Be prepared to be transported to Puerto Rico with this Alcapurrias de Yuca recipe. It is one of the most popular foods on the island and I will show you how to make it wherever you are.
What is Alcapurria de Yuca?
Alcapurrias de yuca is a traditional Puerto Rican street food. They’re savory, crispy, golden brown fritters made from grated yuca root. The dough is seasoned with salt, all purpose adobo seasoning mix, and added oil with achiote in it. It is usually stuffed with stewed crab meat and my favorite Puerto Rican style picadillo.
The alcapurrias are shaped as small cylinders and then fried until they are crunchy on the outside and chewy inside.
You can get alcapurrias anywhere in Puerto Rico even in high-end restaurants. But the best are made on chinchorros on any side of the road made in a wood-open flame that gives the alcapurria a unique taste.
There, are not only the alcapurrias, but the authentic bacalaitos, or the Puerto Rican chicken pinchos, frozen piña coladas, and mojitos made with parcha that you can get. It is also the experience of the smell, music, and our people.
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Ingredients
You can find grated yuca in big chain supermarkets like Walmart and Stop and Shop in the frozen section. Another place to find grated yuca is in Latin, African, or Asian markets.
- Grated Yuca- I use store-bought grated yuca because it’s very convenient. I usually find it by the Goya brand. I like using store-bought grated yuca because I don’t have to deal with yuca being bad and end up with less product to work with. Plus, there is less mess to clean up!
- Seasonings- To season the alcapurrias we use salt and adobo. Some people season the alcapurrias differently by adding garlic powder and even some Puerto Rican traditional sofrito. I like to keep it simple so you can get a real taste of the yuca.
- Achiote Oil- The oil is added to give the dough a smokey flavor and the beautiful color that alcapurrias de yuca have. Learn more about Achiote to see its benefits.
- Picadillo- I used cooked ground beef as a filling.
Substitution
- Yuca- If you can’t find grated yuca, you can make your own. You just have to peel the yuca, cut, and blend the yuca. Cut it into small chunks so it can be easier for your blender to break apart. You can use a food processor or a small blender.
- Achiote Oil- The main purpose of the achiote oil is to give color and flavor. If you don’t have any, use your regular cooking oil and add 1 packet of sazon.
- Filling- The best part of this recipe is that it can be stuffed with your favorite filling. The most popular ones are crab meat, ground beef, and shredded chicken. I have tasted them with corned beef, and they taste pretty good. I once visited the state of Connecticut and tasted an alcapurria stuffed with pork chunks but not my favorite to be honest. Nowadays they are even stuffed with vegetables to make vegetarian and vegan alcapurrias.
How to make Alcapurrias de Yuca
Step 1: First, we need to prepare the yuca dough by seasoning it and adding the achiote oil. Mix it all until it has an even color.
Step 2: Take parchment paper and cut it into large squares. Add achiote oil to the parchment. This is to avoid the alcapurria sticking from the paper. If you’re making alcapurrias to fry at the moment, it is good to use a banana leaf because is more slippery.
⭐️Tip: Some people like to squeeze water out of the yuca but I don’t. This is because I find myself with dry crumbly masa that doesn’t hold together. So unless I don’t see a watery dough, I don’t remove liquid.
Step 3: Place the yuca dough on the parchment and form an even tortilla shape.
Step 4: Add your preferred filling on top of the dough in the center.
⭐️Tip: If you are having trouble shaping the alcapurria, you can make it a boxed square shape or make them round. These are not traditional shapes but have been done before. The important thing is the taste!
Step 5: Close up the alcapurria and finish shaping with a spoon.
Step 6: Fry the alcapurrias for 6 minutes and drain on a paper towel.
Recipe Tips
- When you bite into the alcapurria and you see the dough a light yellow, it means it’s still raw. You can put it again to fry for 2 minutes.
- Alcapurrias are great to be served as delicious party food because you can prep them ahead and even make them mini-size!
Storing
- Freezing- You can make alcapurrias ahead and freeze them. Make sure you freeze them on a flat surface to make sure they don’t break. You can keep it in the freezer for 3 months. You can leave them longer but you risk the chance of getting freezer burn.
- Store- The best way to store is in freezer bags. You can also use any large airtight containers. Keep it in your fridge for up to 3 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best way to keep alcapurrias warm is in the oven. Preheat your over to 200F and then turn it off. Turn on the light a keep the alcapurrias in the oven for no more than 15 minutes.
Alcapurrias de Yuca is usually eaten by itself as a quick lunch or snack unless you’re treating yourself to another fritter like a corn sorullito.
More party food ideas!
💬 Do you have any questions or comments on this Alcapurrias de Yuca recipe? Leave your questions or comments below and I’ll reply!
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Easy Alcapurria de Yuca
- parchment paper
Ingredients
Alcapurria Dough
- 2 pounds grated yuca
- ½ tablespoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon adobo
- ¼ cup achiote oil
Meat Filling
- 2 tablespoons sofrito
- 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ cup water
- 1 ½ teaspoons sazon or 1 packet
- 1 teaspoon adobo
Frying
- 2 cups oil
Instructions
Ground Beef
- In a medium size pan over high heat add the sofrito and tomato sauce. Cook for about 2 minutes while stirring. Add the ground beef, water, sazon, and adobo. Break apart the meat until you have no chunks left. Cook for 10 minutes and set aside.
Alcapurria Assembly
- In a big bowl add the grated yuca, salt, adobo, and achiote oil. Mix everything until you see the dough get an even color.
- Take parchment paper and cut it into a square of about 7 inches. Add ½ teaspoon of oil on to the parchment.
- Add ½ cup of the dough onto the parchment and flatten it until you make a small tortilla shape. Add ¼ cup or 4 tablespoons of beef to the middle of the dough.
- Take both ends of the parchment paper and close the alcapurria. With a spoon softly shape the excess dough into the rest of the alcapurria.
Frying
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, add 2 cups of oil. Once the oil is hot, slowly add the alcapurrias by taking one end of the parchment and putting it close to the oil so the alcapurria can roll in it. Fry for 3 minutes on each side. You might need to fry in batches depending on your pan size.
Recipe Notes
- Yuca- You can use store-bought and also use fresh yuca and grated yourself.
- Achiote oil- If you don’t have achiote oil for the dough, you can use sazon. But you must add the sazon to the grated yuca before the salt. Then add about half of the salt and taste the dough. This is to make sure the dough is not too salty.
Stephenie says
You’re welcome!😊
Anonymous says
Love it thank you!🥰