Jump to Recipe· 5 from 10 reviews

If there’s one thing that Puerto Ricans do best, it’s fritters! Learn how to make these alcapurrias at home. The dough (masa) is filled with flavorful homemade picadillo (the meat filling), and the assembly plus frying process are easy!

A plate of alcapurrias.

Why We Love This Recipe

Alcapurrias are popular Puerto Rican fritters, made with taro or yuca, green plantains, sofrito, stuffed with picadillo, and fried to perfection.

As a savory over sweet kind of person, it’s no surprise how much I love the concept of deep fried, meat stuffed fritters. 

What makes Alcapurrias unique to Puerto Rico lies not only in the super flavorful meat filling, but in the fritter dough (masa) itself.

If you like classic Puerto Rican recipes like this one, you will probably also love empanadillas and pasteles, two other island staples that feature similar ingredients.

A plate of alcapurrias.
Bowls of spices, olives, sofrito, sauce, and more.
Green bananas, taro root, sazon, and more.

Ingredients

This is one of those dishes where you’ll either have to find a local Latin market, or do a bit of digging to find all the necessary ingredients. I promise they are 100% worth the work. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

For the picadillo filling

For the masa (dough)

Assembly tools & ingredients

  • Parchment paper
  • Achiote oil
  • Cooking oil (can be canola or vegetable)

See recipe card for exact measurements.

A plate of alcapurrias.

How to Make Alcapurrias (Step by Step Instructions)

Picadillo for alcapurrias in a pan.
Add the ground beef and sofrito to a pan over medium heat. Simmer until the beef begins to brown, breaking it up as it cooks. Add the tomato sauce, olives, and seasonings. Cook for another 10 minutes, until the beef is fully cooked and everything is married together. Kill the heat and set the picadillo aside while you make the masa. 
Taro and green bananas in a food processor.
In a food processor, combine the peeled and chopped yucca or taro and bananas. Pulse until a smooth and consistent paste is formed. Pulse in the the achiote oil, sazon, and salt.

Tip: To prevent your hands from getting stained brown, use a pair of gloves when peeling and processing the plantains and yucca.

Masa being spread.
Lay out a sheet of parchment paper and brush the center of the paper with achiote oil. Add a few scoops of the masa and spread out flat into a rectangular shape with a spatula. 
Picadillo scooping over masa.
Spoon some of the picadillo over the center of the masa, making sure to add a small enough amount that you have a few inches of dough around all edges of the filling. 
Alcapurrias being closed.
Carefully fold the masa over the filling, using the parchment paper to help. Fold the edges until sealed; no picadillo should be visible. Continue this process until you’ve used all of your masa and/or filling. 
Alcapurrias frying in oil.
Heat your cooking oil in a heavy bottomed pan to 350°F. Fry the alcapurrias until golden brown and crisp all around, flipping to cook evenly. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and enjoy!

Featured Review

5 stars!! My PRican sweetheart loved them, and so did I. The recipe was easy to follow and I am so proud to have cooked something so authentic and delicious without knowing what it’s supposed to be like! Thank you for your great recipe and your help in the kitchen!

Nancy Nalbandian
Read more reviews

What to Eat with Alcapurrias

5 Minute Puerto Rican MayoKetchup (Pink Sauce)

Crispy Puerto Rican-Style Tostones

10 Minute Pique (Puerto Rican Hot Sauce)

10 Minute Ensalada Verde

Freezer tips 

I’ve tested out freezing Alcapurria before frying a few times and I can confirm that this method will work 👍

Instead of making your alcapurrias in parchment paper, layer the masa in the base of a rectangular silicone mold, add the meat filling to the center, then top with more masa. Freeze and your ready to fry whenever!

The biggest difference to note when frying at room temperature vs. frying from frozen is that the cook time will vary. 

Thankfully the picadillo meat is already fully cooked, so once the Masa appears golden brown, you’re good to pull them out and cool on a paper towel as usual. 

A plate of alcapurrias.

Air fryer ideas

While I haven’t experimented with air frying these just yet, I’m pretty certain that it would be a bit of a mess due to the consistency of the dough. 

The best approach to air frying your Alcapurria would be to freeze them first, and then air fry at around 375°F until golden brown and crispy on the outside.

Buen Provecho,

Salima written in cursive
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a plate of Alcapurria

Crispy Alcapurrias (Puerto Rican Fritters)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 10 reviews
  • Author: Salima Benkhalti
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 2 hours
  • Yield: 12–15 alcapurrias 1x
  • Category: Appetizer, Snack, Small Plate
  • Method: Fried
  • Cuisine: Puerto Rican
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Description

If there’s one thing that Puerto Ricans do best, it’s fritters! Learn how to make these alcapurrias at home. The dough (masa) is filled with flavorful picadillo meat filling, and the assembly plus frying process are easy! 

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Picadillo (filling):

For the Masa (dough):

  • 2 lbs (about 8) unripe green bananas, peeled and chopped into large pieces
  • 2 lbs yucca, taro or yautia root, peeled and chopped into large pieces
  • 2 tbsp achiote oil or olive oil
  • 1 tsp sazon seasoning (salt free)
  • 2 tsp salt

For Assembly:

  • Parchment paper
  • 1/4 cup achiote oil
  • 2 cups cooking oil

Instructions

  1. Make the picadillo. Start with the ground beef and sforito in a pan over medium heat. Continue to cook until beef has browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Add the tomato sauce, olives, and seasonings. Stir and cook another 10 minutes, until the beef is fully cooked. 
  2. Make the masa. In your food processor, combine the yucca or taro and bananas and pulse until a smooth and consistent masa is formed. Do this in batches if necessary. Add the achiote oil, sazon, and salt and pulse a few more times to combine.
  3. Prep the masa. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper. Brush the paper with achiote oil, add a large scoop of the masa and spread out flat with a spatula. 
  4. Fill the alcapurrias. Top the masa with a spoonfuls of the picadillo, making sure to add a small enough amount that you have a few inches of dough around all edges of the filling. 
  5. Close the fritters. Using the parchment paper, carefully fold the masa over the filling, folding the edges until fully sealed and no picadillo is visible. Continue this process until you’ve used all of your masa and/or filling. 
  6. Fry. Heat vegetable oil to 350°F in a heavy bottomed pan. Fry the alcapurrias until golden brown and crisp all around, flipping to brown on both sides. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and enjoy!

Notes

Freezer tip: Instead of making your alcapurrias in parchment paper, layer the masa in the base of a rectangular silicone mold, add the meat filling to the center, then top with more masa. Freeze and your ready to fry whenever!

Enjoy this recipe?

If you tried this recipe, please consider leaving a review in the comment section. I love hearing feedback and your review helps to keep Salima’s Kitchen going!