Alcapurrias Recipe (Puerto Rican Fritters) Recipe (with Video)

Make the picadillo (ground beef)
1. Place a skillet over medium high heat. Brown your ground beef and remove any excess fat from your skillet.
2. Add sofrito, tomato sauce, onions and peppers. Add seasonings and cook for a few minutes until the vegetables become tender.
3. Add olives and raisins (if using). Add a little water if the picadillo dries up. Cover and allow the picadillo to continue cooking for about 15 minutes.
Make the masa (root vegetable puree)
1. Peel and rough chop green bananas and yautía. Place in a large bowl filled with cold water.
2. Place root vegetables in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add annatto oil as needed to help blend everything easily. I use the Ninja Foodi Power Blender and it works like magic!
3. Add masa to a large bowl. Add remaining annatto oil, chicken bouillon, sofrito, and seasonings. Stir until well combined.
4. Taste the masa and adjust seasonings accordingly. You want the masa to be well seasoned and flavorful!
1. *If you don't have a silicone chocolate bar mold, use your hands to form the alcapurrias into cylinder shapes.
2. Place some masa in a silicone (chocolate bar) mold. Add enough to fill the cavity from end to end, making a small indentation down the center.
3. IMPORTANT: Add some picadillo along the center making sure to keep the meat inside and away from the edges. Be sure not to overstuff the alcapurrias with meat. This is very important to prevent the alcapurrias from bursting while frying.
4. Very carefully top with masa to cover the meat. Make sure the masa covers the meat all the way around. The perfect alcapurria will be sealed all the way around with no meat exposed along the edges.
5. Once every cavity has been filled, wrap the silicone mold with plastic cling wrap to keep it covered or place it in a 2.5 gallon sized freezer ziplock bag. Place in the freezer to set.
6. Allow the alcapurrias to freeze for about 6 hours or overnight.
Fry the alcapurrias
1. Heat oil to 325℉ in a large frying pan. You want to cook the alcapurrias in low to medium heat so they can fully cook through without burning on the outside. I find that deep frying is the best method for evenly cooked, beautifully golden brown alcapurrias.
2. Deep fry the alcapurrias for about 15 minutes or until golden brown and fully cooked through.
3. Allow the alcapurrias to cool on a cooling rack to prevent them from becoming soggy.
4. Serve with mayo-ketchup or hot sauce and enjoy!