water.
- Step 4 Pressure Cooker Method: Place yuca into the pot of the pressure cooker, add enough water to just cover the yucca, pressure cook for one whistle, remove from heat, allow pressure to release naturally. Once this happens, carefully drain the hot water.
- Step 5 Stovetop Method: Fill a large pot with water, bring to a boil, add yuca, lower heat, simmer for 20 minutes or until yuca is soft when pierced with a fork. Remove from heat, drain water.
- Step 6 Once yuca is cool enough to handle, cut each piece into evenly sized fry shaped pieces. Remove the fibrous core from each piece.
- Step 7 Transfer to a large bowl, spray with avocado oil spray, or drizzle with avocado oil. You do not need a lot of oil, just enough to coat. Sprinkle with the salt, red pepper, and garlic powder. Gently stir to coat each fry.
- Step 8 Place yuca in air fryer basket in a single layer. This will need to be done in batches depending on the size of your air fryer. Do not overcrowd the basket, the fries will stick together.
- Step 9 Air fry on 390 degrees for 10 minutes or until each fry has is crispy golden brown edges. Shake the basket after 5 minutes of cooking time. Repeat until all fries are cooked.
- Step 10 Serve with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce.
- Step 11 Reheat leftovers by air frying at 390 degrees for 5 minutes to crisp up again.
- Step 12 Enjoy!
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How much water in the Instant pot?
Hi Amy, add just enough water to cover the yucca. I hope you love these as much as we do! – Tara