These grain-free empanadas are deliciously crispy on the outside and bursting with Mexican flavor on the inside! Make appetizer or meal-sized ones. No matter the size, they'll be a hit with everyone!
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, if using fresh yuca, thoroughly peel and cut yuca into 3-4 pieces. See: How To Peel Fresh Yuca (Cassava). Frozen yuca is already peeled and cut.
Place yuca into pot, ensuring yuca is fully covered by water. Return to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes until fork tender.
Once yuca is fork tender, drain water and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Once cool enough to handle, place cooked yuca on a cutting board. Cut each piece of yuca in half lengthwise to remove and discard the stick-like center that runs through the middle.
Cut boiled yuca into chunks (the smaller the better - to not overwhelm your food processor.)
Place yuca chunks into food processor in batches of about 1cup (I use a Vitamix.) Add 1-2 tsp avocado oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp garlic powder per cup of yuca.
Blend until a dough forms. This takes about 30 seconds in a Vitamix, but may take longer in other food processors.
Spoon blended dough onto a cutting board lined with parchment paper. (Parchment is a non-stick surface and will help greatly with managing this sticky dough.)
Divide dough into equal sized balls (the number of balls depends on the size of the empanadas you are making.) Each cup of yuca can make about 6-8 appetizer-sized, 4 medium-sized, or 1 giant meal-sized empanada.
Optional - Sprinkle each ball of dough with a little tapioca, arrowroot, or coconut flour and knead into dough to decrease stickiness. Add as much as needed until dough can be handled without sticking excessively to your hands. It should look and feel just like bread dough. Dough can also be made less sticky by placing it into the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes.
Using a rolling pin, roll out each ball between 2 pieces of parchment paper until it forms a circle. Remove top layer of parchment.
While yuca is boiling, saute onion and minced garlic in 1 Tbsp avocado oil until slightly brown.
Add ground meat and cook until meat is no longer pink. Drain fat. (Vegetarian option - substitute black beans or lentils.) Add 1-2 Tbsp Primal Palate Taco Seasoning, plus sea salt and lemon pepper - to taste. Cook for another few minutes to allow flavors to blend. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Spoon filling on to one half of each rolled-out dough circle, leaving a rim of dough along the edge.
Fold each dough circle in half to create a half-moon shape and pinch the edges together to seal in the meat (or beans.) You may prefer to press edges together with a fork. (If dough is sticky or too thin, I fold the parchment paper in half along with the dough, push down edges to seal, then uncover parchment paper.)
Place empanadas on parchment lined baking sheet.
Brush the top of each empanada with olive oil. Sprinkle a pinch of Himalayan sea salt on top.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Flip empanadas and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until dough is slightly browned along the edges. Cooking time will vary based on empanada size.