• RECIPES
    • All Recipes
    • KETO/LOW CARB
    • Appetizers/Drinks
    • Breads
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
    • Main Courses
    • Soups
    • Side Dishes
    • Casseroles
    • HOLIDAYS/SEASONAL
      • Rosh Hashanah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
      • Chanukkah
      • Christmas
      • New Year’s Eve
      • St. Patrick’s Day
      • Super Bowl/Game Day
      • Easter
      • Passover
      • 4th of July
      • Cinco de Mayo
      • Memorial Day
    • Jewish Recipes
    • Asian Cooking
    • INSTANT POT
      • All Pressure Cooking
      • Dump and Push
      • Pot in Pot
      • Freezer Recipes
    • AIR FRYER
  • SHOP ESSENTIALS
    • Shop All Categories!
    • This Old Gal Pressure Cooker Cookbook
    • Shop My Favorites
    • What’s In My Kitchen!
    • Instant Pot & Pressure Cooker Stuff
    • TOG’s Gift Guide
    • Shop My Amazon Store
  • GET NEWSLETTER
  • BUY MY COOKBOOK

Work with TOG

  • RECIPE INDEX
    • All Recipes
    • Keto & Low Carb Recipes
    • Holidays/Seasonal
    • Jewish Recipes
    • Asian Recipes
    • Freezer Meals
  • BY METHOD
    • Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker
    • Air Fryer
    • Slow Cooker
  • SHOP ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS
    • Shop All Categories
    • What’s In My Kitchen!
    • Shop My Amazon Store
    • Buy My Cookbook!!!
  • SELKATZ TONKINESE
  • WORK WITH THIS OLD GAL
    • Contact This Old Gal
  • ABOUT TOG
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions & User Agreement
    • Recipe Photo Use Policy
    • Website Accessibility Statement

↑

This Old Gal

Delicious homemade recipes with step by step instructions

Restaurant Quality Meals From My Home To Yours

  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Low Carb
    • Appetizers/Beverages
    • Breads
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
    • Soups
    • Sides
    • Main Courses
    • Holidays/Seasonal
      • Rosh Hashanah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
      • Chanukkah
      • Christmas
      • Super Bowl/Game Day
      • New Year’s Eve
      • Passover
      • Easter
      • St. Patrick’s Day
      • Cinco de Mayo
      • Memorial Day
      • 4th of July
    • Casseroles
    • Jewish Recipes
    • Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
      • Pot in Pot & One Pot
      • Dump and Push
    • Air Fryer
    • Freezer
  • Low Carb Recipes
  • Shop Essential Products
    • Shop All Categories!
    • Favorite Instant Pot Accessories
    • Shop My Amazon Store!
    • Favorite Pressure Cooker Accessories
    • Kitchen Tools Gadgets & Essentials
    • TOG’s Gift Guide
    • Instant Pot Mini 3 Quart Accessories
    • Favorite Baking Cooking Air Fryer Accessories & Bread Making Tools
    • Small Electric Kitchen Appliances & Pressure Cookers
    • Coupons, Brands & Reviews
  • About
    • Selkatz Tonkinese
    • Contact This Old Gal
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms & Conditions & User Agreement
    • Recipe Photo Use Policy
    • Website Accessibility Statement

Home / Recipes / Pressure Cooker / Pressure Cooker Side Dishes / Pressure Cooker Cuban Yuca Con Mojo {Cassava}

Pressure Cooker Cuban Yuca Con Mojo {Cassava}

April 8, 2017 By Jill Selkowitz / 16 Comments Updated December 3, 2019 / As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs I earn from qualifying purchases; see all disclosures.

Jump to Recipe
Instant Pot Cuban Yuca Con Mojo

Yuca and Malanga are two of my favorite side dishes to eat with Cuban food. With my method, Pressure Cooker Cuban Yuca con Mojo is super simple. The Yuca is cooked at the same time as the sour orange garlic sauce, all in one pot.

Pressure Cooker Cuban Yuca Con Mojo {Cassava w/Garlic Sauce]

Pressure Cooker Cuban Yuca Con Mojo {Cassava w/Garlic Sauce]

Growing up in Miami, I was exposed to and ate Cuban food regularly.

The flavors, spices and traditions of the Cuban people are wonderful.

They are a people of family and love. I remember spending a day at Rico Lorenzo’s home for a family gathering.

He and his wife were close friends of my dad and me and were like family.

I still remember that pig in the ground. As a Jew, well, I just had to grin and bear it. Hehehe.

Yuca is extremely popular in South Florida and found at all Cuban and Caribbean restaurants.

Boiling Yuca takes about 25 minutes.

In the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker, this Pressure Cooker Cuban Yuca Con Mojo only takes 8 minutes.

 

Pressure Cooker Cuban Yuca Con Mojo {Cassava w/Garlic Sauce]

Pressure Cooker Cuban Yuca Con Mojo {Cassava w/Garlic Sauce]

I leaned about Yuca at an early age.

Jump to Section

  • What is Yuca?
  • So then, what is Yucca?
  • How do I Cut Yuca?
  • What are Other uses for Yuca?
  • Why Cook the Yuca Separate from the Mojo Criollo?
  • Pressure Cooker Cuban Yuca Con Mojo

What is Yuca?

  • Cassava or Yuca in Spanish, is a woody shrub, which is native to South America and the Caribbean.
  • It is heavier and denser than a potato, but has a bit of a sweet taste like a yam.
  • It’s starchy and tuberous root, it is a main source of carbohydrates.
  • Yuca is a major stable food in developing countries as it is very high in carbohydrates and very filling.
  • It comes in a sweet and a bitter variety, with the sweet variety being the most popular for cooking and eating.
  • In addition to the Caribbean, Africa is a major consumer of Yuca. It’s really good!!!!
  • Make sure you do not get the bitter variety.
  • Yuca is often time sold in the frozen section, already cooked.
  • You can still use this recipe, just skip to the part where you make the Mojo.

So then, what is Yucca?

  • “Yucca,” is something altogether different. 🙂
  • It is a plant with long, blade-like leaves that grows from a central point, like Aloe Vera, but with softer leaves.
  • It’s also the name of a city in Arizona.
  • The “u” in Yuca is pronounced like “you,” while the “u” in Yucca is pronounced like the “u” in “yuck.”

 

Cut the Yuca, Remove the Core

Cut the Yuca, Remove the Core

As you can see from the above photos, Yuca is very dense and hard.

It can get really long and thick.

Make sure your knife is properly sharpened, as it would be easy to cut off a finger.

Be very careful when cutting raw Yuca.

How do I Cut Yuca?

  • First cut off the ends and then cut the Yuca into two or three large chunks/pieces, about four inches long.
  • Stand the Yuca on a cut side (like a tree stump) and with a sharp knife, carefully, cut away the skin.
  • A strong Potato Peeler is your best bet because of the super tough and thick skin.
  • Yuca has a woody and stringy center, that is not edible.
  • Quarter the Yuca, lengthwise.
  • Cut out the woody center.
  • If you have a super thick/fat Yuca, you may need to cut your Yuca into more pieces.

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.

 

Place Yuca in a Steamer Basket

Place Yuca in a Steamer Basket

We used to always boil the Yuca on the stove for 20-25 minutes.

That was after the water came to a boil. It’s just a fraction of the time with a Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker.

There is still the time to come up to pressure and the time for the pressure to release, but we can do other things while the  Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker is doing its thing. It’s good that way too!

I just like to use my  Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker, so I can set and then forget it, until it is done.

Place the Yuca into a Steamer/Strainer Basket.

Similar to my Pressure Cooker Potato Mash, the Yuca will be above the sauce and will steam.

What are Other uses for Yuca?

  • Dried Yuca is Tapioca, which I am sure many of you are very familiar with Tapioca.
  • Tapioca Pearls are used for Tapioca Pudding.
  • Tapioca Starch, Tapioca Pearls/Black Boba is used for Boba Tea.
  • They all come from the Cassava/Yuca shrub.
  • You must also try my Air Fryer Yuca Fries. The taste is hard to describe, but they are so incredibly delicious!
  • My Boba Tea is fantastic and I will get the recipe up on the blog soon.
  • A popular breakfast bread is Pan de Yuca
  • It is a light, airy and chewy Columbian bread made with Tapioca Starch/Flour and Oaxaco sheese.
  • Pan de Yuca goes great with a cup of hot chocolate or Cuban Coffee in the morning.

Juan, a Colombian grocer friend of mine taught me how to make the Pan de Yuca.

We used to buy Pan de Ya from Juan’s bakery section, several times a week.

 

Mince the Garlic

Mince the Garlic

While the Yuca is Steaming in the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker, prepare the Sauce ingredients.

