This recipe for crispy, Savory Paleo Yuca Hash Browns will quickly become a favorite alternative to the traditional potato kind! The addition of bacon, red peppers, green onions, and spices makes for a delicious and unique breakfast or brunch dish to serve alongside fried eggs. It’s Paleo, Whole30 friendly and low FODMAP.
Surprise surprise! It’s another recipe for hash browns – this time using yuca – a favorite starchy tuber (that word makes me giggle) that I don’t give enough love to in my posts.
Remember the baked yuca fries way back when? If you liked those (or even if you think you’d like them) then you’re in for a treat with this recipe!
This is a crispy and savory yuca hash recipe with the addition of peppers, bacon, some spice and green onions that I’ve eaten for two meals so far and wouldn’t at all mind eating for a third. Good thing I have another yuca on hand because now I’m seriously getting hungry!
You know what else has me starving lately, regardless of how much I’ve eaten? Pinterest!
I know I mentioned Pinterest last week (I think) but I’m still kind of obsessed and fascinated with it now. Please follow me if you aren’t already, I’ve been pinning up a storm of delicious looking recipes and I promise you will not be disappointed 🙂 (Is it not obvious that I struggle with self promotion? #awkward.)
I’m especially drooling over all the food photography inspiration (is there a “spo” hashtag for that?) which just completely blows my mind.
I’m not sure I’ll ever really be into photography, but I definitely have a huge appreciation for it and I’m easily impressed by practically everything I see. Isn’t it fun discovering new things? Yup, that sounds nerdy. But I still feel that way all the time, like Alice falling down the rabbit hole or the kids in Mary Poppins jumping into the paintings. I want to literally jump into Pinterest and eat all the food and look at all the beautiful things. Wh0’s with me?
I’d also like to shout out some love to my cast iron skillets. Like most things I can’t live without, I was late to the party with these but they have turned out to be the best purchase of the past two years. I was the person buying pans every few months because I was buying them cheap and ruining every single one. My food would stick and come out terribly and it was just a major frustration.
I wound up going with Lodge and with the sale on Amazon I was able to buy the small, medium, and large skillets for around $50. It made me feel like an idiot for not doing it sooner, but better late than never, right? They have saved my cooking and my life, because often my life is cooking anyway. Plus, for recipes like this one, cast iron is really a must! (the Amazon links are affiliate links, to the actual product I purchased on my own and love dearly!)
Yuca Hash Browns with Ham and Pepper - Paleo + Low FODMAP
Ingredients
- 1 lb yuca root
- 4-6 slices bacon - cooked drained, crumbled
- 1/4 cup rendered bacon fat or other cooking fat such as coconut oil or ghee
- 1 medium red pepper seeds removed and roughly chopped
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- pinch of red cayenne pepper
- 1/2 - 1 tsp of sea salt per your preference
- 2 tbsp thinly sliced scallion green onion, green part only for low FODMAP
Instructions
-
Cut off the ends of your yuca with a sharp knife, and peel off the thick skin either with a regular vegetable peeler (what I used) or your knife. Cut the yuca into half inch cubes.
-
Place the yuca in a medium sauce pan and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, and, cook the yuca until just fork tender, not too soft, about 10-15 minutes. Drain yuca and set aside.
-
Heat a medium-large heavy skillet over medium-hi heat (after bacon is already cooked) and add 3 tbsp of bacon fat or preferred cooking fat.
-
Place the drained yuca in the pan and fry, stirring occasionally to evenly brown, until crispy and soft, about 10 minutes. Add a bit more cooking fat if you need, yuca is very starchy and absorbs a lot of fat as it cooks.
-
Once toasty, add the chopped peppers to the pan along with the spices and salt, and cook, stirring until the peppers soften and begin to brown.
-
Finally, add the cooked, crumbled bacon to the pan and stir to combine. Continue to cook another minute or so, being careful not to burn the bacon. Remove from heat.
-
Sprinkle with the sliced green onions and a pinch more salt if desired.
-
Serve for breakfast alongside eggs cooked your favorite way, or as a side dish for any meal. Enjoy!
I’m not kidding you when I say I’m going to cook myself this meal again right now! And it’s not even because I desperately need to go grocery shopping and only have a yuca and a pepper sitting in my fridge. At least not entirely 🙂
I’m signing off for a fun weekend – including a night out with friends (woohoo!) and a beach day with the kids Saturday. Oh and that long run too, that I’ll be saving for Sunday this weekend due to Friday night and Saturday plans. I haven’t run 14 miles in several months so it should be fun 😉
Do you cook with cast iron?
