Air Fryer Yuca Fries with Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. A delicious Caribbean side dish.
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, we 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 and then, figured out how to make my own homemade Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce.
Air Fryer Yuca Fries with Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce is as good as from Pollo Tropicale, but without all that grease. My Pressure Cooker Cuban Yuca Con Mojo is also equally as good and cooks in just a few minutes, as well!
You will need a Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or 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.
Yuca can be cut before or after cooking. I usually do it before cooking, just to be done with it.
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How to Cut Yuca
- 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 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.
Pro Tip: 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.
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.
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.
Air Fryer Yuca pairs very well with Instant Pot BBQ Chicken sandwiches!
While the yuca is cooking, think about making some Air Fryer Southern Fried Catfish {Louisiana Cajun Style} for the main course.
On the stove top, yuca takes about 25 minutes to cook. Under pressure, it only takes about 9 minutes.
Make sure you mix up some Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce and then set it aside, so that the flavors can get nicely married and become as one.
The ingredients need time to merge and marry for optimal flavor.
Coconut oil or canola oil is good to use as they are both high burning oils. You want to make sure that the yuca fries will cook and crisp and not just burn.
This Olive Oil Sprayer / Mister for Cooking works really well for spraying food.
Before using an air fryer, make sure to ready my article on Properly Seasoned Air Fryer Basket.
If you want a crispier fry, just cook a bit longer than the time indicated on the recipe card below.
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, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker
- Ultrean 8.5 Quart Air Fryer
- J.A. Henckels Classic 7-inch Hollow Edge Santoku Knife
- Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
- Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
- Salbree Steamer Basket
- 3.5 Quart Stainless Steel Mixing
- Alton Brown Salt Box
- Olive Oil Sprayer / Mister for Cooking
- My FANTASTIC Teak Cutting & Charcuterie Board & Compartments
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Here is the handy printable recipe:
Air Fryer Yuca Fries with Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce
Print Pin Save RateIngredients
Pressure Cooking
- 2.5 pounds Raw Yuca (peeled, cut, cored)
- 1.5 cups Water
Air Frying
- 2 pounds Cooked Yuca (more or less)
- 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil (or coconut)
- 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce
- 4 oz Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce (or more)
Recommended Products
Instructions
- Cut off ends of yuca and cut in half, width-wise.
- Use a very sharp knife and with the piece of yuca standing on the flat side, cut the skin off from top to bottom.
- Add water to pressure cooker.
- Place yuca in steamer basket and place steamer basket into pressure cooker.
- Lock on lid and close pressure valve. Cook at high pressure (most machines default to high pressure) for 9 minutes.
- When beep sounds, wait 10 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure.
- While yuca is cooking, prepare Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce and set aside.
- Remove basket with yuca from pressure cooker and drain out water.
- Place yuca in mixing bowl and coat with oil and salt.
- Place yuca in basket of air fryer and place basket with yuca into air fryer.
- Cook at 380 degrees for 12-15 minutes, flipping yuca fries half way through. Check and cook until yuca fries are golden brown, a bit crispy and soft on the inside.
- Serve with Creamy Curry Mustard Sauce.