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    Home >> Side Dishes

    Alcapurrias - Puerto Rican Fritters

    Published: Feb 25, 2023 by Analida · • Word count:1428 words. • About 8 minutes to read this article. • This post may contain affiliate links ·

    242 shares
    • 36
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    A photo showing a plate with Puerto Rican alcapurrias and a text overlay.

    Alcapurrias are one of the most popular fritters in Puerto Rico!  You can find them on the street, in restaurants and made at home. They are crunchy on the outside with a creamy interior and a tasty beef filling.  The dough or masa and beef filling (picadillo) are super easy to make.  I will show you how with easy step by step photos!

    A photo of alcapurrias stacked up on a white plate with a red placement.
    Jump to:
    • What are alcapurrias?
    • What is yautia?
    • What is plantain?
    • How to peel plantain:
    • Step by step photos to make alcapurrias:
    • Frequently asked questions:
    • Other favorite Puerto Rican recipes:
    • Alcapurrias Recipe

    What are alcapurrias?

    Alcapurrias are basically a fitter which is a dough or something covered in a batter that is fried. The dough is a bit unusual because it is made with green plantain and yautia. You shred the plantain and yautia in your food processor and then blend into a smooth dough. The dough does not contain any wheat flour so these are gluten free. Bonus! The filling or picadillo is a tasty ground beef with Latin style spices and chopped olives. Wrap the beef in the dough, fry them and you have a tasty fritter! These are a close cousin to carimañolas which are popular in Colombia and Panamá.

    What is yautia?

    Yautia, also known as malanga is a plant cultivated for its root. They are dark brown and kind of fibrous or hairy on the exterior and shaped a bit like a thick turnip. When you peel with with potato peeler the inside is a fleshy starch like a potato with a nutty, creamy taste when cooked. There are a few varieties with the yautia blanca (white interior) the most common but others have a purplish (yautia lila) or yellow (yautia amarilla) interior. These are very easy to work with, just peel the exterior with potato peeler until you see the starchy interior.

    What is plantain?

    Plantains are in the banana family but are quite different. If you don’t look closely, you might mistake it for a banana but they are a bit larger. The are usually sold individually and not clustered together in a bunch like bananas. However, these are usually darker green and have a much thicker skin. Unlike bananas, these are starchy and cannot be eaten raw. Once cooked they have a creamy, slightly sweet and nutty flavor. They can be a bit tricky to peel but I have easy steps below to show you how.

    How to peel plantain:

    Photos showing how to peel green plantain.
    • Step 1: Cut the ends off of the plantains.
    • Step 2: Use a small thin bladed knife and make a score lengthwise down the plantain. Just penetrate the skin only with the knife.
    • Step 3: Lift the skin away with your thumb and peel off all the skin. If some bits of skin remain you can scrap them gently with the side of a knife.

    Step by step photos to make alcapurrias:

    A photos showing the ingredient to make alcapurrias and frying the onions in a skillet.
    • Step 1: Gather your ingredients and have them measured, chopped and ready to go: yautia, plantain, ground beef, olives, olive oil, onion, salt, cumin oregano, sofrito, sazòn and garlic.
    • Step 2: Add the olive oil to a skillet on medium heat then sauté the onion until translucent.
    Two photos showing adding the beef, seasonings and chopped olives to make the picadillo filling.
    • Step 3: Add the ground beef, salt, garlic, cumin, oregano, sofrito, sazón and chopped olives.
    • Step 4: Simmer and stir fry the beef. Brown all the beef then set it aside to cool.
    Two photos showing a food processor to shred plantain and yautia.
    • Step 5: While the meat is cooling, peel the yaitua and plantain then shred them with the grater blade of your food processor.
    • Step 6: Depending on the size of your food processor you may have to work in batches.
    Photos showing blending the yautia and plantain in a food processor to make the alcapurria dough.
    • Step 7: Change the food processor blade to the cutter blade to puree the shredded plantain and yautia.
    • Step 8: Place the dough in a bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight is also fine.
    Photos showing a scoop of the dough and filling.
    • Step 9: Scoop the dough using a standard ice cream scoop.
    • Step 10: Place the dough ball on parchment paper then flatten into about a 3-4 inch circle. Take 1 tablespoon of the picadillo and place it into the center of the dough.
    Photos showing rolling the alcapurrias in parchment paper and shaping them into a cylinder.
    • Step 11: Lift one side of the parchment paper so the circle of dough forms a taco shape and continue rolling into a cigar shape.
    • Step 12: Once it forms a cylinder press the ends together to close it off. You want all the meat encapsulated in the dough.
    Photos showing the frying of the alcapurrias and them draining on a plate with paper towel.
    • Step 13: Place the alcapurrias in oil heated to 350°F until they are brown on one side then flip them over to fry the other side. You want them dark brown, not just golden brown, so the dough cooks all the way through. This should take 6 or 7 minutes and feel free to flip them a couple time for even browning. Work in batches of 3 or 4 depending on the size of your frying pan.
    • Step 14: Place the fried alcapurrias on a plate lined with paper towel to drain.
    A photo of an alcapurrias cut in half on a plate.

    Frequently asked questions:

    How long can I store the alcapurrias?

    You can store these in the refrigerator for 4 days after they have been fried.

    How do I reheat the alcapurrias?

    Reheat in the oven at 250°F for 10 minutes until warm in the center. I like to put them in my air fryer for 5 minutes at 250°F.

