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A photo of carimañolas on a white plate.

Yuca Fritters - Carimañolas

You will love this crunchy and creamy Latin treat! Carimañolas are a yuca dough filled with a tasty spiced meat mixture that is fried into a fitter. These are very popular in Panamá and Colombia. These are very similar to Puerto Rican alcapurrias and papas rellenas.
5 from 22 votes
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Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Latin American
Keyword: Panama, tapas
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 24 servings
Calories: 83kcal
Author: Analida Braeger

Ingredients

Yuca dough:

  • 1 ½ lbs yuca 1 bag frozen yuca
  • 2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 3 Tbsp butter salted
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 Tbsp flour

Note: Save ½ cup water from boiling the yuca.

    Filling:

    Oil for frying. (canola oil works well)

      Instructions

      Prepare the yuca dough:

      • Peel the fresh yuca with a vegetable peeler and cut into 3 inch chunks. Frozen yuca will typically be sold peeled and cut into 3 inch pieces.
      • In a large pot boil enough water to cover the yuca. Cook for about 15-20 minutes. When the yuca is fork tender transfer to a large bowl.
      • Split open the yuca pieces in half and remove the fibrous threads that run down the middle. Discard the threads.
      • Begin mashing the yuca with a potato masher.
      • Add salt, and butter, and about ¼ cup of the reserved water.
      • Mix in the egg.
      • Next add the flour and continue mixing until you have a smooth dough.
      • Leave the dough in the bowl and cover with a dishtowel until ready to use.

      Prepare the meat filling:

      • In a small bowl mix all the spices: Kosher salt, paprika, cumin, chili powder, adobo and allspice.
      • In a skillet over medium heat sauté the onion, and garlic until translucent. Add the meat, spices and brown. Stir in the tomato, tomato paste, and recaito. Mix well.
      • Once all the meat is fully browned and the tomatoes are very soft remove from the heat and allow to cool.

      Prepare the fritters - carimañolas:

      • When the dough is cool enough to handle, pinch off a piece and roll into a 2" ball.
      • Flatten on the palm of your hand and place a small amount of filling in the middle. Close up and form in the shape of a torpedo.
      • Set on a plastic cutting board ready to use. Tip: They will tend to stick to a wooden cutting board so use plastic or a ceramic pan.
      • Fry in 350°F oil until golden brown.

      Air fryer steps:

      • Brush each one with canola oil on all sides and place in the basket of the air fryer.
      • Set your air fryer to 350°F for 25 minutes and flip them half way through the cooking time. Air fry until golden brown on all sides.

      Notes

      • Cooking the yuca properly, prior to assembling. How long is good enough? Well... you should be able to easily mash it with a potato masher.
      • As a cooking tip: I like to reserve a little bit of the cooking water just in case you need to make the dough more pliable if needed.
      • I like to use the pre-cooked frozen yuca, it helps save the step of peeling the yuca which can sometimes be cumbersome.
      • I also use my own recaito recipe, a cilantro based mixture essential in Latin American cooking. You can make up a batch and freeze into ice cubes, which is what I do.

      Frequently Asked Questions:

      • Can I make these in advance? Yes, you can make them all up in advance and refrigerate them for up to 3 days and then fry them just before you are ready to serve.
      • Can I freeze them? Yes, you can freeze them before or after you fry them. If you freeze before frying, thaw them in the refrigerator for a day and then fry. If you freeze them after frying you can warm then in to oven or air fryer. See below for reheating.
      • How do I reheat carimañolas? Reheat in the oven at 250°F for 10 minutes until warm in the center. I like to put them in my Cosori Air Fryer for 5 minutes at 250°F.
       

      Nutrition

      Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 310mg | Potassium: 131mg | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 6.7mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.4mg