Easy Caribbean Alcapurrias

By
Hector Rodriguez
Hector Rodriguez
A Puerto Rico native and former food service professional, Hector Rodriguez develops recipes inspired by the Caribbean and Latin America.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 10/4/21
Alcapurrias recipe

​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

A favorite appetizer in the Caribbean, the recipe for alcapurrias is to follow, so anyone can make them at home. These tasty delights are ground beef-filled fried fritters made from a mixture of grated yautía (taro root) and green bananas.

Vendors sell alcapurrias at street-side stands and grills throughout the Caribbean islands, though they're best known as a Puerto Rican food. You can easily change the recipe up by using ground chicken, turkey, or pork or using a varying of your sofrito recipe. For a luxury version, stuff the alcapurrias with Cuban picadillo, a spiced, tomato-flavored ground beef.

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Ingredients

For the Masa Dough

  • 5 medium green bananas

  • 1 pound yautía, taro root

  • 2 teaspoons salt

For the Filling

  • 1/2 pound ground beef

  • 1 tablespoon sofrito

  • 1 tablespoon alcaparrado, mix of olives, pimientos, and capers

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

Make the Masa

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for masa
    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  2. Peel the green bananas and peel and wash the yautías.

    Peel the green bananas
    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  3. Place both in a bowl of cold salted water.

    Place both in bowl
    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  4. Remove the bananas and yautías from the water and grate them into a medium bowl. To make it easier, you can also use a food processor.

    Remove bananas
    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  5. Add salt and mix well. Set aside.

    Add salt
    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

Make the Filling

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for filling
    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  2. In a deep pot or frying pan, brown the ground beef. Drain off the fat.

    Brown beef
    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  3. Add sofrito, alcaparrado mix, salt, and pepper, to taste. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes.

    Add sofrito
    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  4. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.

    Remove from heat
    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

Fry the Alcapurrias

  1. On a piece of wax paper, spread out 1 to 2 tablespoons of the masa mixture and make a shallow well in the center. You can also use the palm of your hand instead of wax paper.

    Masa on wax paper
    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  2. Put 1 to 2 teaspoons of the filling into the well.

    Filling
    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  3. Cover it with a little more masa mix.

    Cover with masa
    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  4. Use the back of a spoon to smooth the masa all around the filling so no meat is showing. You can freeze the alcapurrias at this point if you would like to fry and eat them later.

    Smooth masa
    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  5. In a fryer or deep frying pan, heat enough oil to cover the alcapurrias when frying. The oil should be heated to about 360 F.

    Heat oil
    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  6. Add the alcapurrias, being careful not to splash the oil or crowd the fryer.

    Fry
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  7. Fry until crispy and golden, from 5 to 7 minutes.

    Fry until crispy
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  8. Drain the alcapurrias on paper towels. Allow to cool a bit before eating.

    Drain on paper towels
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt