Yuca Fries

Yuca root (pronouced yoo-cuh) is enjoyed as a staple starch throughout Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Also known as cassava or manioc, yuca root is high in ﬁber, antioxidants, and many beneﬁcial nutrients. Yuca’s consistency, and sweet earthy ﬂavor are perfect for hearty, healthy oven fries. Kids will especially love this recipe!

Filed Under: African Heritage Diet, Vegetarian & Vegan Diet, Latin American Heritage Diet, Side dishes, Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-free, Staff Favorites

Rating

Average: 0 (0 votes)

Active time

60 minutes

Yield

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 medium yuca roots, peeled

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Ground black pepper

Dried or fresh thyme

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Peel the waxy brown skin from the yuca roots and chop each one in half, width-wise at the middle, to make 4 pieces.
Place yuca in a medium pot or saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil with a pinch of sea salt. Cook the yuca until you can pierce it with a fork (about 20-25 minutes).
When cooked, drain the water and place the yuca on a paper towel.
When cool enough, pat the yuca dry and chop the pieces into “French fry” sticks. Place the fries on a baking sheet. Lightly drizzle with olive oil, and season with sea salt, pepper, and thyme to taste. Use as much thyme as needed to dust each fry.
Bake the fries in the oven for 20 minutes, until golden, turning once.
Enjoy!

*A perfect pair for a garlicky dipping sauce like Oldways’ Garlicky Dill Mojo Sauce!

Oldways recipe and photo. This recipe is from our cooking program, A Taste of African Heritage. Learn more about it here, and watch our video about the program! Media: contact us for permission to reprint and for a hi-res image.