Air Fryer Yuca Fries
Crispy, perfectly seasoned, and ready in just 35 minutes, curb your craving for potato fries with my incredible air fryer yuca fries recipe! Made with just a handful of simple ingredients, they are gluten-free, guilt-free, and totally delicious! No air fryer? No problem! I've included three different cooking methods including for the oven and deep fryer as well!
Servings: 6
Calories: 165kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound cassava or yuca root 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 15-30 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
- My #1 Secret Tip when making this recipe is to make sure the yucca root is completely dry before cooking. This helps the fries to cook faster and produces a crispier texture. If you don't dry them completely, the extra water will result in the yuca "steaming" instead of air frying, making it more soft and soggy, vs. crispy and golden brown.
- Prep The Yuca Properly: Slice the ends of the yuca root off and then cut it in half. Also, use a sharp knife to peel the skin instead of a vegetable peeler.
- Uniform Slices: I always cut the yuca into even pieces after peeling to ensure that all the fries cook evenly.
- Salt the Water: Don’t forget to add salt to the water when boiling yuca. I use about a tablespoon. This adds flavor, similar to how you cook pasta or potatoes.
- Use Frozen Yuca: Save prep time by using frozen yuca. If it’s pre-soaked, I skip the cutting and soaking process and go straight to boiling.
- Avoid Crowding The Air Fryer: Place the fries in a single, even layer in the air fryer basket. If needed I cook the fries in multiple batches.
- High Smoke Point Oils: If you choose the deep fry cooking method, use oils with a high smoke point like vegetable oil, canola oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil. Avoid olive oil or any oil with a low smoke point to prevent burning.
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