Alcapurrias (Puerto Rican Stuffed Fritters)
Torpedo-shaped fritters with a dough of grated green banana and yautía (taro), stuffed with savoury picadillo and fried until crisp. The star of Puerto Rico's beachside kiosks. Makes about 12.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Make the picadillo
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the for 2 minutes. Add the beef and ½ teaspoon salt, cook over medium-high heat for 8 minutes, breaking it up, until no pink remains. Stir in the tomato sauce and olives and cook over medium heat about 3 minutes until dry, then let it cool.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp
- ½ tsp salt
- 350 g minced beef
- 2 tbsp tomato sauce
- 6 olives, chopped
✅ Done when: meat is fully browned and the mixture looks dry, not wet, and reaches an internal temperature of 71 °C/160 °F
Grate the dough
Finely grate the green bananas and on the smallest holes of a grater, or blend them in a food processor, into a smooth, sticky paste. Wear gloves, as raw green banana can stain your hands.
- 6 green bananas
- 500 g
✅ Done when: paste is smooth, sticky and lump-free
Season the dough
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Shape
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Fry
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Serve
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Make the picadillo
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the for 2 minutes. Add the beef and ½ teaspoon salt, cook over medium-high heat for 8 minutes, breaking it up, until no pink remains. Stir in the tomato sauce and olives and cook over medium heat about 3 minutes until dry, then let it cool.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp
- ½ tsp salt
- 350 g minced beef
- 2 tbsp tomato sauce
- 6 olives, chopped
✅ Done when: meat is fully browned and the mixture looks dry, not wet, and reaches an internal temperature of 71 °C/160 °F
Grate the dough
Finely grate the green bananas and on the smallest holes of a grater, or blend them in a food processor, into a smooth, sticky paste. Wear gloves, as raw green banana can stain your hands.
- 6 green bananas
- 500 g
✅ Done when: paste is smooth, sticky and lump-free
Season the dough
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Shape
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Fry
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Serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Alcapurrias are a jewel of Afro-Puerto Rican cuisine, rooted in the African tradition of grating starchy roots into doughs. The coastal town of Loíza and the nearby beach strip of Piñones are famous for them, cooked in kiosks over wood fires.
On weekends, Puerto Ricans drive out to Piñones to eat alcapurrias, bacalaítos and other frituras by the sea.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Crispy outside, soft and earthy inside, with a savoury filling, they're Puerto Rico's best-loved beach snack.
💡 Fun Fact
Seafood versions are filled with crab (jueyes), a speciality of the Loíza coast.
Loíza and Piñones
18.43°N, -65.88°W
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