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How to Cook Yuca Root

How to cook yucca root on the stove top! Yuca is a carb-o-licious versatile root vegetable used in all sorts of comfort food recipes worldwide. Let’s dive on in!

How to Prepare Yucca Root #rootvegetables

When I went to the Dominican Republic a few months ago, I was blown away by the cuisine. Aside from the wide range of saucy slow-cooked meats (my favorite!), there was an abundance of fresh salads and stewed vegetables.

I became hooked on cassava and couldn’t stop eating the stuff.  I was determined to incorporate it into my own cooking as soon as I got home, but then something happened: I couldn’t find yucca root anywhere.

Fun Facts About Cassava, or Yuca:

Cassava is more commonly called, “yuca” in the U.S. The root is often misspelled “yucca,” which is actually a shrub-like plant. Indeed, yuca is the actual starchy root vegetable that you eat. I use both terms throughout the post for SEO purposes. Winky face. 😉

Yuca root is very dense and starchy and is used just like a potato in many delicious dishes worldwide. It has a mild flavor, which makes it versatile for incorporating into numerous types of recipes. Basically, it can go anywhere a potato can go…and then some!

When I first started my search for yuca, I had a difficult time locating it. Most grocery stores put it near the other less-commonly used root vegetables. The grocery store I shop at keeps them next to the turnips, rutabaga, kohlrabi, and ginger.

Origin of Yuca Root:

The root is native to Central and South America, and you’ll commonly see it incorporated in to a variety of dishes in Latin American countries, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean Islands.

Most roots can be consumed raw, but yucca is one of the few roots that must be cooked, as the peel contains cyanide. Another fun fact: yuca is where tapioca pearls and tapioca flour come from!

How to Cook Yuca Root

Although the root is very tough to peel, once you break through the outer layer, it can be made into fries, added to soups, stewed on its own with butter, salt, and spices, or even pureed and made into custard-like desserts and cakes.

This versatile root is the third largest source for carbohydrate in the tropics. Full of Vitamin C, potassium, folate, and fiber, yucca doesn’t boast the same high-octane antioxidant properties as other roots such as beets, but still does its part in boosting your immune system and keeping your digestive system regular.

How to Make Yucca Root:

1. Chop off both ends of the yucca root using a sharp knife.

2. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice down the full length of the yucca root. Be sure to cut through both the brown peel and the thick white layer.

How to Prepare Yucca Root #rootvegetables

3. Start at the thicker end of the root (if one side is thicker) and work your thumbs under one side of the cut. Be sure to get underneath the first white layer, too as it will help you peel the skin off in large chunks. Once you’re underneath the peel, you can work your thumbs down the length of the root, peeling the skin off like a jacket.

How to Prepare Yucca Root #rootvegetables

4. Once the root is peeled, chop it into chunks.

How to Prepare Yucca Root #rootvegetables

[Alternative method: You can also use a vegetable peeler!]

How to Cook Yuca Root - an easy photo tutorial | TheRoastedRoot.net

5. Fill a medium-sized pot with water and bring it to a full boil. Place the hunks of peeled yucca root in the boiling water, and allow them to cook for 15 to 25 minutes, or until the root is very soft when poked with a fork. The root will turn from white to yellow once it has cooked.

6. Cut the yuca chunks in half length-wise and remove the hard spine from each piece.

How to Cook Yuca Root - an easy photo tutorial | TheRoastedRoot.net

Now you get to use the yuca however you would like! I’m partial to sea salt, butter, and sautéed garlic, myself! Maybe a sprinkle of cheese. 😉

Every once in a while, I come across a yuca that has out-stayed its welcome at the grocery store. It can be difficult to know whether the root is fresh or not, since it is hidden underneath such thick skin. Here’s how you can tell

How to Tell When Yuca is Bad:

When you peel the root, it should be completely white. If there are dark grey/black lines, specks, or brown areas, the root has gone bad. You can see what I mean in this photo:

How to tell if a yuca root has gone bad

Some oxidation is normal after you peel a yuca, but it shouldn’t be discolored as soon as you peel it.

Can I Cook Yuca Root in a Pressure Cooker?:

In a word, YES! Cooking cassava in an Instant Pot is super quick and easy. To do so, follow my tutorial on How to Cook Yucca in the Instant Pot.

Serving Options:

Serve with some sauteed garlic and butter, or try one of these recipes:

 

Yucca. Make it your new russet potato.

My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out, and thank you for your support!

How to Cook Yucca Root - everything you need to know about yucca (a.k.a. cassava) + a photo tutorial

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Laura Schway

Thursday 25th of May 2023

After boiling (tenderize) you can drizzle oil, sal, little seasoning and bake it is so easy, less oil and delicious with abocado, cucumber cilantro sauce.

Julia

Thursday 25th of May 2023

Great suggestions!

Amy

Thursday 23rd of March 2023

This is the most informative site for cooking.

Julia

Friday 24th of March 2023

Thank you, Amy!! :) xo

Kimi

Saturday 3rd of December 2022

Bad idea to misspell yuca as "yucca" on purpose, since they are two different plants, the roots of both plants are used, but the precautions are not the same for the two.

This type of misinformation can have unfortunate results. Negative SEO; not worth it.

Emily

Friday 25th of September 2020

Hi Julia, this will be my first time preparing yuca myself! I was wondering, in your section on How to tell if yuca is bad, you mention that presence of dark lines means they've gone bad. But in Step #4 the chunks of yuca have those lines... so I'm a bit confused. Are those just from oxidation, or did you cut up some bad yuca root just to show the size of the chunks? Thank you!

Julia

Friday 25th of September 2020

Hi Emily,

It's when the dark lines are thick and breach the surface of the root. If they're present on the top of the root, it's fine but if the majority of the root is brown instead of white, not fine ;) Hope you love it! xoxo

Diana

Friday 31st of July 2020

There is an easier way we peel Cassava in Trinidad and Tobago. Starting at the wider top gently cut through the outer layer in a spiral. Then take hold of the top cut and the skin rolls off in a spiral.

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