If there’s one way I never get tired of eating yuca, it’s yuca al mojo.
Yuca is a staple in Latin cooking, and we use it in sancocho, pasteles, and so many different sides. Still, simple boiled yuca with a quick mojo sauce is my favorite way to serve it.
When I was growing up, my mom would boil it until tender, then toss it with onions, garlic, and lime juice to serve with dishes like bistec guisado or bistec encebollado.
It’s the quickest and easiest way to make yuca.
How to peel and cut yuca into quarters
- Trim both ends of the yuca, then make one cut along the middle to divide it into two pieces.
- Make a cut along the length of both yuca pieces.
- Use the tip of your knife to lift the skin at the cut, then peel it away in strips, working your way around the yuca.
- Cut each piece in half, then in half again to get four pieces total.
Skip the peeling with frozen yuca
Frozen yuca is a great shortcut because it comes already peeled and parboiled, so you can skip peeling and get straight to cooking.
It also cooks faster than fresh yuca so it’s a good option for when you want to save some time.
How to make the mojo
- Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions, peppers, garlic, lime juice, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Cook for about 3 minutes, until the onions soften and everything smells nice and fragrant.
- Add the cooked yuca to the pan and toss everything together.
- Let it cook for another 2–3 minutes so the yuca soaks up all that delicious mojo.
Red onions > any other kind of onion
For this mojo sauce red onions are the way to go.
Red onions have a tang to them that make them so delicious when cooked in an acid like lime juice or vinegar, similar to the onions we love to use in los tres golpes.
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Yuca al Mojo (Cassava with Onions)
Ingredients
- 2-3 yuca peeled and cut into quarters
- Water
- Salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 red onion sliced
- 2 cloves garlic mashed
- 1 lime or 1 tbsp vinegar
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ salt
- ¼ pinch cumin
- Cilantro chopped, for topping
Instructions
- Add the yuca quarters, water, and a sprinkle salt to a pot over medium heat. Cook until the yuca is tender, about 30 minutes.
- Drain, then remove the tough, fibrous core from the center of each piece.
- Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions, peppers, garlic, lime juice, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the onions soften and everything smells nice and fragrant.
- Add the cooked yuca to the pan and toss everything together. Let it cook for another 2–3 minutes so the yuca soaks up all that delicious mojo.
- Serve warm with fresh cilantro on top. ¡Buen provecho!
One Response
Very simple quick and easy!