Cassava Chips (Yuca Chips)

By
Hector Rodriguez
Hector Rodriguez
A Puerto Rico native and former food service professional, Hector Rodriguez develops recipes inspired by the Caribbean and Latin America.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 10/17/21
Cassava (yuca) chips
Falco / Pixabay
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Steep Time: 45 mins
Total: 105 mins
Servings: 2 to 4 servings

Potato chips are a classic salty, crunchy snack, and maybe if you've made them yourself, you'll know what sort of delicious results you can get by doing a snack like that homemade. Cassava chips are even tastier, with a nutty sweetness. Try this recipe for making cassava (yuca) chips, which is a great snack for after school or game night.

If you've never worked with this root vegetable before, cassava is long and starchy and often found in Latin American and Caribbean cuisines. Cassava can be found at some larger supermarkets, Latin American markets, and some farmers markets, depending on where you live. This veggie should be peeled before cooking and is also known as yuca, which is not the same thing as yucca—the latter—an ornamental plant. This recipe is written for a deep fryer, but you can certainly fry the chips in a deep pot if you don't have a fryer.

Cassava chips taste great simply sprinkled with salt, but they are even better if served with salsa or a dip. Try them with some homemade guacamole or onion dip.

Ingredients

  • 2 fresh cassava roots

  • 1 quart water, iced, or more or less as needed

  • Vegetable oil or canola oil, for frying

  • Kosher salt, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Slice off about a half-inch from each end of the cassava (yuca) root.

  3. Peel the brown bark-like skin from the root.

  4. With a vegetable slicer or mandoline, slice the root into thin rounds (about 1/8 inch or less). You can use the straight blade or crinkle-cut blade.

  5. Put the slices into the ice water right away and allow them to steep for 45 minutes.

  6. Remove the slices from the water.

  7. Drain and dry on paper towels. (You do not want them to be wet when you put them in hot oil.)

  8. Fry in hot oil at 370 F until lightly brown and crisp. Don’t crowd the fryer. Instead, fry in batches if necessary.

  9. Drain the chips on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

  10. Serve immediately or allow the chips to cool and store them sealed in plastic bags or an airtight container.

  11. Enjoy.

Tips

  • For the best possible chips, the slices of cassava (yuca) need to be paper thin.
  • Use a vegetable slicer or mandoline to keep the slices thin and uniform for proper frying.
  • Make sure the slices are completely dry before putting them into the hot oil. Otherwise, they may end up soggy when you try to fry them.

How to Store Cassava Chips

Homemade cassava chips can be kept in an airtight container, which will keep them crispier than storing them in a zip-close plastic bag. They're best as soon as they're made, but they should keep for up to two weeks stored this way.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
324 Calories
18g Fat
39g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 324
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 169mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 39g 14%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 21mg 106%
Calcium 24mg 2%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 279mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)