Cassava Egg Ball

Cassava egg balls are pan fried until crispy golden brown on the outside and lusciously creamy at the core. Enjoy them as an anytime snack with your favorite dipping sauce like mango sour and a refreshing beverage.

Guyanese Cassava Egg Ball

Cassava egg ball was one of my favorite childhood snacks and I am so grateful that I can now share this with my children. Who can say no to a delicious creamy 8-minute egg, wrapped in cassava and fried? You'll devour these quicker than it took to fry them!

This recipe is gluten free because I use cassava flour instead of all purpose flour. I have a non celiac gluten sensitivity so I avoid gluten in my diet as much as possible.

Why You'll Love This Cassava Egg Ball Recipe

• Indulgent: There are three layers of amazing flavors and textures. Bite into a crunchy coating, then perfectly seasoned mashed cassava, and under that, a delicious hard-boiled egg with a creamy yolk center.
• Easy: With simple prep and easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions, making cassava egg balls is a breeze!
• Kid Approved: I loved to eat these when I was growing up and my children enjoy them just as much as I did.

What are Cassava Egg Balls?

Cassava egg balls are hard boiled eggs encased in mashed cassava (also known as yuca) and deep fried. It is a popular snack in Guyana that is often sold by street vendors. Egg balls are affordable and super filling.

What is Cassava?

Cassava is a starchy root vegetable with a fibrous brown exterior and white interior. It is also referred to as yuca (not to be mistaken with yucca). Cassava is a staple in Caribbean cuisine. It is used in everything from desserts like Cassava Pone to stews like Metemgee.

Cassava Egg Ball Ingredients

This recipe has four components: mashed cassava, boiled eggs, egg wash, and flour mixture.

• Cassava: Peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces or you can use frozen cassava.
• Water: For boiling the cassava.
• Salt: To taste.
• Hard Boiled Eggs: Boil the eggs for 8 minutes for the perfect boiled eggs.
• Uncooked Eggs: This is for the egg wash.
• Cassava Flour: Use this for gluten free cassava egg balls. Otherwise, all purpose flour is fine.
• Granulated Garlic: This is to season the flour.
• Garlic Cloves: Grated.
• Green Onions: Thinly sliced.
• Frying Oil: Use sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, canola oil, or peanut oil.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Cassava Egg Balls

Prepare Cassava Mash

To begin, boil the cassava until it is tender. This should take about 15 minutes. Alternatively, use an Instant Pot. I have used both methods when making these.

Once the cassava is cooked, remove the fibrous portion. Then crushing it until it is smooth and lump free, using either a fork or potato masher.

Season the cassava and mix well so the flavor is evenly distributed.

Form Cassava Balls

Coat your hands with oil in order to prevent it from sticking to your hand. Then add about ½ cup of mashed and seasoned cassava to the center of your palm, roll the cassava into a ball, then flatten to form a disk. Add a hard boiled egg to the center of the cassava disk then cover the egg completely with the cassava.

Now prepare the egg wash seasoned with garlic powder and salt. Coat each ball with flour, and then egg wash.

Fry Cassava Egg Balls

Shallow fry each cassava egg ball until they are golden brown on all sides. Move them around for even cooking. As they are finished, place them on paper towels in order to drain any excess oil.

Step-by-Step Video Tutorial:

Substitutions & Variations

• No Egg. If you love fried cassava but don't like eggs, skip the eggs and just fry balls of cassava. (These are known as cassava puffs.)
• No Cassava. You can use this same recipe replacing the cassava with potatoes. It won't be a traditional Guyanese dish but it will still be delicious!

Equipment

• Small Sauce Pan/Instant Pot: To cook cassava.
• Fork/Potato Masher: To mash the cassava.
• Medium Sized Mixing Bowl: Use this to contain the egg wash.
• Plate: For the flour coating.
• Frying Pan: To fry the cassava egg balls.

Tips for the Best Cassava Egg Balls

• Don't overcook your eggs. Boil them for 8 minutes for an almost hard-boiled egg with a soft center. When you fry the egg ball, the egg will cook some more and it will be perfect. Most times the egg yolks for egg balls have a green or grey ring, this is a natural reaction that happens when the egg yolks are overcooked.
• Do not completely submerge the cassava balls in the oil. The cassava will suck up all of the oil and become very soggy
• Make all the egg balls, then dip all of them in the flour, then the egg, and set aside before cooking. This way when you are ready to fry they get added to the oil at the same time. This helps with even cooking and makes the frying process manageable.
• Crush your cassava by hand (with a fork or potato masher). I once added my cassava to my food processor and the starch activated and it became very gummy.

