These Air Fryer Yuca Fries with Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce, a Caribbean treat, make a great side dish or snack, without the grease.
Air Fryer Yuca Fries with Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce
Air Fryer Yucca Fries with Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce
I’m not a Fast Food Junkie and I don’t often opt for what is the easiest and quickest way to cook a meal.
On days when I don’t feel like cooking and do need dinner from a quick Fast Food place, I do try to make it one that at least uses real ingredients. Pollo Tropicale in Florida grills their chicken and uses wholesome ingredients.
Their Chicken is similar to Pollo Loco in California.
Their Fried Yuca with the Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce IS. TO. DIE. FOR!
That alone was worth the trip. Before leaving Florida and coming back to LA, I stopped there just to buy an order of Fried Yuca and load up on their Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce. I froze several containers of the Sauce.
Air Fryer Yuca Fries with Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce is as good as from the restaurant, without the grease and with only a few grams of fat! My Pressure Cooker Cuban Yuca Con Mojo is equally as good and cooks in just a few minutes, as well!
Air Fryer Yucca Fries with Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce
You will need a Pressure Cooker and an Air Fryer for this recipe.
If you do not have a Pressure Cooker, and why don’t you, you can boil the Yuca on the Stove.
Recipe and method are the same for frozen Yuca and works the same way as fresh.
Cut off ends of Yucca and cut in half
With a sharp knife, cut off the ends of the Yuca and cut them in half or in thirds. Yuca Root can be very long. Cut the Yuca into 3-4 inch pieces. It just makes it easier to peel in smaller pieces, rather than in one big long piece.
Plus, that is a good size for the Air Fryer Yuca Fries.
Yuca is very hard, so be careful not to cut off your fingers. Seriously, sharpen your knife before you get started.
You can see that super thick skin, which is also quite hard, almost like the bark on a tree. Yuca has a woody and fibrous core, which will need to be removed.
It can be done before or after cooking. I usually do it before cooking, just to be done with it.
Please make sure to be careful when removing the skin of the Yuca. Do not let your pets near it. Do not use it for compost. Do not taste the Yuca raw. Yuca has has linamarin which when eaten raw converts to cyanide in the stomach. Proper cooking of Yuca, eliminates that potential.
Use a Sharp Knife to Remove the Skin
If you want to use a Potato Peeler, make sure you have a very strong one that won’t break.
The skin is pretty thick.
For me it is easier to use a very Sharp Knife and slice off the skin. Keep the Yuca with one cut side on the cutting board, like a tree stump.
Add Yucca to a Steamer Basket
If using a Pressure Cooker, place the pieces of Yuca into a Strainer Basket.
This will make it easier to remove. If using a Stove Top, boil some water, add the Yuca and cook it until almost fork tender, about 15 minutes.
Place Steamer Basket in Pressure Cooker
Place the Steamer/Strainer Basket into your Pressure Cooker over the water.
On the Stove Top, Yuca takes about 25 minutes to cook. In the Pressure Cooker, it only takes 9 minutes.
Pollo Tropical Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce
While your Yuca is cooking in your Pressure Cooker, mix up the Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce and set it aside.
The ingredients need to merge and marry for optimal flavor.
Toss with Oil and Salt
After your Yuca is cooked and cooled a bit, so that you can handle, coat it with Coconut Oil or Canola Oil and some Kosher Salt.
This Fine Life Oil Mister works really well.
Add Yuca Fries to Seasoned Air Fryer Basket
Place the Air Fryer Yuca Fries into your Properly Seasoned Air Fryer Basket.
Give the Yuca Fries a shake every so often.
If you want a crispier Fry, just cook a bit longer than the time indicated on the recipe card below.
Air Fryer Yucca Fries w/Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce
These Air Fryer Yucca Fries with Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce just may become your go to snack!
Enjoy along side my Pressure Cooker Dirty Water Hot Dogs or my Air Fryer Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken Wings, for a wonderful meal.
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
- Instant Pot Smart DUO60
- GoWISE USA 5.8 Quart Air Fryer
- J.A. Henckels Classic 7-inch Hollow Edge Santoku Knife
- Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
- Culina Stackable (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
- Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
- Rösle Stainless Steel Flat Whisk– a MUST have, probably my most used utensil
- di Oro Living Silicone Spatulas Set
- Rachael Ray Stoneware EVOO Oil Dispensing Bottle
- Alton Brown Salt Box
- Fine Life Oil Mister
- John Boos Maple Cutting Board with Groove
- RSVP Stainless Steel Strainer Basket
- Fine Life Oil Mister
- 3.5 Quart Stainless Steel Mixing
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Here is the handy printable recipe:
Air Fryer Yuca Fries
These Air Fryer Yuca Fries with Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce, a Caribbean treat, make a great side dish or snack, without the grease.
- 2 lbs Yuca (peeled, cut, cored)
- 1.5 cups Water
- 1 TBL Canola Oil (or coconut)
- 1 Oil Mister
- 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
- 4 oz Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce
Cut off ends of Yuca and cut in half, width-wise. Cut off skin with a sharp knife. Add water to pressure cooker. Place in Steamer Basket in Pressure Cooker over water.
Cook at High Pressure for 9 minutes. When Beep sounds, allow a 10 minute Natural Pressure Release.
Prepare Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce and set aside.
Remove Yuca from Pressure Cooker. Place in mixing bowl. Coat with Canola Oil and Kosher Salt.
Place Yuca in Air Fryer Basket and place into Air Fryer. Cook at 380 degrees for 12-15 minutes, flipping Fries half way through. Serve with Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce.
If you do not have a Pressure Cooker, place Yuca in saucepan and cook for 25 minutes, or until slightly fork tender. Drain water.
Frozen Yuca works the same way and is usually frozen raw.
PIN this Air Fryer Yuca Fries with Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce!
Air Fryer Yuca Fries with Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce
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Hi can i use frozen yuca?
Hi Genna, I had the same question and had a little frozen yuca. I let the yuca thaw, cut it into fries (removing the stem). I microwaved it in a bowl covering the yuca with water for about 7 min until it was a little fork tender. I drained it and then laid it out on a towel. Then I covered it with coconut oil salt and pepper. (Could have used more salt because when I tried to add more later it wouldn’t stick. My air fryer was set at 190° and timed for 10 min shaking in between. They came out very crisp!
Hi Jill,
I’m dying to make these. Our favorite local Peruvian restaurant makes amazing fried yucca, but my husband can’t have fried food anymore. He’s also South American and so has a particular fondness for yucca. And now so do I. 🙂
My question is, should I be using the standard 1 cup of water in the bottom of the pressure cooker, or cover the yucca fully with water? The recipe card says to cover with water but photo instructions say to place steamer basket on top of water. It may not make a difference since yucca is so tough but I wanted to check with you first.
PS. Your cookbook just arrived from Amazon and I’m looking forward to cooking my way through it. Thanks!
Hi Mary. I edited the recipe card to make it clearer. Please let me know if you are able to follow now. Thanks. Jill
Wonderful, thank you for the clarification, Jill. Also I now see I misspelled yuca throughout my entire comment. Apologies, I feel so silly! (Can I blame it on autocorrect?? 😁)
I am glad it is easier to decipher. No worries about the spelling. I’m sure it was autocorrect. 🙂 Jill