Healthy Eating

Air Fryer Yuca Fries | The Picky Eater

July 29, 2024

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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!

I just love a side of fresh, hot traditional fries! But I also know they are more of a once-in-a-while indulgence and aren’t the healthiest option to have all the time. But thanks to the air fryer, deep frying isn’t the only option, nor is just using potatoes.

My air fried yuca fries are crispy, golden brown, and irresistible. They take just minutes to make with very little oil, making them a healthier alternative to regular potato fries or potato chips without sacrificing any of the flavor!

This is a comfort food you can feel good about eating because yuca has many health benefits (source). Whether you serve them on their own or with a delicious dipping sauce, once you learn how to make yuca fries in the air fryer, your family won’t be able to get enough!

✔️ What Is Yuca?

Yuca is a starchy root vegetable, also known as cassava, manioc, or Brazilian arrowroot, widely grown in tropical regions like Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. It has a tree bark-like skin and starchy white flesh. It is the tuber of a large shrub, which is why it’s classified as a root vegetable.

Compared to potatoes, yuca has a slightly chewier texture and offers a mild, slightly sweet, nutty flavor. It’s higher in carbs, protein, and calories than potatoes but has a lower glycemic index and more fiber and potassium.

It’s important not to confuse yuca with yucca. While they may sound similar, they are very different. Yucca is the broad genus name (category name) for up to 50 different species of a flowering ornamental plant with spiky, pointed leaves. Yucca plants do not have any edible roots, although they do have edible flowers, seeds, and fruits.

My air fryer yuca fries recipe is so delicious and easy! The fries come out crispy on the outside and tender on the inside every time. It’s a fantastic recipe made with budget-friendly ingredients, and if you don’t have an air fryer, you can bake them instead.

I love that when I make these fries, I can feel like I’m eating fast food but I know it’s so much better for me. That’s because air fried yuca is much healthier than regular french fries. It’s low in calories and fat, and a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin A, folate, vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, and potassium (source).

Yuca fries also happen to be naturally vegan, gluten-free, and grain-free! I know that when I make them, I can cater to any diet without compromising on taste.

And talk about versatile! I’ve served these fries as a snack to my kids, as a tasty side dish with burgers, and as a party food. They are always a crowd-pleaser and a fun twist on regular fries.

But best of all, they are fun to make and easy to customize by adding your favorite spices and toppings (see my suggestions below on how to customize them!) My kids love helping me make a batch and I’m sure yours will too!

Latest Recipe Video!

🥘 Ingredients

Making yuca fries in an air fryer only requires some yuca and a handful of spices, most of which you probably already have in your spice cabinet. See my recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact amounts and nutritional information.

Fresh Yuca (Fresh Cassava Root): I typically find raw cassava in the produce section of most grocery stores, or in the freezer section if it’s not available fresh. I peel and cut it into french-fry sized sticks.

Olive Oil: Used to add a little flavor and help the chips get crispy in the air fryer. I like using olive oil, but you can use any type of oil you want as long as it has a high smoke point. Avocado oil is another good choice.

Seasoning: I use a blend of paprika, sea salt, cracked black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian herbs to season the fries. Feel free to add any herbs and seasonings you like.

🔪 How To Make Air Fryer Yuca Fries

Learning how to cook yucca root in an air fryer is really easy and doesn’t require any special skills. You can even make my recipe if you don’t own an air fryer. I’ve included instructions for baking and deep frying below!

Watch my video below to see how I air fry yuca fries in just a few simple steps.

Prep And Soak: To begin, I remove the skin from the yuca root and cut the cassava root into sticks or long strips. Then I place the cut chips into a bowl of cold water and let them sit for 15-30 minutes.

Cut yuca sticks soaking in a mixing bowl filled with water.

Boil Yuca: After at least 15 minutes of soaking (up to 30 minutes), I drain the yuca and add it to a pot of salted boiling water. Now, I let it cook for approximately 10-15 minutes, until fork tender.

Yuca sticks boiling in a pot on the stove.

Preheat And Drain: While the yuca is boiling, I preheat my air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit ( 180 degrees Celsius). Then I drain the chips or remove them with a slotted spoon and pat dry with a paper towel.

Cassava sticks being patted dry with paper towels on a cutting board.

Season The Chips: To season, I add the cooked cassava chips to a large bowl with the remaining ingredients and toss them to coat well.

Yuca root fries tossed with spices and olive oil in a bowl.

Fill Air Fryer: Once seasoned, I put the yuca chips in the air fryer basket in an even layer without them touching. You may need to cook the fries in several batches depending on the size of your air fryer.

