Traditional Dominican fried yuca seasoned with salt, anise seeds, and eggs!
Whenever I think about Arepitas de Yuca, I automatically think of my mom jumping for joy. Hereโs the thing, my mom doesnโt love Arepitas de Yuca— she LOVES Arepitas de Yuca. Itโs an absolute weakness of hers. She even loves Chulitos de Yuca, which are Dominican Arepitas de Yuca stuffed with cheese. Whenever I make these awesome Dominican Yuca Fritters, I have to make a separate batch for her and for guests, because she will eat every single last oneโฆ and she has, many times!ย
What Ingredients Do I Need to Make Arepitas de Yuca?
Dominican Arepitas de Yuca are insanely easy to make yet so flavorful. Itโs an appetizer and fritura that you can make in under 30 minutes. Itโs one of my personal favorites to make whenever Iโm strapped for time or resources. All you need are yuca (cassava), eggs, salt, sugar, and anise seeds.ย
- Fresh Yuca (Cassava)
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Anise Seeds
- Salt
Now I know what youโre thinking, arepas or arepitas are supposed to be made of cornmeal or flour. Therefore, how does yuca play into the equation? Dominican arepitas are special because we grate the yuca.ย We then create a wet dough with eggs and sugar. In the end, we fry arepitas de yuca until theyโre perfectly crispy! Itโs an appetizer thatโs quick and easy to make for any family dinner or gathering. You can make savory arepitas or even sweet ones like Dominican Arepitas de Maiz (Dominican Corn Fritters).
Do I Need Fresh Yuca (Cassava) to Make Arepita de Yuca – Dominican Yuca Fritters?
Fresh yuca (cassava) is an absolute must when making these Dominican Yuca Fritter. (The same is also true when making Chulitos de Yuca, which is the cheese stuffed version of this dish) When making Arepitas de Yuca, know that the hardest and most arduous part is actually grating the yuca. I recommend gathering the kids, nephews, and anyone who wants to get their hands dirty to help you. Iโve always made the mistake of going to the gym on the same day that I make this dish. Once youโve grated a few yucas, your arms will be burning, but at least you got in a workout! With that being said, I do recommend using fresh yucas to make this dish. Save the frozen yucas for when you want to boil them and make Yuca con Mojo!
How Do You Peel Fresh Yuca (Cassava)?
If youโve never peeled a fresh yuca, know that this root vegetable does come with its own nuances. To start, itโs TOUGH and durable. Itโs amazing how it ends up being so delicious when boiled or fried. Homemade Yuca Fries are a true favorite and weakness of mine!
Begin by cutting off the ends of the yuca (cassava) and making a slit through the tough brown skin. Afterwards, the skin will peel right off like magic. The brown and purple waxy layer will come right off. Itโs important that you remove these layers entirely. I personally think that peeling a yuca is easier than peeling a green plantain. Although, my mom highly disagrees with me!
Nonetheless, after you peel the yuca, you want to cut it into medium size pieces. You have to be very VERY careful since working with fresh yuca for the first time can be tricky.. Remember, this delicious Caribbean root vegetable is TOUGH! After youโve cut the yuca into medium sized pieces, be sure to cut those in half. You want to get to the vein that courses through the yuca. Remove the vein especially when making Arepitas de Yuca. The vein is especially tough and wonโt grate easily. Sometimes you can get away with leaving the vein and removing it once cooked. However, itโs best to remove the vein before grating and ultimately frying the yuca fritters. Once youโve peeled and diced your fresh yuca, itโs time to grate away and start making arepitas!
Recommended Tools for Making Arepitas de Yuca:
How Do You Shape the Dominican Arepitas de Yuca When Frying?
You can shape the arepitas de yuca a few different ways. You can create flat arepitas or cylinder arepitas. I typically do a mix of the flat arepitas and the chulito arepitas (cylinder shape), which resemble mini cigars. My husband grew up eating the arepitas flat and my mom likes the chulito style since itโs how my grandmother made it. Both are classic shapes and fry beautifully!
Fried Yuca Tips & Tricks!
Speaking of frying, make sure to follow the same tips and tricks as I shared in: How to Fry The Perfect Tostones!
Tip #1: Warm up oil over medium flame. You want the arepitas to brown evenly on the outside and also cook on the inside. If your oil is too hot, you risk burning the outside and leaving the inside raw. No bueno.
Tip #2: Use a spatula and spoon to help you out. The arepitas batter has moisture in it which can cause the oil to flare up and pop. (Ouch!) Feel free to be extra safe and place the raw arepitas onto a spatula and then nudge into the oil with a spoon. Do so gently so that you donโt misshape your arepitas
Tip #3: Enjoy while hot! Just like Tostones, Arepitas de Yuca are best when they are hot, hot, hot!!!
*Note: You can make Arepitas de Yuca batter ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for up to two days before frying
Dominican Arepas vs. Colombian & Venezuelan Arepas?
Not to confuse you, but arepitas have nothing to do with Dominican Arepa (or Torta). Additionally, Dominican Arepas are entirely different from Colombian and Venezuelan arepas.
In fact, Dominican Arepa / Torta is one of my favorite desserts! Itโs a sweet cornmeal dish that you can make in a simple afternoon. The Dominican Arepa / Torta resembles NOTHING like the Venezuelan and Colombian favorites. Itโs one of those things that leaves you wondering, how did Dominicans come to name certain dishes after classic dishes that are nothing like the original? My guess, is that much like the Dominican Chimichurri, (headโs up itโs a sandwich not a sauce **mind blown**) these dishes started off similar to the original. Over time, Dominicans put their own stamp on it without ever changing the name. This is something that I see time and time again as I research Dominican cuisine. Itโs also one of my favorite quirks about Dominican cuisine because thereโs influences from every part of the world.
If youโd like to see a step-by-step tutorial on How to Make Arepitas de Yuca, visit my YouTube Channel: Chef Zee Cooks.
Make sure to Pin this yumminess to your boards!
Letโs start cooking!
Ingredients
- 2 Fresh Yucas (~2 lbs)
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 ยฝ tsp Anise Seeds
- 1 ยฝ tsp Salt or to Taste
- Canola Oil for Frying
Instructions
- Peel and dice yuca being sure to remove the vein
- Finely grate yuca on smallest setting into a large mixing bowl
- In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, salt, sugar, and anise seeds. Mix until well combined
- Heat up oil over medium heat until it get hot or until temperature reaches 350 degrees
- Form a small arepita whether in flat or chulito style. Fry until golden brown. Taste and make sure batter is to your liking. Feel free to adjust seasonings to your liking by either adding more salt, anise seeds or sugar. The first arepita is your tester to see if you need to adjust seasoning*
- Once you've adjusted seasonings to your liking (if needed), create arepitas (yuca fritters) one-by-one and fry as you go along. Be careful not to burn yourself
- Flip arepitas once they become a golden brown color. This should take about 2-3 minutesย
- Once both sides are cooked and have a beautiful golden brown color, remove arepitas and drain excess oil onto paper towel or into a metal strainer. Serve immediately and enjoy arepitas while they are warm.
Notes
*Note: You can make Arepitas de Yuca batter ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for up to two days before frying