Mashed yuca, or purê de mandioca as we call it in Portuguese, is a big deal in Brazilian cuisine, and in other Latin American countries. This instant pot yuca puree recipe is creamy, buttery and easy to make. A great side dish option for any occasion!
Brazilian Kitchen Abroad is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
mashed yuca recipe
Oi Gente!
Welcome to another post on our Yuca series.
In case you missed it, here is the first post in this series, where I show you the easy step by step of how to make super crispy yuca fries, and share what I know about the cultural significance of yuca in Brazil. It is a fun read!
In this post, we’ll talk about buttery creamy yuca puree, AKA mashed yuca.
Other posts in the yuca series: Yuca Fries Recipe, Brazilian Cheese Bread Recipe, Farofa – Toasted Cassava Flour Recipe.
Where to buy yuca
We already talked about where to buy yuca on the first post of the series when we talked about yuca fries.
When in doubt, Amazon has it, too. The Sprouts Farmers Market, and Smart & Final in my neighborhoods always have them, as well. I’ve even seen them at 99cent stores.
How to make mashed yuca
Step 1 – Peel the yuca.
Alright, don’t be scared. Here’s a quick run on how to peel yucca!
It really is just like peeling a potato. Except, the waxy skin of the yuca is a lot more rough than a soft potato skin, but a good vegetable peeler should totally help.
I use these cheap ones that have been my little peeling miracles for years now. My mom just uses a knife, so do whatever works for you.
If you love this mashed yuca recipe, check out my instant pot garlic mashed potatoes!
Step 2 – Cut the yuca.
Notice this little vein right there in the middle?
That’s a central fibrous cord we have to get rid of, but that’s easy, too.
At this point you have two options to remove it:
Option 1: Uncooked yuca Method.
Uncooked yuca method: To remove the fibrous cord from the uncooked yuca, just use the tip of small knife to lift it out.
TIP – Make sure to keep the peeled yuca covered in water (like we do with potatoes) to avoid oxidation. They will turn brown otherwise.
Option 2: Cooked yuca Method.
Cooked yuca method: Which brings us to step 3 – cook the yuca.
After you pressure cook the yuca in the instant pot for 30 minutes on manual, safely release the pressure, then, drain all the water.
Make sure you let the cooked yuca cool a bit for you touch them. Then you can just pick out the fibrous chords from each piece of yuca with a fork.
After the yuca is cooked, and the fibrous cord is removed, we’re pretty much almost done.
Step 4 – Add the yuca back to the instant pot, now with the saute function on.
We want to cook off a little of the excess moisture that the aggressive process of cooking with instant pot packs inside the yuca.
Use a wooden spoon and stir a few minutes.
Step 5 – add the butter and keep stirring to melt the butter.
Step 6 – Add the milk and keep stirring with a wooden spoon.
And last, but not least…
Step 7 – Mash.
You have two options for mashing:
- To make smooth yuca puree – You can use an immersion blender, and blend it until smooth, or…
- To make a chunky mash – Use a potato masher and mash by hand
Do a little taste test and season with salt, add more butter and/or milk as needed.
Yuca puree is such a heartwarming side dish that goes well with anything!
Roast chicken, juicy braised pork, fish, shrimp… seriously, anything.
Mashed yucca FAQ:
What does yuca taste like?
Yuca has a mild, sweet flavor, and pretty dense texture. Mashed yuca is pretty gummy compared to light and fluffy mashed potatoes.
How long to boil yucca on stovetop?
Yuca can take a good 30 minutes or more to cook on stovetop. A good advice is to start boiling it, and check with a fork every 15-20 minutes to see how it’s cooking.
More yuca recipes
Other Brazilian Recipes You’ll Love
- Brazilian Black Beans
- Brazilian Rice
- Couve a Mineira – Brazilian Collard Greens with Bacon
- Bobó de Camarão – Brazilian Shrimp Stew Recipe
- Brazilian Chicken Seasoning – Tempero em Pó para Frango
- Brazilian Chicken Stroganoff
- Cachorro Quente – Brazilian Hot Dogs
- Picanha Recipe – Brazilian Coulote Steaks
- Canja de Galinha – Brazilian Chicken and Rice Soup
- Sopa de Letrinha – Alphabet Soup Recipe
- Brazilian Stew Chicken Recipe
- Brazilian Bean and Pasta Soup – Sopa de Feijão com Macarrão
FOR MORE BRAZILIAN FOOD INSPO, BE SURE TO FOLLOW ME ON
Yuca Puree
Ingredients
- 2 lbs of yuca peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 stick of butter
- 1/2 cup of milk
- salt to taste
Instructions
- peel and cut the yuca into chunks*
- add the yuca chunks into an instant pot and cover with cold water
- close the lid, and cook on manual for 30 minutes
- drain all the water and return the cooked yuca chunks to the instant pot, now set to sauté to cook off excess moisture
- add the butter into the pot in parts, and stir with a wooden spoon to melt the butter
- add the milk. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth, or use a potato masher and mash by hand. Adjust the salt, and add more butter and/or milk as needed
This is quite possibly the creamiest mashed yuca I’ve ever seen. Thanks so much for sharing your method!
hahaha You’re so welcome, Marisa!!
Some people who have never worked with yuca would be shocked to find out how easy it is. I’m so glad you’re making this accessible to people who aren’t familiar with it.
Awww Marta! <3 Thank you for your sweet message! Yuca is super worth knowing and I love everything about it 🙂
I just tried this for the first time recently. I must say, it’s the perfect alternative to traditional mashed potatoes!
That’s awesome, Tamara!! So happy you liked it!
I love Yuca! I’ve only had it fried and not mashed. This is a perfect alternative to mashed potatoes on thanksgiving!
Fried yuca is awesome too!! I also have a recipe for it, if you need!
I followed your recipe exactly. It came out gummy/paste like. Is that normal?
Hi, Roni – yes, it is. There’s a lot of starch in yuca… it’s very heavy and gets gummy when we puree with the immersion blender. To make it a little less dense and gummy, you can just mash it with a potato masher, or ricer.
This is such a simple recipe and it looks creamy and delicious!
This looks so creamy and good! Thank you for the recipe!
I would love to try this recipe and experience something different and delicious!!!
I’ve never tried Yuca, but this looks like a great mashed potato alternative!
I love yuca but never thought to try it mashed. Thanks for the inspo!