This post is also available in Spanish
Yuca , mandioca or cassava is an extremely versatile ingredient and can be cooked in so many different ways. You can fry it, boil it, bake it, mash it, steam it, and even grill it. It can be used to make empanada dough, dumplings, patties, soups, desserts, and more. You can even use yuca flour as a replacement for regular flour!
I’ve got a great recipe that combines some of my favorite ingredients, yuca and cheese, into one perfect bite. These crispy little Yuca Balls Stuffed with Cheese are a fabulous party snack or side dish. To make them, the yuca is cooked over medium heat until very tender, then mashed into dough, stuffed with cheese, formed into round balls, and then fried again until crispy.
And the best part? You can make them ahead and freeze them. Just fry them over when guests show up (or you get a craving that won’t quit!). I make the balls ahead of time, during those afternoons when I have a few extra minutes, then fry them straight from the freezer. Whenever you need them, you can whip them up for a quick and delicious appetizer. Buen provecho!
Ingredients
(12 bolitas)
- 1 pound frozen or fresh yuca, peeled
- 2 beaten eggs
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, cubed
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Guacamole for serving
Directions
- Cook the yuca in a large pot with salted water over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until fork tender.
- rain the yuca and remove any fibers from the center. Transfer to a large bowl and mash.
- Place the eggs in a bowl. Place the breadcrumbs in another bowl.
- orm 12 balls with the mash. Flatten them with your hands and place 1 piece of cheese in the center and form the ball again to cover the cheese.
- Dip the balls into the beaten egg covering all sides, and then cover them with breadcrumbs.
- Fill a large skillet with oil and heat over medium-high heat to 350F. Place the balls into heated oil and fry for 4 minutes or until brown on all sides, turning over once about halfway through. Remove from the oil and place on a plate lined with paper towels.
Belinda @zomppa says
Ooo the inside is perfectly gooey!
Joanne says
Yay for yucca!! These look awesome.
Pearl says
Be careful. Yuca (cassava) is very different from Yucca which is an ornamental plant.
https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-deal-17-24054
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
What an exotic snack!
Joan Nova says
Beautiful and very tempting recipe/photos.
Evelyne@cheapethniceatz says
These look wonderful and so perfect for the holidays. So many cheese to try out the the yucca ‘dough’
Jeannie Tay says
Oh these balls looks lovely and delicious! We do fry yuca balls here too but never thought of filling them with cheese! Yummy idea!
Jessica says
We were going to make these for my son’s Spanish class, but couldn’t find any yuca locally… we ended up making the coca cola rice (yum!!) and we do plan to try these SOMEDAY, hopefully we’ll get to the city and find some soon…
Tonight for supper, we’re going to try the Chuleta de Pollo (the chicken is already in ziplock bags marinating in the aliños sauce)..
Thanks for this blog! I love trying all different cuisines and probably should set up a food blog, if nothing else to share links and talk about the changes I make ! 🙂
Chris says
Wow those puffy treats sound fantastic, Erica. I’m not even hungry and I want one right now.
yanette says
Receta muy practica y sabrosa,gracias
Anonymous says
Hola saludos porque si esta receta esta en ingles porqu al menos no pones el paso a paso ilustrado …en español ya q no hay traductor.
jenny says
Hoja porque esta receta no aparece en español español español
Erica Dinho says
La voy a traducir pronto!
Michael says
Get the best recipes for Colombian food here. I tried other blogs and this is the most traditional and has the best Colombian recipes. Thanks!
Jim says
I tried this recipe last night and it was GREAT!!! I followed the link to your blog from pinterest I am going to try several other recipes I saw here. Thanks so much. Keep posting these recipes!!!!
rebecca says
this looks a fun snack
Anonymous says
en español los pin por favor..
Ruth says
Wow thanks for such an awesome snack. I’m making this for my little girl..she’s going to love them. It reminds me of my mama back home.☺
Alan Bowman says
These are really delicious. The comment in the intro about using yuca flour to replace regular wheat flour has the advantage that yuca flour is gluten free!
LILIANA says
If I am using frozen shredded yuca, do I have to boil it first?