20 Yuca (Cassava) Recipes To Make The Most Of This Versatile Root (2024)

This delicious and diverse collection of yuca recipes shows how incredibly versatile it can be! Enjoy inspiration from different techniques and international flavors all in one place.

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There are an amazing amount of delicious recipes you can make with simple yuca root. Both traditional preparations from across the world and creative, new flavor combos can transform a simple root veggie into a tasty meal.

It’s an ingredient we love in our house. From mashes and fries to sweet desserts, I’m always excited to discover new ways to enjoy it. This amazing collection of yuca recipes is the perfect inspiration when you want to give something new a try. Check them out to find yummy dishes that use it to its full potential.

Yuca Root Tips

If you’re not practiced at cooking yuca, then these tips will help you pick and prepare them more easily and enjoy the flavors that much sooner.

Firm, unblemished roots – It’s important to only pick yuca that’s hard. There should be no cracks, blemishes, or signs of mold. It’s equally important that the flesh is a creamy white. No black spots or veins.
Always cook it – Yuca, much like potatoes, can be toxic when consumed raw. It must be cooked or processed into a flour (tapioca flour) in order to use it.
Peel it and remove the core – There are two outer layers that need to be removed, both the woody exterior and the pink layer underneath. The middle also has a fibrous core that should be cut away. Remove it raw or after cooking.

With these tips you’ll be prepared to tackle any of these yuca recipes with excitement. With such a fantastic, versatile ingredient as yuca, I’m sure you’ll find many to love!

1. Cuban Yuca con Mojo (Yuca with Garlic Sauce)

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This classic Cuban preparation of Yuca Con Mojo is something you’ll be thrilled to try at home. Simply boiled yuca root tossed in a flavorful citrus garlic sauce is a no-fuss side dish with huge flavor.

Recipe by: Yummy Addiction

2. Yuca Mash with Garlic and Thyme (Mashed Cassava)

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A creamy, buttery yuca mash is a delicious variation of traditional mashed potatoes. You’ll love this thyme infused mashed cassava as an anytime side dish all year long.

Recipe by: Yummy Addiction

3. Pulled Pork Yuca Tots with Cilantro Garlic Sauce

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Yuca, aka cassava, turned into tots topped with juicy BBQ pulled pork and cilantro garlic sauce!

Recipe by: A Sassy Spoon

4. Cheese-Stuffed Baked Yuca Balls

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5. Crispy Baked Yuca Fries (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

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These crispy baked yuca fries are the perfect side dish, appetizer or snack. Cooked in the oven till crispy perfection, these yuca fries taste delicious with our favorite easy garlic aioli, our 5-minute Sriracha chili sauce, or cilantro lime crema.

Recipe by: Dish by Dish

6. Cassava Bibingka

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This version of cassava bibingka features a combination of grated cassava and fresh coconut baked in banana leaf. The snack cake is finished with a sweet coconut cream topping.

Recipe by: The Little Epicurean

7. Yuca Fritters – Carimanolas

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You will love this crunchy and creamy Latin treat! Carimanolas are a yuca dough filled with a tasty spiced meat mixture that is fried into a fitter. These are very popular in Panama and Colombia.

Recipe by: Ethnic Spoon

8. Colombian Chicken Sancocho (Sancocho de Pollo)

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Sancocho de Pollo, a hearty soup almost like a stew, is a traditional dish in the Antioquia region of Colombia that combines potatoes, yuca, corn, plantains, and chicken.

Recipe by: Skinnytaste

9. Traditional Filipino Cassava Cake

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Cassava cake is a traditional Filipino snack cake made with grated cassava, coconut milk, and a layer of molten custard on top. The cake has a soft, slightly chewy texture similar to Hawaiian mochi butter cake and is gluten-free.

10. Cheesy Baked Yuca Pie (Pastelon de Yuca)

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Give your weeknight dinner a Latin twist and make this delicious Baked Yuca Pie filled with shredded chicken and topped with lots of cheese.

Recipe by: Living Sweet Moments

11. Yuca en Escabeche (Cassava in Olive Oil & Vinegar)

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Boiled yuca marinades in an olive oil and vinegar sauce with onions, red peppers, and olives. The result is a light refreshing flavor that is still filling and comforting.

Recipe by: The Noshery

12. Accra Banana – African Banana Fritters

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Accra Banana is basically African Banana Fritters – Bananas combined with grated cassava (yucca root) then fried. The result is crunchy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside balls of perfection that are to die for.

