Move over McDonalds and say hello to these oven baked yuca fries, a great alternative to regular french fries. Sliced yuca, drizzled with oil then baked to a crisp and served with an optional lime yoghurt dip.
If you like eating french fries then this recipe is the one for you. . This is a great way to introduce yourself to a vegetable that is used in African, Caribbean, Latin and some Asian cuisines.
I promise you won’t miss the taste of ordinary potatoes over these and the zesty dipping sauce is to die for!!
What is yuca
Pronouced (YOO-CA) A long, tuber, woody starch enriched shrub that derives from tropical countries. The interior of a yuca is a creamy white flesh and the exterior is brown with a thick waxy like texture.
While it may resemble a potato, the texture is a lot thicker and slightly more grainier too.
Yuca is what the English speaking Caribbean islands refer to as “Cassava”. You cake a dessert called “Cassava Pone” or even use it to make these Cassava Dumplings but my absolutely favourite way to use this root vegetable is to make Bammy a Jamaican flatbread.
The taste of yuca fries
Each person will have their own perception of the baked yuca fries taste. To me, it taste like a milder version of a regular potato with a nutty taste incorporated.
It doesn’t taste like french fries, the taste is different but still soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside and an overall much better version then what is sold in MC Donald’s.
How to peel yuca
- Place the yuca on a chopping board (lay it down horizontally)
- Chop both ends off the yucca and discard
- Depending on the size of the yuca, cut into half or three pieces
- Stand each piece upright and slice the skin off in sections in a downwards motion until the peel is completely removed
- Once peeled, slice into half and then slice again
- Remove the thread/core by slicing the middle at an angle.
How to bake yuca fries
- Preheat the oven
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and coat with oil
- Chop both the ends off the yucca root then slice in half or smaller (depending on the size)(picture 1-2)
- Stand each piece upright and proceed to slice off the skin
- Slice the yucca in half and again then at an angle to discard the core.
- Cut into small french fries (picture 3)
- Place the fries into a saucepan of water and bring to the boil for 10-15 minutes, until tender (prick with a fork, not too soft)(picture 4)
- Strain off the water and allow to cool before placing the fries onto the baking tray. Spread them out so they don’t overlap/crowd each other (picture 5)
- Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown (picture 5)
- Mix all of the ingredients together for the lime dip in a bowl then serve
Other dip suggestions
How do you know the yuca is good?
This is especially important for people who aren’t used to handling yuca. Before buying the yucca, you want to inspect it by feeling it for an soft spots. Soft spots are a good indicator of a bad/rotten vegetable.
Depending on where you buy it from and the size of the vegetable, for example a marketplace you can ask them to cut into the yuca. The inside should be white or slightly off white/cream hue with no brown spots, lines and definitely not smelly.
Where can you buy yuca?
You can can buy yuca from most markets for supermarkets that have a large community of Latino’s, African or Caribbean people. Depending on where it is purchased it might be known as “cassava”.
Notes and tips
- If you find any flaws that weren’t obvious at the time of purchase while peeling the yuca simply chop or cut off the flawed area(s)
- Peel once chunk of yuca at a time and have the other pieces sitting in salt water.
- Make sure to coat the fries evenly with oil to ensure they crisp well
- It takes around 25 minutes for the fries to bake, bake for longer if you want them more crispy
- Cut the fries to size to suite your preference about 1/4 -1/2 inch in thickness should suffice
- The suggested dipping sauce is complementary or can use an alternative dip if this isn’t to your tastebuds
- Yuca is also known as cassava or manioc – do be sure of the interchangeable name(s) prior to purchasing.
- Yuca is accessible in multicultural neighborhoods where there are Caribbean/African/Latino/Asian communities
- You can make this with frozen yuca if you can’t obtain fresh or unsure of how to work with it.
Other latin appetizer recipes you may like
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Crispy Baked Yuca Fries
Ingredients
- 1 large yucca/cassava 1-2lb
- Coconut oil melted to coat the tray and fries
To make the lime yoghurt dip
- 1/2 cup of vegan yoghurt 100g
- 2 tbsp of coconut oil melted (olive oil works too)
- 2 tbsp of lime
- 1 tbsp of cilantro coriander
- 1 tsp of garlic granules or powder
- 1 tsp of oregano
- 1/4 tsp of coconut nectar agave or maple
- 1/4 tsp of cumin
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and coat with oil
- Chop both the end of the yucca root then slice in half or smaller (depending on the size)
- Stand each piece upright and proceed to slice off the skin
- Slice the yucca in half and again then at an angle to discard the core.
- Cut into small french fries
- Place the fries into a saucepan of water and bring to the boil for 10-15 minutes, until tender (prick with a fork, not too soft/0
- Strain off the water and allow to cool before placing the fries onto the baking tray. Spread them out so they don't overlap/crowd each other
- Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown
- Mix all of the ingredients together for the lime dip in a bowl then serve
Notes
- If you find any flaws that weren't obvious at the time of purchase while peeling the yuca simply chop or cut off the flawed area(s)
- Peel once chunk of yuca at a time and have the other pieces sitting in salt water.
- Make sure to coat the fries evenly with oil to ensure they crisp well
- It takes around 25 minutes for the fries to bake, bake for longer if you want them more crispy
- Cut the fries to size to suite your preference about 1/4 -1/2 inch in thickness should suffice
- The suggested dipping sauce is complementary or can use an alternative dip if this isn't to your tastebuds
- Yuca is also known as cassava or manioc - do be sure of the interchangeable name(s) prior to purchasing.
- Yuca is accessible in multicultural neighborhoods where there are Caribbean/African/Latino/Asian communities
- You can make this with frozen yuca if you can't obtain fresh or unsure of how to work with it.
Nutrition
These are great and I am so glad you told me Yucca and Cassava are the same. I can never find Yucca but Cassava is always at the grocery store. I had no idea!
No problem Alisa. Cassava is simply the English name for the vegetable.
Wow – I’ve never cooked yuca before but I’m excited to give these a try. Thanks for the recipe!
You are welcome!!
These look so good! You’ve totally got me craving fries now! 🍟
Thanks Demeter, they are more-ish!
I’ve never tried Yucca Fries but these look great! I love homemade baked fries!
Thanks Shanika, please give these a try!!
Oh my goodness I have never tried Yuca but what a fun way to spice things up in the kitchen! I’ll bet my kids would have fun making these and especially eating those dips!
Thank you Karen. Definitely an adult and child friendly recipe!!