How to Make Alcapurrias - Easy Puerto Rican Recipe

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground pork

Ground turkey is leaner and lower in calories.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Canola oil is less expensive and has a neutral flavor.

Peel the yuca using a vegetable peeler, cutting off the ends and removing the rough skin.

Cut the yuca into smaller chunks and place them in clean water.

Peel the green bananas by cutting off both ends and scoring the skin lengthwise, then pull back the skin with fingers and place in water.

Peel the plantain the same way as the bananas, cutting off ends and scoring the skin before peeling it back.

Grate the yuca, shaking off as much water as possible to prevent the dough from getting too wet.

Transfer the grated yuca to a clean bowl, then grate the bananas and plantain, shaking off water as you go.

Move the grated bananas and plantain to a bowl, replace the grater attachment with a chopping blade, and blend until finely chopped.

Add the grated yuca to the food processor and blend until the dough looks like wet oatmeal or cream of wheat, using a spatula to mix if necessary.

Transfer the mixture to a clean bowl and season with achiote oil, vegetable shortening, sasson, and adobo seasoning, mixing until combined.

Turn the stove to medium-high and add cooking oil to a wide heavy pan, approximately 1 inch deep, heating it to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fold a heavy paper plate in half and add approximately 2/3 cup of dough, spreading it into a rough rectangle about 3 inches wide by 5 inches high.

Add some picadillo in the middle of the rectangle and push it down lightly into the dough.

Fold the sides of the dough back over the filling, smoothing out any exposed filling with more dough.

Use the offset spatula to scoop the shaped alcapuria off the plate and place it into the hot oil.

Continue shaping and frying the remaining alcapurias, ensuring not to crowd them in the oil.

Fry the alcapurias until brown on all sides, then remove and place them on a drying rack over a cookie sheet to keep them crispy.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary