Puerto Rican Alcapurrias
Learn how to make authentic Puerto Rican Alcapurrias at home! These crispy fritters, filled with savory carne molida (picadillo) make a tasty snack that will definitely become a favorite in your home!
Servings: 7
Calories: 334kcal
Equipment
- food processor or box grater for grating
- parchment or wax paper cut into 6x6-inch squares
Ingredients
Masa (Dough)
- 5 green cooking bananas peeled
- 1 green plantain peeled
- 1½ lbs frozen or fresh yuca
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 packet sazon with achiote (annatto)
Carne Molida (Picadillo)
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ onion peeled, chopped
- ½ green, red, yellow or orange bell pepper rinsed, chopped
- 2 tablespoon sofrito
- 2 garlic cloves minced or 2 teaspoon puree
- 2 tablespoon pimiento stuffed olives
- 1 packet sazon with annatto
- 4 oz tomato sauce
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon cumin
- 1 capful white or cider vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- salt to taste
- handful fresh cilantro
Instructions
Carne Molida (Puerto Rican Picadillo) Filling
- Add the ground beef to a skillet over medium heat. Use a spoon or spatula to break it apart as it cooks.
- Add the peppers, onions, sofrito, garlic, sazon, oregano, cumin, and vinegar, stirring well to combine. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
- After ten minutes, add the tomato sauce, olives, water, and cilantro. Stir to combine, then cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt as needed. The carne molida is done. Set the filling aside to cool while you prepare the masa.
Preparing the Masa
- Cut about 2-inches off the ends of the green cooking bananas and plantain. Using a knife, make a shallow slit down the length of the plantain and bananas. Place the unpeeled bananas and plantain in a pot of hot water for 10 minutes to help loosen the peel.
- Once softened, slide your thumb or the edge of a knife under the skin to peel. Tip: Peel the skin side to side not lengthwise like you would a regular banana.To prevent discoloration, place the peeled bananas, plantain and yuca pieces in a bowl of cool water while you prepare the masa.
- Using a food processor with the grating disk attached, start grating a few pieces at a time of the yuca until all the pieces are grated.Note: If you don't have a food processor, you can grate all the root vegetables by hand using the finest side of a box grater. It requires a little more effort but achieves the same smooth consistency for the masa.
- Once all the yuca has been grated, add the sazon and salt. Mix thoroughly to evenly season the yuca dough.
- Transfer the seasoned yuca dough to a separate bowl and set it aside. Next grate the green bananas and plantain.
- Add the grated banana and plantain to the bowl with the yuca dough. Using a spatula or spoon, mix everything together until the masa is smooth and all the ingredients are well combined.
Forming the Alcapurrias
- Cut several pieces of wax or parchment paper into 6x6-inch squares or slightly larger to prepare for shaping the alcapurrias.
- Add a large spoonful of the masa to the center of the paper and flatten it out gently with the back of the spoon to form an even layer of the masa.
- Add about 2 tablespoons of the cooled picadillo filling to the center of the masa.
- Fold the paper over, shaping the masa into a half-moon to encase the filling. Gently press the edges to seal.
- Open the paper to check that the filling is completely covered by the masa. Tip: If any filling is exposed, add a small amount of masa on top and smooth it over to seal completely. Repeat the process until all the alcapurrias are formed.
Frying the Alcapurrias
- Add about 2-inches of oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat for a few minutes until heated through.
- Carefully slide one alcapurria at a time into the oil, careful not to overcrowd the skillet, as this will lower the temperature of the oil and result in greasy alcapurrias.
- Fry for a few minutes on one side until golden brown, then gently flip and fry the other side until equally golden and cooked through. Remove and drain on paper towels before serving. Enjoy on their own or serve with a side of hot sauce.
Notes
Recipe Notes:
Masa (Dough) - If you cannot find green cooking bananas, substitute a mix of green plantains and yuca for a similar taste.
Picadillo - Swap the classic beef filling with turkey or chicken ground meat for different taste and light version.
Crabmeat - To make a delicious crab filling, simply use the same ingredients as the beef filling but substitute the ground beef with crabmeat.
Vegetarian - Use sauteed mushrooms or roasted vegetables for a vegetarian friendly filling.
Nutrition
Serving: 14servings | Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 899mg | Potassium: 519mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 125IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg