This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.
In just 35 minutes with 8 simple ingredients, curb your craving for potato chips or regular fries with this healthier option! These crispy air fryer yuca fries (or cassava fries) are perfectly seasoned, so easy to make, gluten-free, kid friendly, guilt-free and totally delicious! The best part? You can also make these in the oven or a deep fryer, giving you 3 options for how to make yuca fries!
Air fried yuca fries are crispy, golden brown, and irresistible. You can feel good about eating these fries because yuca, also known as cassava, has many health benefits.
Cassava is a healthy root vegetable that contains 18 times more Vitamin E, calcium, zinc, carbs than potatoes. Your family can enjoy this crispy yuca chips recipe as often as they'd like for a snack or as a side dish with zero guilt.
Thanks to the air fryer, you can make crispy cassava fries in minutes with very little oil - making them a much healthier alternative to regular potato fries, but without sacrificing any of the great flavor of traditional fries!
You can serve these air fried cassava chips all on its own, or with your favorite dipping sauce. Try regular ketchup, hot sauce, or for some variety you can use vegan bbq sauce, mustard bbq sauce, or vegan tartar sauce!
Load up these air fryer yuca fries with your favorite spices, toppings and enjoy them immediately. They're a great snack, a perfect side dish, or party food. And the best part is, they're so addictive I guarantee they'll be gone in minutes!
👩🏽🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- Healthy snack food
- Easy to make
- Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside
- Adds variety to your veggie intake
- Low fat, low calorie
- Healthier than deep frying regular french fries
- High in fiber and resistant starch
- Vegan, grain free, gluten free
- Excellent source of vitamin C
- Best yuca fries ever!
Latest Recipe Video!
🥘 Ingredients
This super simple recipe is made up of mostly spices, all of which you probably already have in your spice cabinet. You'll probably only need to pick up some cassava or fresh yuca at the grocery store and you'll have a healthier way to make restaurant fries or store bought chips.
- Fresh Yuca (Fresh Cassava Root): Raw cassava should be in the produce section of most grocery stores, but if you're having trouble finding it, look for it in the freezer section with the frozen vegetables. You'll want to peel and cut the yuca root into french-fry sized sticks. If you want to make potato chip style crispy cassava chips, just thinly slice cassava with a sharp knife or mandolin to get that potato chip shape.
- Olive Oil: Oil adds a little flavor to your air fried cassava chips, but most importantly it will help them get crispy in the air fryer. You can use a different oil if you need or want to, just make sure it has a high smoke point. Avocado oil is also a good alternative for this air fryer yuca fries recipe.
- Seasoning: This cassava chips recipe uses paprika, sea salt, cracked black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian herbs. These flavors will add depth to this recipe without taking away from the slightly sweet and nutty flavor of the cassava.
🔪 Instructions
Get detailed instructions for how to cook yuca fries from the recipe card at the bottom of the post. We used the air fryer to make these yuca chips, because it turns out perfectly every time, but if you don't have an air fryer we've also included instructions on how to make cassava chips in the oven or how to deep fry yuca chips below. Here's how to make yuca fries in the air fryer:
Prep Yuca, Soak Cassava Chips: Remove the skin from your yuca root, and cut the cassava root into sticks or long strips. Place prepared cassava chips into a bowl of cold water and allow it to sit for 15 minutes.
Boil Yuca: Drain and add to a pot of salted boiling water, cook for approximately 10-15 minutes, until fork tender.
Preheat Air Fryer, Drain Chips: Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F / 180 C. Drain the chips or remove them with a slotted spoon and pat dry with kitchen paper towel.
Season Chips: Add the cooked cassava chips to a large bowl with remaining ingredients. Stir to coat well.
Add Chips to Air Fryer: Transfer the chips to the preheated air fryer basket in an even layer without touching. You may need to cook in several batches depending on size of chips and amount.
Air Fry Yuca: Cook yuca cassava chips in the air fryer for 10-15 minutes or until golden and crunchy.
Repeat & Serve: Repeat with remaining raw chips. Serve this yuca chip recipe hot with your favorite sauce.
How To Make Yuca Fries In The Oven
You can bake these cassava fries instead of air frying them or deep frying them! Here's how to make yuca fries in the oven:
- Cut, soak, boil and drain your yuca chips.
- Season the fries with your spice mixture and place yuca in a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed with olive oil cooking spray or lined with parchment paper.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Toss the cassava fries 1-2 times during baking to ensure all the sides get cooked evenly.
- Enjoy immediately.
How To Deep Fry Yuca Chips
If you don't have an air fryer, you can also make yuca chips using a deep fry method! To deep fry instead of air fry cassava chips:
- Cut, soak, boil and drain your cassava chips, but don't toss them with the spice mixture yet.
