Crunchy, cheesy, and just plain delicious! These Cheesy Yuca Balls (Cassava) with Mayo Ketchup dipping sauce are the perfect appetizer.
There is nothing better than Cheesy Yuca Balls when you are craving something crunchy and filling. Cheese -filled Yuca balls can be made as an appetizer or snack. I love that they can be frozen and made whenever you want a special treat. They freeze really well! I make a huge batch and save half for a later time. You can fry them while frozen, it doesn’t affect the taste! Win!
I grew up in a typical Puerto Rican family so Yuca (Cassava) and plátanos (green bananas) was a staple in my home. Unfortunately, it means we ate a lot of fried food. I’ve never tried these baked in the oven or the air fryer but I may do that to save on frying since I’m watching what I eat for the New Year. But let’s get to the recipe!
Cheesy Yuca (Cassava) Balls or Bites Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of Yuca (I used frozen)
- Cheese of your choice
- Breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- Flour for dusting
- 1 tbsp of Butter
- Salt/pepper (for seasoning)
- Oil (for frying)
Directions:
- Boil the Yuca in a pot of water with salt. The Yuca will be ready once you can stab a fork easily through it. Once it is fork tender, transfer to a big bowl and smash it like you would mashed potatoes. Be sure to remove the stem that is found in the center.
- Add butter and season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Let the yuca cool down a little so it is easier to handle.
- Once cooled, dust your hand with flour to make it easy to form the balls. The yuca tends to be very sticky so the flour makes it easy to form the balls. You can make the balls as big or small as you like. I tend to make them a little smaller than golf balls or about golf ball size.
- Place your choice of cheese in the center of the yuca mixture and make sure to cover it entirely so it doesn’t ooze out while cooking. I tend to grab some of the mixture, flatten it on my hand, place the cheese in the middle, then form the ball again. If you need to add more flour to your hands, do it. It makes handling it much easier.
- Dip the balls in the egg then roll them in the breadcrumb. Repeat until all your balls are coated with breadcrumb.
- Heat up your oil on medium-high. Place your balls in the pan once the oil is hot. You want to cook it about 3-4 mins on each side. You want it to be a nice golden brown. Remove from the oil and enjoy!
Mayo-Ketchup Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp Ketchup
- 2 tbsp Mayo
- 1/4 tsp fresh garlic
- 1/2 tsp lime juice
- salt/pepper, to taste
- (optional) Dash of hot sauce
Directions:
- Mix everything together. That’s it!
Drizzle the mayo-ketchup on top of the Yuca bites or just dip’em! I love this dipping sauce and my kids love it even more. I think it is similar to fry sauce. You can also purchase it already made by Goya.
The Yuca Balls will become a family favorite. My kids were skeptical about “yuca” but once they took a bite they loved it! Yuca is definitely a versatile food – it could be fried, boiled, baked, and steamed. It will taste delicious anyway you prepare it.
Do you have a favorite Yuca (Cassava) recipe?