Cassava fries being cooked in an air fryer.

Air Fry: To cook, I slide the basket into the air fryer and cook the fries for 10-15 minutes, or until golden and crunchy. Keep in mind that exactly how long to cook yuca in an air fryer can vary depending on the model and size of your air fryer.

Repeat And Serve: I repeat the process with the remaining raw chips until they are all cooked. Then I serve the air fryer yuca fries hot with some of my family’s favorite sauces.

Air fryer yuca fries served in a white serving dish with ketchup.

How To Make Yuca Fries In The Oven

You can easily bake the fries instead of air frying or deep frying! Here are the steps I follow when I bake them in the oven:

Cut, soak, boil, and drain your fries as instructed in my recipe.
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius).
Season the fries with the spice mixture and then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed with olive oil cooking spray or lined with parchment paper.
Bake the fries for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden brown, tossing them 1-2 times during baking to ensure all sides get cooked evenly. Then remove them from the oven and serve.

How To Deep Fry Yuca Chips

For more of an indulgent feel, you can deep fry your yucca chips if you prefer. Here’s how:

Cut, soak, boil, and drain chips just like my recipe, but don’t toss them with the spice mixture yet.
Heat 1-2 cups of oil in a large pot or a wok to medium heat.
Add the yuca fries to the hot oil and deep fry until they’re cooked through and crispy on the outside. You’ll need to do this step in batches, with each batch taking about 2-3 minutes.
Remove the cooked fries and drain them on a plate covered with paper towels. Then toss them with spices and enjoy.

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.

Other Tips To Keep In Mind:

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.

📖 Variations

Add Heat: When I want even more flavor, I’ll kick these air fryer cassava fries up a couple of notches with spices like chili powder, cayenne pepper, or crushed red pepper flakes.

Different Spices: Go for a more Caribbean flavor by adding chili lime spice. My Old El Paso taco seasoning recipe is also delicious on air fryer yuca fries.

Potato Like Chips: Sometimes I’ll turn these into thin crispy chips instead of fries. To do this, I’ll cut the yuca into thin slices using a mandolin slicer and cook them in the air fryer at 360 degrees Fahrenheit (182 degrees Celsius) for 8 minutes.

Mix Of Veggies: Try mixing yuca with sweet potatoes and even regular potatoes for a mixed variety of fries! My kids love this version!

Truffle: For a gourmet twist, I like to make truffle yucca fries by tossing them with a bit of truffle oil or truffle salt.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

My air fryer cassava chips recipe is perfect as a standalone snack! But it’s also fantastic with a variety of burgers, wraps, and even entrees. Here are some of my favorite pairings:

With Burgers and Sandwiches: These air fryer yuca fries make an excellent side dish for burgers like my black bean quinoa burgers and high protein veggie burgers. They are also fantastic with my vegan chicken sandwich and falafel wrap.

With Entrees: The fries are also great with main courses like my portobello mushroom steaks, vegan quinoa patties, and vegan black bean chili. They add a satisfying crunch to any main dish.

With Other Appetizers: I love to include these in an appetizer spread. Serve them alongside other finger foods like air fryer mozzarella sticks, vegan sausage balls, and vegan quesadillas.

With Sauces: Try regular ketchup, hot sauce, or for some variety you can use my vegan BBQ sauce, Carolina mustard BBQ sauce, or even my vegan tartar sauce!

🧊 Storage Directions

Fridge: If there are leftovers, I store them in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep for up to a week.

Freezer: For longer storage, I lay the cooked fries in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze them until solid. Then I transfer them to a zip-top bag or container. The fries will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Reheating: To reheat, I place the fries back in the air fryer at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) for 3-5 minutes until they are crispy again, or warm them in the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) for about 10 minutes. If frozen, I cook them directly from frozen.

❓Recipe FAQs

HOW TO COOK FROZEN YUCA FRIES IN THE AIR FRYER?

To cook frozen yuca fries, I place them directly in the air fryer basket without thawing. Then I set the air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until they are hot and crispy.

WHY ARE MY FRIES MUSHY?

If your fries are mushy, it could be because they were not dried thoroughly before cooking. I always make sure the yuca slices are completely dry before placing them in the air fryer. Also, avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket, as this can prevent the fries from cooking evenly and getting crispy.

DO I HAVE TO BOIL THE YUCA?

Yes, boiling before air frying is essential and ensures that the yuca becomes tender inside while achieving a crispy exterior. Skipping this step may result in fries that are hard and undercooked on the inside.

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