Use a Morter and Pestle or a Mini Food Chopper/Processor and mince the Garlic as small as you can

If you have neither, smash the Garlic and then use a knife to mince the Garlic.

I love my Ultimate Chopper, which is no longer made and this Small Food Chopper is a good substitute.

Remember the late night TV commercials years ago? I bought two of them.

 

True Orange and True Lime

True Orange and True Lime

If you do not have the Fresh Citrus, Limes or Unsweetened/Sour Orange Juice, the True Orange and True Lime work very well.

They are crystalized and taste like you went outside and picked the fruit off your own tree.

I keep the whole line of True Products in my pantry, at all times.

Four teaspoons, plus 1/2 cup of Fresh Water will taste like Fresh Citrus Juice.

 

Add Olive Oil to Hot Pressure Cooker Cooking Pot

Add Olive Oil to Hot Pressure Cooker Cooking Pot

Select Sauté or Browning on your Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker cooking pot and allow pot to fully heat.

For Pressure Cookers without a Sauté or Browning button, choose the Meat button or us the Dial.

A good Olive Oil is always important to use.

 

Prepare the Mojo Sauce

Prepare the Mojo Sauce

Adding a Pat of Butter, give the Mojo, a nice, rich flavor.

Onions soften very quickly in the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker so only a short Sauté is needed.

Don’t let the Onions get brown, as we don’t want them to caramelize. Minced Garlic, fresh or bottled is fine to use.

The Minced Garlic only Sautés for a few seconds, just enough to become fragrant.

 

Place Water and Steamer Basket in Pressure Cooker

Place Water and Steamer Basket in Pressure Cooker

Placing the Yuca above the Mojo Sauce in the Steamer Basket allows the Yuca to steam, while the Mojo cooks.

Unlike boiling the Yuca in water, this method keeps the Yuca from breaking a part.

If you purchase this Salbree Steamer Basket, you will need to pop off the handles.

As the Yuca steams, the Sauce will continue to cook.

Yuca will change from white to yellow while cooking, so don’t worry when you open your pot and the Yuca is a different color. 🙂

 

Add the Yuca into the Mojo Marinade

Add the Yuca into the Mojo Marinade

Why Cook the Yuca Separate from the Mojo Criollo?

  • The Sour Orange flavor is super strong.
  • The Mojo flavor will penetrate the Yuca and may be unbearable. Normally, that is a good thing, but not in this case.
  • While you certainly can cook them both together, the Sauce will overpower the Yuca.
  • It is just as easy to dump steamed Yuca into the Sauce and then simmer to thicken up the Sauce.
  • Trust me, this will be super duper flavorful

This Mojo Marinade is wonderful on all kinds of meat, so you might want to make a double batch and throw in some Chicken and Pork and cook for a few minutes..

Check out my Pressure Cooker Lechon Asado ({Cuban Port with Mojo} recipe. It is so good!..

 

Pressure Cooker Yuca con Mojo

Pressure Cooker Yuca con Mojo

Serve the Pressure Cooker Cuban Yuca Con Mojo in chunks or in strips, your choice.

The chunks are the traditional way.

For another traditional Cuban dish, try my Pressure Cooker Spanish Tortilla or my Pressure Cooker Cuban Black Beans!

I will be adding a lot more Cuban recipes in the near future.

Have a Cuban stepmother and working in Downtown Miami, taught me so much about Cuban food and was a big part of my menu.

Kitchen Equipment and Essentials

  • Instant Pot DUO Plus 60 Pressure Cooker
  • J.A. Henckels Classic 7-inch Hollow Edge Santoku Knife
  • Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
  • Simply Gourmet (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
  • Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
  • di Oro Living Silicone Spatulas Set
  • Rachael Ray Stoneware EVOO Oil Dispensing Bottle
  • Porcelain & Bamboo Salt Box with Spoon
  • My FANTASTIC Teak Cutting & Charcuterie Board & Compartments
  • Salbree Steamer Basket
  • Ultimate Chopper (Mini Food Processor)

Caring is sharing! If you would like to support This Old Gal, please share this recipe on Social Media, so that I can continue to bring you more wonderful recipes!

