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The Batter Thickens

A food blog balancing sweet treats & healthy eats.

Homemade Yuca Fries

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There are… very few things I miss about college. I cannot emphasize that enough. But one of the few things I do miss are the yuca fries. My freshman dorm was right above a dining hall that served yuca fries about every two weeks. Yuca fry day was always a great day. I would go to town on the yuca fries. But unfortunately, yuca fries are not as common as I’d like them to be. So, I miss having that regular yuca in my life. My biweekly yuca to look forward to. Counting down the weeks of college but in a good way.

There’s a great restaurant here in the Twin Cities called Brasa that makes some excellent yuca fries. I will go to Brasa specifically for a yuca fry craving. I also looked up recently if yuca fries were available to buy anywhere, so I could make them at home. I was envisioning frozen yuca fries or something, like frozen tater tots. Obviously, frozen yuca fries are not really a thing. But even just buying yuca is not common. Which can’t be too surprising, I guess. I’m not sure what else you make with them other than fries. They are similar, but not nearly as flexible as potatoes. They also sort of look like… giant poops:

Sure, American consumers aren’t as adventurous as they could be. But looking at a yuca like that… It’s hard to envision it becomes yuca fries. It looks exactly like what it is: a root.

I was in Walmart buying lima beans (a whole ‘nother story), and I happened to see yucas in the produce aisle. I mean, I should be glad I actually read the label, because I had no idea they were yucas at first glance. But of course, I had to buy one, and see if I could do yuca fries at home! How hard could they be?

I’m not sure why Walmart is the only place I’ve found to buy yuca. I’m not sure why Walmart is the only place to buy lima beans either. It really is a mystery. I checked out with a bag full of assorted lima beans and a massive yuca, and I have to wonder if that was even the weirdest cart that day. Probably not. But it was weird for me.

So, I’m not a frequenter of Walmart. And I never plan to do my full grocery shopping there. But for more homemade yuca fries? Maybe I will go more often.

You can fry your yuca fries in oil if you’d like. That would probably result in something more like what you get at a restaurant. But I actually quite liked them baked. Very similar flavor, but less heavy feeling. I also liked that I could make them as small as I want – some restaurant-style ones are huge. So while I will still always order yuca fries on any menu I see them on… I’d almost say homemade is an improvement?

I feel as though I’ve unlocked a new power here, and I’m not looking back.

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Homemade Yuca Fries

  • Author: Audrey
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Ingredients

  • 3 pounds yuca root
  • 2 Tablespoons neutral oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon  garlic powder

Sauce

  • 1/4 cup mayo
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 tsp paprika

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you chop your yuca. Cut the ends off the yuca root, then use a vegetable peeler to peel off the skin. It comes off far easier than it looks like it will, but you’ll likely need to make two passes over each area to ensure the skin is fully removed.
  3. If the yuca is on the long side, cut it in half, then cut it into fry or wedge shapes.
  4. Boil for 10 minutes. You want the yuca to be tender enough to poke with a form, but not too soft.
  5. Drain and pat dry.
  6. Add to a bowl and toss with the oil, salt, paprika, and garlic powder.
  7. Arrange on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes (or until golden brown and crispy).
  8. Meanwhile, mix up your sauce ingredients.
  9. When the fries are done, serve with the sauce, and enjoy!

Notes

From Jar of Lemons

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