What are your weekend plans? Any long runs?
See you all Monday!
SuzLyfe says
Will you cooks some for me while you are at it? I haven’t had yuca in far far too long. Let’s fix that!
Michele says
I think it would dry out on the way to Chicago 😉 I go long stretches without it too and then remember how much I love it.
Skinny Fitalicious says
Well you know how I feel about Pinterest. Disorganized and messy. I just bought a small cast iron skillet at Bed Bath and Beyond and love it. You’re not supposed to wash them with soap though which kinda freaks me out.
Michele says
I wash mine with very hot water and a scrub brush and don’t need anything else, about once per month I’ll use dish soap. Since I use a lot of cooking fat I haven’t had to re-season and they’ve become better and better over the months! I can now cook eggs and they don’t stick, I love them so much!
The Cookie ChRUNicles says
I love my cast iron skillet! I make everything I can in there these days.
Michele says
I wish I’d had them all along – way better than I ever imagined!
Emily @ My Healthyish Life says
I love when my mom cooks in the cast iron pan. I don’t have one with me at school though. I don’t think I’ve ever tried yuca before but I’ve seen people make pizza crust out of it I think?? No long run for me this weekend, that starts next week. Yikes! Hope Sunday is cool for you.
Michele says
Yes, people do all sorts of cool things with yuca (also cassava) including pizza crusts, which I haven’t tried yet! I think since it’s autoimmune friendly it wound up really popular in AIP recipes.
Margaret @ youngandrungry says
Cast iron is a road that I have not yet ventured down mainly because I just don’t know that much about them. I lived with someone that would use one to cook bacon and then would leave the fat in there for weeks, which kind of turned me off to it! What are the benefits and how do you clean them?
Michele says
You must try, I was stubbornly hesitant because I knew nothing about them but they’ve changed my cooking for the better! I wash them in hot water with a gentle scrub brush and just enough fat stays in there to make them nice and non stick. I don’t leave fat in there without cleaning them unless it’s between breakfast and lunch, admittedly I’ll leave my smaller one out then!
Morgan @ Morgan Manages Mommyhood says
This looks amazing! I have to admit, I’ve never had yucca, but this has inspired me!
Michele says
You should try this then! Or, start off with the baked yuca fries and then try this, they’re different but really tasty!
Jamie says
I tried yuca the other day for the first time, thank you Whole Foods hot bar, and I’m obsessed! Love this recipe. I’m definitely going to invest in a cast iron skillet, especially after taking my grilling class! I’ve heard such amazing things! Long run of 14 this weekend – let’s hope the humidity holds!
Michele says
There is something about the flavor that I love so much. And definitely go for a cast iron, you will not regret it! It looks like Sunday will be warmer than Saturday, not sure if I’ll wind up bringing my hydration pack for my 14? Forgot to tell you that last week I took your tip and stuck a water bottle in the back of my shorts and it magically stayed there for 12 miles!
Strength and Sunshine says
Dude! The cast iron shot out,….that must be for me! I keep complaining about how much I want one! I NEED ONE! I will look into that too today….with the Kindle 😛
And yay for YUCCA LOVE!
Michele says
For a small or medium one I think it’s only like $15 on sale, can’t go wrong! They only get better with time which is the complete opposite of any other skillet I’ve ever owned, so totally worth it. And this week there has been lots of yuca love, yum 🙂
lifewithniki says
My mom loves cooking with cast-iron and I, well I love eating out of them :P. I don’t think I have ever tried yuca before but it seems right up my alley. Is it similar to parsnips?
Michele says
It’s actually very different from parsnip, better in my opinion! It’s very starchy and gets a light and very crispy texture when fried. Delicious 🙂
thisrunnersrecipes says
I love hashes, especially for a quick and delicious dinner. I’ve never tried yuca, but it sounds really good!
Michele says
It’s really great, a must try! I was intimidated by the thick skin at first but found it’s actually really easy to peel like any potato.
Sheena @ Paws and Pavement says
Pinterest is so addicting! I love looking for new things to try, so many options!
Michele says
I know! At first I was overwhelmed by it but I’ve really been loving getting ideas from it lately 🙂
Yvonne says
I absolutely love this recipe and more than that I feel so proud to make something this DELICIOUS. Do you know the nutritional information for this recipe just curious?