    Can I freeze alcapurrias?

    Yes, wrap them in plastic wrap and place in an air tight container before frying. Remove them from the freezer and allow to thaw for about 1 hour before frying.

    Other favorite Puerto Rican recipes:

    • Pernil - slow roasted pork shoulder that is melt in your mouth tender.
    • Shrimp Monfongo - Fried plantain with garlic, pork rinds topped with a spicy sauce with shrimp.
    • Barriguitas de vieja - pumpkin fitters with powdered sugar.
    • Shrimp asopao - A rice stew similar to gumbo.
    • Tres leches cake - A sweet soaked sponge cake with whipped cream popular through all of Latin America.
    A photo of alcapurrias on a white plate with plates and forks in the background.

    Alcapurrias Recipe

    A tasty Puerto Rican fritter filled with ground beef picadillo.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Puerto Rican
    Keyword: plantain recipes, receta, tapas
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours hours
    Total Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 452kcal
    Author: Analida Braeger

    Ingredients

    Dough - Masa

    • 2 lbs Yautia peeled and sliced lengthwise
    • 3 Plantain green, peeled
    • 1 tsp Sazón
    • 1 Tbsp Olive oil
    • 1 tsp Salt

    Meat filling - Picadillo

    • 1 Tbsp Olive oil
    • ¼ cup Onion minced
    • 1 clove Garlic minced
    • 1 lb Ground beef
    • 4 Tbsp Sofrito
    • 1 tsp Sazón
    • ⅓ cup Olives with pimento, chopped fine
    • 1 tsp Cumin
    • 1 tsp Oregano
    • 1 tsp Salt
    • Oil for frying

    Instructions

    Prepare the beef filling - Picadillo

    • Add the olive oil to a skillet on medium heat then sauté the onion until translucent.
    • Add the ground beef, salt, garlic, cumin, oregano, sofrito, sazón and chopped olives.
    • Simmer and stir fry the beef. Brown all the beef then set it aside to cool.

    Prepare the dough - Masa

    • While the meat is cooling, peel the yaitua and plantain then shred them with the grater blade of your food processor. Depending on the size of your food processor you may have to work in batches.
    • Change the food processor blade to the cutter blade to puree the shredded plantain and yautia.
    • Place the dough in a bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight is also fine.

    Filling and Frying the Alcapurrias

    • Scoop the dough using a standard ice cream scoop.
    • Place the dough ball on parchment paper then flatten in into about a 3-4 inch circle. Take 1 tablespoon of the picadillo and place it into the center of the dough.
    • Lift one side of the parchment paper so the circle of dough forms a taco shape and continue rolling into a cigar shape using the paper.
    • Once it forms a cylinder press the ends together to close it off. You want all the meat encapsulated in the dough.
    • Place the alcapurrias in oil heated to 350°F until they are brown on one side then flip them over to fry the other side. You want them dark brown, not just golden brown so the dough cooks all the way through. This should take 6 or 7 minutes and feel free to flip them a couple time for even browning. Work in batches of 3 or 4 at a time depending on the size of your frying pan.
    • Place the fried alcapurrias on a plate lined with paper towel to drain.

    Notes

    The recipe yields about 20 alcapurrias.

    Frequently Asked Questions:
    How long can I store the alcapurrias?
    You can store these in the refrigerator for 4 days after they have been fried.
    How do I reheat the alcapurrias?
    Reheat in the oven at 250°F for 10 minutes until warm in the center. I like to put them in my air fryer for 5 minutes at 250°F.
    Can I freeze alcapurrias?
    Yes, wrap them in plastic wrap and place in an air tight container before frying. Remove them from the freezer and allow to thaw for about 1 hour before frying.
     
    If you have extra beef filling leftover it makes great tacos! 
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 452kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 852mg | Potassium: 829mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 835IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2mg

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      I love Spanish tapas and I hope you love this too! Shrimp with grapefruit & avocado is a great balance of flavors. Sprinkle a little thyme for an herbal note too! | ethnicspoon.com
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    242 shares
    • 36

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Olmedo

      April 28, 2023 at 8:47 am

      5 stars
      Another hit from Analida's Ethnic Spoon! My family loves this recipe!

      Reply
    2. Maria Elena de la Guardia

      April 28, 2023 at 9:11 am

      5 stars
      Excellent recipe, very tasty

      Reply
    3. Alfredo Neuman

      April 28, 2023 at 9:22 am

      5 stars
      Delicioso! ¡A mi familia le encanta tu receta!

      Reply
    4. Sylvia Ortiz

      March 22, 2025 at 2:53 pm

      5 stars
      Good afternoon!!

      Happy Saturday! I hope your day is going well!!

      Thank you so much for sharing your recipe it was amazing!! ❤️. This is the first time I have made Alcapurrias and they came out delicious!! My husband loved them!! ❤️🙏🏼❤️

      Do you have a Pasteles recipe that you can share!!

      Reply
      • Analida

        March 23, 2025 at 7:36 am

        Hi Sylvia! I am so glad you enjoyed the alcapurrias! I don't have a pasteles recipe but I am working on one.
        Try the carimañolas from Panama, I think you will like those too.
        Enjoy!

        Reply

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    Analida profile pictureI have been researching and creating ethnic recipes for over 20 years. I love to share "mostly healthy" easy and affordable ethnic recipes using fresh ingredients, with a bit of culture and food history sprinkled in.... Read more-->

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