Yuca Fries Recipe – Panamanian Yuca Frita with Spicy Mayo Sauce

I have finally gotten myself around to featuring my mom’s Panamanian yuca fries recipe with a quick spicy mayo sauce here on this bloggity blog. Have you ever eaten yuca fries? If not, you may be completely lost as to what I am talking about! Maybe you are wondering, what are yuca fries? Or maybe even, what is yuca? What is the difference between yuca and yucca? 

Well, stick around, friends. Not only am I going to tell you how to make yuca fries (como cocinar yuca) two different ways, but I am going to explain the difference between yuca and yucca and discuss how to cook yuca other ways. 

On our last visit to Panama, I remembered how much I love yuca frita! Maybe you read my post about our visit to the Panama City Fish Market and the delicious spread of food we ate – including those beautiful yuca fries!

What is Yuca? And What is the Difference Between Yuca and Yucca?

Simply put, yuca is a food (an edible tuber root) and yucca is a non-editable decorative plant with spiky edges. 

According to my plant guy at Lowe’s, yucca is pronounced “yuh-cuh.” 

Yuca is a starchy food, often cooked and served in similar form to a potato. While yuca is similar to a potato, it is supposedly more nutritious than a potato, thanks to antioxidants and minerals.  How to pronounce yuca? Yuca is pronounced “you-cuh.” 

Once, one of my ESL students asked me, “Come se dice yuca en ingles?” (“How do you say yuca in English?”)

He giggled when I told him yuca in English is the same as yuca in Spanish – “you-cuh.” Some Spanish speakers (like my mom who is from Panama) tend to put a stronger sound on the y – making it sound more like a j – “jew-cuh.” Overall, yuca in English is the same as yuca in Spanish. I’ve noticed that people sometimes ask what language do people speak in Panama. Spanish! People in Panama speak Spanish! 

How to Cook Yuca

In Panama, yuca is served as a traditional Panamanian food. In Panama cuisine, it is often served in a Panama breakfast. Panama typical food involves multiple ways for how to cook yuca. For Panamanian dishes, a yuca recipe can involve baked yuca, fried yuca, or boiled yuca. My least favorite is plain boiled yuca, though it can be tasty when properly seasoned in a Panamanian soup. 

Just as you would not eat raw potato, you should not eat raw yuca.

I grew up eating yuca frita (fried yuca) when visiting family in Panama and in my own kitchen at home. It was something my mom would add to our hybrid southern U.S/Panamanian breakfast at home in Arkansas.  In addition to this fried yuca, I also grew up eating tortillas asadas, patacones, fried sweet plantains, more sweet plantains (platanos maduros), and arroz con leche. 

Where to Buy Yuca

If you are wondering where to buy yuca, know this is one food you may have to hunt down. My local Walmart Supercenter carries yuca – most of the time. There are times, where yuca is nowhere to be found if you live in small towns or areas without a large Hispanic population. Local Hispanic restaurants typically are a safe bet of where to buy yuca. 

How to Peel Yuca

I imagine that figuring out how to peel yuca is probably the most intimidating thing about cooking yuca for newbies. The peel on a yuca is really hard and tough – kind of reminds me of a tree bark. You certainly cannot peel this with a grater like you might use for peeling potatoes. That would not work at all. 

Luckily, my mom has taught me the ways of peeling this tough root.

First, place the yuca sideways on a cutting board.

Next, chop off each end piece.

The following steps are numbered to match the collage image below. 

1.  With a large knife, make a steep line cut from one end of the yuca to the other.
2. Wedge the knife beneath the peeling .
3. Begin to lift the peel from the yuca by wiggling the knife – working from one side to the other.
4. Begin to pull the peel loose with your fingers or with the knife until it is totally removed.

Finally, once the peeling is removed, wash the yuca. Dry it a little before moving into the slicing step. 

Slicing Yuca for Yuca Fries

Slicing yuca fries is similar to slicing potatoes for French fries. 

1. If you see any dark spots, cut them out as they are bad spots. 
2. Cut the yuca into two halves, lengthwise.
3. Cut each slice into thick slices – about one inch.
4. Gather the yuca sticks to prepare for frying. 

 

And, yes, they do look like little sticks, right? This is why some people call them yuca sticks. 

How to Cook Yuca Fries – Two Methods

My mom has always had two main ways for making yuca frita – one involves a shorter one-step cooking method. The second, which is probably more common, involves two steps. 

How to Fry Yuca Fries – Method One

Once you have followed the peeling and slicing steps above, fill a a frying pan with 3 cups of oil. Then, heat oil on medium-high heat until the oil sizzles when something is placed in the oil. 

Carefully, add the yuca sticks so as not to overcrowd the pan. Fry the yuca in the hot oil 5-10 minutes or until evenly browned. Remove the cooked yuca to a paper-towel lined plate or pan. Sprinkle with sea salt. 

How to Make Yuca Fries – Method Two

Before following the peeling and slicing steps above, fill a saucepan with four cups of water and bring to a boil while you are working with the yuca. (Optionally, you may want to  cut the yuca into smaller chunks, rather than the long sticks for this method.) Add the cut yuca to the boiling water. There should be enough water to cover the yuca. Boil the yuca for 30 minutes or so until soft. Drain the yuca and allow the yuca to dry before moving to step two. 

For step two, fry the softened cooked yuca in hot oil as described above in method one. (You will need to chop them smaller if you boiled them in larger chunks, as I did above.

However, browning time may actually take a bit longer with this version. Watch closely, and when the yuca strips are evenly browned, remove them onto a paper-towel lined pan. Then, sprinkle with sea salt.

The instructions included in my recipe card go with method one. No doubt, the fried yuca is softer with method two, but I prefer the faster version.

Once, I made yuca fries in the air fryer (by following the same instructions for peeling and slicing, but cooking for 10 minutes in the air fryer at 380 degrees). However, I didn’t really care for the air fryer yuca air fries much as the fried yuca came out super chewy. 

Making a Spicy Mayo Sauce for Yuca Fries

Now, you need an easy and quick sauce to go with this Panamanian food. Simply mix 1/2 cup of ketchup with 1/2 cup of mayo. Next, add 2-3 tablespoons of hot sauce of your choice.

Wham…a spicy mayo sauce with a slight kick to complement your fried yuca!

Yum – yuca frita at its best! Well, I hope you enjoyed this fried yuca recipe!

What are your favorite ways to eat yuca?