Recipe by: Precious Core

13. Nicaraguan Vigoron

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Nicaraguan Vigoron is boiled yuca (cassava root), topped with crispy pork rinds and a cabbage and tomato slaw. It’s great as an appetizer or light dinner!

Recipe by: The Candid Appetite

14. Bammy

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Bammy -A great tasting vegan, and paleo Jamaican flat bread made with grated cassava, dipped in coconut milk and fried until golden brown.

Recipe by: African Bites

15. Cassava Cake with Custard Topping

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Cassava Cake with Custard Topping made with grated cassava and coconut milk. Soft and moist with a creamy flan topping, this classic Filipino treat is the ultimate snack or dessert. And it’s naturally gluten-free, too!

Recipe by: Kawaling Pinoy

16. Hearty Plantain & Yuca Stew

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A warm and filling meal, this hearty allergy-friendly Plantain & Yuca Stew is inspired by Sancocho, a traditional stew found in multiple Latin American cuisines.

Recipe by: The Open Cookbook

17. Cassava Cake with Shredded Coconut

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This cassava cake is coated with shredded coconut. It’s a Malaysian kuih recipe. It’s sweet, dainty and delicious!

Recipe by: Rasa Malaysia

18. Easy Air fryer Cassava Chips

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This is a tasty and easy recipe of Airfryer cassava or yuca chips. It is very simple and you can have it as a tasty evening snack.

Recipe by: Rachna Cooks

19. Brazilian Chicken Soup with Yucca & Yam

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A delicious Brazilian Chicken Soup recipe with yam, yucca root, and shredded chicken. It’s hearty, gluten free, delicious and easy to make.

Recipe by: A Side of Sweet

20. Cassava Puffs with Cinnamon Sugar and Caramel (Gluten Free)

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These incredible 5 ingredient cassava (yuca) puffs with cinnamon sugar and caramel are next level good… and gluten free!

Recipe by: Chew Town

20 Yuca (Cassava) Recipes To Make The Most Of This Versatile Root (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between yuca and cassava? ›

Cassava, which is also known as yuca, is not interchangeable with yucca. The plants belong to different plant families: cassava belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family, while yucca belongs to the Asparagaceae. Cassava is cultivated for its root, a staple food in many cultures. Yucca is primarily an ornamental plant.

What are the side effects of yucca root? ›

The roots of the yucca plant contain a substance that can trigger the production of toxins, such as cyanide, when not processed correctly. Improper cooking can cause yucca root side effects, such as vomiting, stomach pain, dizziness and headaches.

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What's the best way to eat yucca? ›

How to eat it: You can prepare it in the same way you would a baked potato, though it's important to remove the skin first. Yuca have a high starch content which make them rather dry, so including a sauce helps. A common way to prepare a yuca is to make oven-baked yuca fries or chunks.

Who should not eat cassava? ›

Allergies to latex: Cassava might cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to latex. Iodine deficiency: Cassava might lower the amount of iodine absorbed by the body. For people who already have low levels of iodine, eating cassava might make this condition worse.

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Is yucca healthier than rice? ›

Protects Heart Health

Yuca is also a great source of vitamin C and folate, two vital nutrients for heart health. Choosing yuca and other tubers (like potatoes) in place of rice or wheat flour can boost daily potassium intakes for better cardiovascular protection.

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Is yuca good for kidneys? ›

Some of these vegetables will be higher in potassium including potatoes, sweet potatoes, rutabagas, yams and yuca. The amount of potassium you may have depends on your stage of kidney disease. Most people with early-stage CKD or a kidney transplant do not have to limit root vegetables because of potassium.

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Is cassava called yuca in Mexico? ›

Cassava—known as Yuca in Mexico— is a starchy, woody root that has been in Mexico for more than two centuries, and is found in the states of the Yucatan peninsula. In the State of Tabasco, it is commonly found in a dish called puchero, a stew made with beef and vegetables.

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What is yuca called in Africa? ›

To confuse things even more, yuca is also known in South America and Africa as cassava or as manioc.

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Can you eat yucca? ›

Almost all of the yucca plant can be used as food. The stems, leaf bases, flowers, emerging stalks as well as the fruit of most types of yuccas are edible. The stems or trunks of yucca store carbohydrates in chemicals called saponins, which are toxic, not to mention taste of soap.

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Is yuca sweet or bitter cassava? ›

There are 2 main types of yuca – sweet and bitter. The sweet type is what we have in the United States. Sweet yuca is not any higher in sugar than bitter roots, but contains less linamarin, a cyanogenic glycoside that can be deleterious if ingested in large quantities.

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