FAQ

Can I deep fry cassava egg balls?

I don't recommend deep frying the egg balls. If they are completely submerged in the oil, the cassava absorbs the oil and becomes very soggy.

What should I serve with cassava egg balls?

These egg balls are a hearty snack and aren't usually paired with other dishes. Keep it simple and serve them with condiments like mango sour, Guyanese pepper sauce, or Saucy Lips Ghost Pepper Tamarind. Ghost Pepper Tamarind tastes like tamarind sour; just add a pinch of roasted ground cumin (geera) and it is perfect.

Related

Pairing

Do you love this recipe? Have questions or suggestions? Let me know in the comments section. Then check out my YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram for more delicious recipes.

Printable Recipe Card

Cassava Egg Ball

Cassava egg balls are pan fried until crispy golden brown on the outside and lusciously creamy at the core. Enjoy them as an anytime snack with your favorite dipping sauce like mango sour and a refreshing beverage.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Course Snack

Cuisine Caribbean/Gluten Free, Guyanese

Servings 6

Calories 1320 kcal

Equipment

• Small Sauce Pan/Instant Pot
• Fork/Potato Masher
• Medium Sized Mixing Bowl
• Plate
• Frying Pan

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 ½ lbs of cassava peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces or you can use frozen cassava
• Enough water for boiling the cassava
• 1 ½ teaspoons of salt
• 6 hard boiled eggs 8 minute eggs are perfect here
• 2 eggs uncooked, for the egg wash
• 1 cup of cassava flour can use All Purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic to season the flour
• 4 cloves of garlic grated
• 3 green onions thinly sliced
• 3-4 cups of oil suitable for frying sunflower, grapeseed, canola, peanut

Instructions

 

Cook the Cassava

Stove top:

• Place cassava in a small sauce pan, add 1 teaspoon of salt and cover with enough water for boiling
• Bring to a boil on high heat
• Continue to boil for about 15 minutes or until the cassava is soft and can be easily crushed with a fork, then remove from liquids and set aside

Instant Pot

• Place cassava, 3 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt in the instant pot
• Seal and pressure cook on high for 8 minutes
• Release the pressure and remove cassava from the liquid and set aside

Prepare the cassava

• Remove the "vein" (fibrous center of the cassava) from the cassava
• Then crush the cassava with a potato masher or fork until smooth and is lump free as possible
• Next add the grated garlic, a pinch of salt, pinch of black pepper and green onions to the crushed cassava

Form the Cassava balls

• Cover the palm of your hands with some cooking oil, then add about ½ cup of mashed and seasoned cassava to the center of your palm, roll the cassava into a ball, then flatten to form a disk
• Add a hard boiled egg to the center of the cassava disk then cover the egg completely with the cassava
• Continue steps 4 to 5 until all 6 eggs are covered with the cassava
• Next in a medium sized bowl whisk together the two uncooked eggs to make an egg wash
• Season the eggs with a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic
• Place the cassava flour or all purpose flour if you are using in a plate and set up a work station that allows you to coat the cassava balls in flour then in the egg wash before frying

Fry the cassava egg ball (shallow fry)

• When you are ready to cook the egg balls, bring 3-4 cups of oil up to temperature in a large frying pan or sauce pan suitable for frying on medium-high heat (aim for a temp of 350 °F)
• When oil is hot add the cassava egg balls and fry until golden brown, turning for even cooking. Note that the oil should come half way up the egg ball and not cover it completely.
• Remove from the oil and place on a plate or bowl lined with paper towel
• Let cool for about 5 minutes and then enjoy with some mango sour

Notes

1. Watch the my step by step youtube video here. 
2. I love to use an 8 minute boiled egg for cassava egg balls. This way they don't over cook when deep frying.

Nutrition

Calories: 1320kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 11gFat: 116gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 94gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 241mgSodium: 683mgPotassium: 425mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 414IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 90mgIron: 2mg

Keyword cassava egg ball, cassava egg ball guyanese style, cassava egg ball recipe, cassava egg balls, cassava egg balls recipe, egg ball ingredients, guyanese cassava egg ball, how to fry cassava balls, how to make cassava egg ball, how to make fried cassava balls, how to make guyanese cassava egg balls

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!