Yuca With Garlic Sauce (Yuca con Mojo)

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 05/6/21
Tested by
Lauryn Bodden
headshot for associate food editor Lauryn Bodden
Tested by Lauryn Bodden
on 04/23/21
Lauryn is Associate Food Editor for The Spruce Eats, creating recipes and cooking guides for all palates and expertise.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Recipe Testing Panel
Yuca With Garlic Sauce (Yuca con Mojo)

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
281 Calories
14g Fat
38g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 281
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 93mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 38g 14%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Protein 3g
Calcium 100mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This is a version of yuca con mojo — yuca with garlic sauce. It's a delicious vegan Cuban dish, a combination of citrus, onions, garlic, spices and — of course — yuca. It's a tasty alternative to potatoes as a side dish — in fact, yuca has been called the "better" white potato by those who are familiar with it.

A staple of the Caribbean diet and very popular in African and Asian cuisine, this tuber is usually available in large U.S. grocery stores as well, either fresh or frozen. You might have to hunt for it a bit, however — it's also sometimes called cassava, manioc or good old American tapioca, so you may want to look for it under these other names. 

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"For a taste of summer all year round, this dish hits the spot. It's an easy starch side to mix things up with major flavor." —Lauryn Bodden

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A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds yuca, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 to 2 large red onions, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice, plus zest for garnish, from half an orange
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, from 2 limes
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped, plus leaves for garnish
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Yuca With Garlic Sauce (Yuca con Mojo) ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Boil the yuca in salted water until it becomes tender, about 30 minutes.

    Boil the yuca in salted water

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Drain the yuca and place it in a serving dish. Set it aside, but keep it warm by covering the bowl. Don't allow it to come back to room temperature while you make the garlic sauce. 

    cooked yuca on a plate

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Combine the onions, orange juice, lime juice, cilantro and garlic in a bowl. Pour the mixture over the yuca.

    Combine the onions, orange juice, lime juice, cilantro and garlic in a bowl, and pour over yuca

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Heat the olive oil, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper in a heavy pan until hot, about 1 minute, being careful not to burn the spices. Pour the hot oil over the yuca. Garnish with additional cilantro and orange zest, as desired.

    Yuca With Garlic Sauce (Yuca con Mojo)

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Tips

  • You can use fresh or frozen yuca in this recipe. Fresh yuca should be firm with no soft spots. Its flesh should be white. 
  • If you buy fresh yuca, watch out for any tough parts in the center. They'll appear like chunks of wood. Remove and discard them. 
  • You can peel the yuca ahead of time and store it in water in the refrigerator for up to four days, or you can freeze it for several months. 
  • If the yuca cools off too much while you're making the sauce, you can microwave it very briefly, up to 5 seconds or so. 

Recipe Variations

  • Mix it up with various citrus juices. Instead of orange and lime, use a combination of grapefruit, lemon, or tangerine juices.
  • If you don't have cilantro on hand, freshly chopped parsley can be used in its place.