Alcapurrias de yuca are cassava fritters stuffed with flavorful picadillo or seasoned ground beef. Alcapurrias are Puerto Rico’s favorite fritter. This popular Puerto Rican street food is sold in kiosks along beaches all year-round on the island. Alcapurrias are typically made with a puree of green bananas and yautía but this version is made with only cassava (yuca). They are stuffed with flavorful picadillo or seasoned ground beef. They are deep fried until perfectly crispy and golden brown. These Puerto Rican fritters are both DELICIOUS and highly addictive. Save this recipe!

If you love fritters (frituras), check out these recipes: alcapurrias de guineo, rellenos de yuca, bacalaitos, empanadillas and sorullitos de maíz.

What are alcapurrias?

Alcapurrias are traditionally made with green bananas (guineos verdes), white tannier (yautia blanca), and stuffed with picadillo. Sometimes alcapurrias are also made with cassava (yuca). Some people also add plantains (platanos) and kabocha squash (calabaza) to the alcapurria dough (masa).

I sometimes use guineos and malanga when my local market doesn’t have yautia. I think malanga is a perfect substitute for yautia, as the flavor profile is similar. Alcapurrias made with malanga taste almost the same to me as the ones made with yautia. Just make sure to use malanga coco.

Alcapurrias de yuca ingredients:

Cassava (Yuca)
Sofrito
Chicken bouillon paste (Better than Bouillon)
Annatto oil (Aceite de achiote)
Adobo
Sazón
Onion powder
Garlic powder

How to make alcapurrias de yuca?

Cook ground beef (picadillo)

Place a skillet over medium high heat. Brown your ground beef and remove any excess fat from your skillet. Add sofrito, tomato sauce, onions, peppers and olives. Next, add seasonings and cook for a few minutes until the vegetables become tender. Add a little water if the picadillo dries up. Lastly, cover and allow the picadillo to continue cooking for about 15 minutes.

Make dough (masa)

If using fresh cassava, peel and cut into small pieces. Make sure to remove the fibrous core from the center. If using frozen cassava, defrost it first by placing it in the refrigerator overnight or placing it in cold water for at least 30 minutes. Place the cassava in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Then, use a cheesecloth to remove excess liquid from the cassava. Discard the liquid and place the grated cassava back to the blender.

Add the chicken bouillon, sofrito, seasonings and annatto oil to help blend everything easily. I use the Ninja Foodi Power Blender and it works like magic! Add the cassava to a large bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. You want the dough to be well seasoned and flavorful!

Assemble the alcapurrias

Take a rectangular piece of banana leaf (wax or parchment paper) and spread some annatto oil on top to prevent your alcapurria from sticking to it. Next, add about a quarter cup of masa and flatten it into a disc shape. Then, add about two heaping tablespoons of picadillo filling in the center of the disc. Use a spoon to fold the dough over the filling. Then, use the banana leaf to shape it by folding it and pressing it until the alcapurria is in the shape of a long cylinder. Tip: Make sure none of the meat filling is showing through or the alcapurrias will burst when frying. I find that I can make about 8 to 10 alcapurrias with 2 lbs of cassava.

Next, place the alcapurrias on a cookie sheet. I find it best to lay them right on the banana leaves. Wrap the cookie sheet with plastic cling wrap or aluminum foil to keep it covered.

Place in the freezer to set. Allow the alcapurrias to freeze for about 6 hours or overnight.

Fry the alcapurrias

Heat oil to 325℉-350℉ in a large frying pan. You want to cook the alcapurrias in medium heat so they can fully cook through without burning on the outside. I find that deep frying is the best method for beautifully golden brown alcapurrias.

Deep fry the alcapurrias for about 10-15 minutes or until golden and fully cooked through. Allow the alcapurrias to cool on a cooling rack to prevent them from becoming soggy. Serve with hot sauce (pique) or mayo-ketchup and enjoy. ¡Buen provecho!

What is the best oil for frying?

Avocado oil is my favorite oil for frying. You can also use corn oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil. They all have a high smoke point making them great choices.

What to serve with alcapurrias?

I like to serve alcapurrias as an appetizer or side dish. Some meals I like to serve with alcapurrias include arroz con gandules and pernil, or white rice, beans, pollo al horno, and ensalada de papa. Also don’t forget sliced avocado and a cold Malta, Coco Rico or Medalla beer!

Please leave me a star rating or review!

If you enjoy this alcapurrias de yuca recipe, please leave me a 5 star review and also comment at the bottom of this blog post! Your feedback makes me so HAPPY! It also makes it easier to find my recipes on Google. THANK YOU in advance!

If you’d like my recipes sent straight to your inbox, subscribe to my email list here. Remember to tag me @madewithsaz0n in any photos of this recipe you post on social media. I love seeing your posts, it really makes my day!

Follow me on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Pinterest!

Alcapurrias de Yuca (Puerto Rican Cassava Fritters)

Alcapurrias de yuca are cassava fritters stuffed with flavorful picadillo or seasoned ground beef. They are deep fried until perfectly crispy and golden brown.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 1

Freeze Time 6

Total Time 8

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Puerto Rican

Servings 10 servings

Equipment

1 blender or food processor Ninja Foodi Power Blender and Processor linked in notes

Ingredients

Dough (Masa)

2 lbs cassava (yuca) fresh or frozen
1 tbsp sofrito
1 tbsp chicken bouillon paste Better Than Bouillon
4 tbsp annatto oil (aceite de achiote)
1 tsp adobo
1 tsp sazón
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
salt, to taste
banana leaves for forming alcapurrias

Ground beef (picadillo)

1 lb ground beef
1 tbsp sofrito
1 tbsp chicken bouillon paste Better Than Bouillon
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced bell peppers
2 tbsp green pimento stuffed olives diced
1 tsp adobo
1 tsp sazón
1/2 tbsp onion powder
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground oregano
1/8 tsp black pepper
salt, to taste

Oil for frying

24 oz avocado oil other oil options: corn oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil.

Instructions

Cook ground beef (Picadillo)

Place a skillet over medium high heat. Brown your ground beef and remove any excess fat from your skillet.
Add sofrito, tomato sauce, onions, peppers and olives. Add seasonings and cook for a few minutes until the vegetables become tender.
Add a little water if the picadillo dries up. Cover and allow the picadillo to continue cooking for about 15 minutes.

Make dough (masa)

If using fresh cassava, peel and cut into small pieces. Make sure to remove the fibrous core from the center. If using frozen cassava, defrost it first by placing it in the refrigerator overnight or placing it in cold water for at least 30 minutes.
Place the cassava in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Use a cheesecloth to remove excess liquid from the cassava. Discard the liquid and place the grated cassava back to the blender.
Add the chicken bouillon, sofrito, seasonings and annatto oil to help blend everything easily. I use the Ninja Foodi Power Blender and it works like magic! See my notes for the link!
Add the cassava to a large bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. You want the dough to be well seasoned and flavorful!

Assemble the alcapurrias

Take a rectangular piece of banana leaf (wax or parchment paper) and spread some annatto oil on top to prevent your alcapurria from sticking to it. Next, add about a quarter cup of masa and flatten it into a disc shape. Then, add about two heaping tablespoons of picadillo filling in the center of the disc. Use a spoon to fold the dough over the filling. Then, use the banana leaf to shape it by folding it and pressing it until the alcapurria is shaped like a long cylinder. Tip: Make sure none of the meat filling is exposed or the alcapurrias will burst when frying.
Place the alcapurrias on a cookie sheet. I find it best to lay them right on the banana leaves. Wrap the cookie sheet with plastic cling wrap or aluminum foil to keep it covered.
Place in the freezer to set. Allow the alcapurrias to freeze for about 6 hours or overnight.

Fry the alcapurrias

Heat oil to 325℉-350℉ in a large frying pan. You want to cook the alcapurrias in medium heat so they can fully cook through without burning on the outside. I find that deep frying is the best method for evenly cooked, beautifully golden brown alcapurrias.
Deep fry the alcapurrias for about 10-15 minutes or until golden and fully cooked through. Allow the alcapurrias to cool on a cooling rack to prevent them from becoming soggy. Serve with hot sauce (pique) or mayo-ketchup and enjoy. ¡Buen provecho!

Notes

How to make annatto oil (aceite de achiote)

Add oil of choice (I prefer avocado or olive oil) to small saucepan over medium heat. Add annatto seeds.
Allow seeds to infuse the oil for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat when oil starts to bubble. Be sure not to burn the annatto seeds.
Allow oil to cool before storing in a glass bottle.

How far ahead can I make the dough?

You can make dough for alcapurrias up to two days in advance. Refrigerate it in a tightly sealed container.

I use the Ninja Foodi Power Blender and it works amazingly well when I make alcapurria dough or masa. Check it out on my amazon store.

What is the best oil to fry alcapurrias in?

Avocado oil is my favorite oil for frying. You can also use corn oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil. They all have a high smoke point making them great choices.