- Heat 1-2 cups of oil in a large pot or a wok. Heat to medium heat.
- Add the yuca to the hot oil. Deep fry the chips until they're cooked through and crispy on the outside - about 2-3 minutes for each batch.
- Remove and drain on a plate covered with paper towels. Toss with spices.
- Enjoy immediately.
💭 Expert Tips
- For easier handling, slice the ends of the yuca root off and then cut in half. Also, don't bother using a vegetable peeler to peel this starchy vegetable. Use a sharp knife instead.
- Cut the slices into even pieces. Once the skin is removed, keep the slices as uniform as possible to ensure they all cook evenly.
- For best results, make sure the yuca slices are completely dry before putting them into the air fryer. This will help them cook faster and get crispy.
- Don't forget to salt the water while boiling the yuca. This adds flavor before you toss it in the spice mixture, similar to how you'd cook pasta.
- To save on prep time, use frozen yuca. If the frozen yuca has already been pre-soaked, you essentially get to skip the cutting and soaking process and go straight to boiling the yuca - and then just follow the steps for this yuca air fryer recipe from there.
- Don't crowd your air fryer. You want the fries in a single, even layer so that they cook properly. You can cook them in multiple batches if needed!
- If you choose to deep fry these delicious yuca fries, use an oil with a high smoke point. Vegetable oil, canola oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil all have a high smoke point. If you use olive oil or an oil with a lower smoke point, the oil will burn and become rancid when frying the yuca.
📖 Variations
- Add heat: Kick these cassava root chips up a couple of notches with your favorite spicy flavor. Chili powder, cayenne, crushed red pepper flakes, or whatever spicy flavor you love. Just replace the Italian herbs with your preferred spice.
- Vary your spices: Go for a more Caribbean flavor by adding chili lime spice to your air fried yuca chips. Or try using this old el paso taco seasoning recipe for your spice mix!
- Make potato style yuca chips instead of fries! Just cut the yuca into thin chips using a mandolin slicer rather than fries, and cook at 360 degrees F in the air fryer for 8 minutes.
- Use a mix of veggies: Try mixing yuca with sweet potatoes and even regular potatoes for a mixed-variety of fries!
❓Recipe FAQs
What is the difference between yuca and yucca?
They sound the same, but they are actually quite different!
Yuca is a root vegetable, also known as cassava, manioc, or Brazilian arrowroot. It has a tree bark like skin, and starchy white flesh. It is the tuber of a large shrub, which is why it's classified as a root vegetable. It's very similar to a potato and is widely grown in tropical regions like Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Carribbean. It's super healthy for you and is packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Yucca on the other hand, is actually the broad genus name (category name) for up to 50 different species of a flowering ornamental plant with spiky pointed leaves. Yucca plants do not have any edible roots, although they do have edible flowers, seeds and fruits.
What are yuca fries made of?
Crispy baked yuca fries are made of yuca root - a long tuberous starchy root vegetable. It's brown on the outside and white on the inside like a potato. Yuca root, also known as cassava, is an essential ingredient in many Latin American and Caribbean cuisines.
Yuca root chips are also made from the yuca root vegetable, also known as cassava. Yuca chips are a lot like potato chips, with a slightly sweeter / different flavor.
WHAT DOES YUCA TASTE LIKE?
Yuca has a texture similar to a potato, it's just slightly more chewy than potatoes. Taste wise, yuca is mild, with a little sweeter taste than potatoes and a nutty flavor.
Are yuca fries healthy? Is yuca better for you than potatoes?
Yes! Yuca chips / cassava fries are healthy and much healthier than regular chips or fries, especially when baked or cooked in the air fryer.
Yuca contains vitamins and minerals that are essential to a healthy diet. They are low in calories and fat, and they are a good source of dietary fiber. Yuca is high in Vitamin A, Folate, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Calcium and Potassium.
Compared to a potato's nutritional information, the yuca is higher in carbs, protein, and calories overall, but it has a lower glycemic index than potatoes and is higher in fiber & potassium, which makes it a great choice compared to potatoes.
How to tell when yuca is bad?
Yuca should be completely white on the inside, once you remove the outer skin and peel the root. If you see any dark spots, brown spots, dark lines, brown flecks, etc - the root has gone bad and you should toss it.
HOW TO SERVE YUCA CHIPS?
Air fryer yuca chips can be served as a snack with your favorite dipping sauce, or a delicious side dish for burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, wraps, veggie tacos, veggie quesadillas, tofu steaks, and more!
HOW TO STORE YUCA CHIPS?
Air fryer cassava chips or leftover yuca fries are best stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
If you keep leftovers, reheat them by tossing them right back into the air fryer on medium-high heat to make them crispy again. You can also rewarm them in the toaster oven or regular oven at 325 degrees for a few minutes until warmed through.
