Air Fryer Yuca Fries (Cassava Fries)
In just 35 minutes with 8 simple ingredients, curb your craving for potato chips or regular fries with this healthier option! These crispy air fryer yuca fries (or cassava fries) are perfectly seasoned, so easy to make, gluten-free, kid friendly, guilt-free and totally delicious! The best part? You can also make these in the oven or a deep fryer, giving you 3 options for how to make yuca fries!
Servings: 6
Calories: 165kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound cassava skin removed and sliced into sticks
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp Italian herbs
Instructions
Air Fryer Instructions
- Place prepared cassava chips into a bowl of cold water and allow it to sit for 15 minutes.
- Drain and add to a pot of boiling water, cook for about 10-15 minutes, until fork tender.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F / 180 C.
- Drain the chips and pat dry with kitchen paper towel.
- Add the cooked cassava chips to a bowl with remaining ingredients. Stir to coat well.
- Transfer the chips to the preheated air fryer basket in an even layer without touching. You may need to cook in several batches depending on size of chips and amount.
- Cook in the air fryer for 10-15 minutes or until golden and crunchy.
- Repeat with remaining raw chips.
- Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.
Oven Instructions
- Cut, soak, boil and drain your yuca chips.
- Season the fries with your spice mixture and place yuca in a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed with olive oil cooking spray or lined with parchment paper.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
- Toss the yuca fries 1-2 times during baking to ensure all the sides get cooked evenly. Enjoy immediately.
Deep Frying Instructions
- Cut, soak, boil and drain your cassava chips, but don't toss them with the spice mixture yet.
- Heat 1-2 cups of oil in a large pot or a wok. Heat to medium heat.
- Add the yuca to the hot oil. Deep fry the chips until they're cooked through and crispy on the outside -- about 2-3 minutes for each batch.
- Remove and drain on a plate covered with paper towels. Toss with spices. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- For easier handling, slice the ends of the yuca root off and then cut in half.
- Cut the slices into even pieces. Once the skin is removed, keep the slices as uniform as possible to ensure they all cook evenly.
- For best results, make sure the yuca slices are completely dry before putting them into the air fryer. This will help them cook faster and get crispy.
- Don't forget to salt the water while boiling the yuca. This adds flavor before you toss it in the spice mixture, similar to how you'd cook pasta.
- To save on prep time, use frozen yuca. If the frozen yuca has already been pre-soaked, you essentially get to skip the cutting and soaking process and go straight to boiling the yuca - and then just follow the steps from there.
- Don't crowd your air fryer. You want the fries in a single, even layer so that they cook properly. You can cook them in multiple batches if needed!
- If you choose to deep fry your yuca fries, use an oil with a high smoke point. Vegetable oil, canola oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil all have a high smoke point. If you use olive oil or an oil with a lower smoke point, the oil will burn and become rancid when frying the yuca.
Nutrition
Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 205mg | Potassium: 215mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g