Here is the handy printable recipe:

Pressure Cooker Yuca con Mojo

Pressure Cooker Cuban Yuca Con Mojo

5 from 2 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Caribbean, Cuban
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Pressure Release: 10 minutes
Total Time: 32 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories:
Author: Jill Selkowitz

Ingredients

  • 907 grams (2 lbs) Yuca peeled
  • 30 ml (2 TBL) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 14.18 grams (1 TBL) Butter
  • 23 grams (6 cloves) Fresh Garlic minced
  • 57 grams (1/4 cup) Yellow/Brown Onion diced
  • 5 grams (1 tsp) Sea Salt
  • 118 ml (1/2 cup) Fresh Orange Juice (or True Orange)
  • 118 ml (1/2 cup) Fresh Lime Juice (or True Lime)

Instructions

  • Cut off ends of Yuca and then cut into 2 or three pieces.  Place on end and with a sharp knife, cut off the skin.  Cut Yuca in quarters lengthwise and cut out the woody core.  Place Yuca in Steamer Basket.
  • Select Sauté or Browning on pressure cooker and fully heat the cooking pot.
  • Add Oil and Onions and Sauté for 3 minutes.   Add Garlic and Butter and Sauté for 30 seconds more.
  • Stir in salt, orange juice and lime juice.
  • Place the steamer basket with the Yuca into cooking pot.
  • Lock on the lid and close pressure valve. Cook for 12 minutes on High Pressure. When the beep sounds, wait 10 minutes and then release the remaining pressure.
  • Remove the lid and transfer Yuca from the steamer basket, into the sauce in the cooking pot.  Select Sauté or browning and simmer to thicken sauce.
  • Place Yuca and Sauce in bowl and Garnish with Parsley.

Notes

If you don't have Fresh Citrus, True Lime and True Orange work equally as well.  Mix 4 teaspoons of each into 1 cup of Fresh Water.
For cooking without a Pressure Cooker, boil Yuca for 25 minutes.  Prepare Mojo in a Saucepan.
Tried this recipe?Mention @ThisOldGalCooks or tag #thisoldgalcooks!
© ThisOldGal.com - Sharing the recipe link to any of my recipes posts are both encouraged and appreciated. Unauthorized and improperly attributed or non-attributed use of this material, including screen shots, copy/paste of full recipes to any social media site, website, mobile application or service (e.g., copymethat, recipe keeper, pepper) or cookbook, without the requisite attribution or otherwise with express written permission from Jill Selkowitz is strictly prohibited. You may share a photo with a link back instead.

PIN this Pressure Cooker Cuban Yuca Con Mojo!

Instant Pot Cuban Yuca Con Mojo

Instant Pot Cuban Yuca Con Mojo

3.0K shares
  • 103
  • 4

April 8, 2017

About Jill Selkowitz

Hi, I'm Jill. I'm a mom to Tonkinese cats and enjoy sharing restaurant quality meals, easily made at home. With my easy step by step photos and directions, new cooks will be able to follow along and cook like rock stars.

Welcome To My Kitchen

An image of Jill Selkowitz
Hi, I'm Jill, cooking enthusiast. Here you'll find top chef quality recipes with step by step photos and directions. More About Me

Memorial Day Recipes

Bun Thịt Nướng Vietnamese BBQ Pork Cold Noodle Salad

Bun Thịt Nướng (Vietnamese BBQ Pork Cold…

Instant Pot Baked Beans

Instant Pot Baked Beans [Pressure…

A corn of cob on a plate

Mexican Elote Corn on the Cob [Oven/Air…

A plate of Instant Pot Potato Salad with Carronts on a table

Pressure Cooker Potato Salad with…

Air Fryer

[facetwp facet="air_fryer"]

Instant Pot

[facetwp facet="instant_pot"]

Main

[facetwp facet="main"]

Popular

Instant Pot Greek Yogurt (Thick and…

Instant Pot New York Cheesecake #1 Best…

Instant Pot No Boil Yogurt [Cold Start…

Instant Pot No Knead Bread (Dutch Oven)…

Latest

Instant Pot Low Carb Wonton Soup [Recipe…

Sesame Garlic Noodles [w/Asian Flair]…

Instant Pot Low Carb UNStuffed Cabbage…

Brown Butter Honey Garlic Salmon…

Seasonal

Instant Pot Deviled Egg Salad Rolls [Low…

Pressure Cooker Jewish Brisket [Instant…

Pressure Cooker Pork Carnitas [Crispy…

Greek Tzatziki Sauce Recipe {Garlic…

Featured on:

About | Contact | Work With Me | Privacy Policy | Sitemap
Copyright ©2023, This Old Gal. All Rights Reserved.
3.0K shares