Fried Plantains
This year I am dedicated to trying new foods! First on my list: PLANTAINS! I picked up two plantains a while back and they’ve been sitting on my counter forever so that they can get super black. I hear that is the best time to cook them. (major thanks to those who told me to take them out of the fridge in my “What’s In A Diva’s Fridge” video)
This was my first time tasting & cooking plantains so I talked to A LOT of people before attempting to try this recipe, if you can even call it a recipe. It’s so simple but I really didn’t want to screw these things up because I’ve been so excited about them.
After looking at tons of” how to cook plantain” videos and fried & baked plantains recipes, I really learned a lot about this amazing fruit. Here are a few plantain facts so you can say you learned something new today:
- Plantains are not bananas, although they are related to the banana they are not suitable to eat raw and must me cooked. (Yall know I would have tried to eat it raw had I not read this)
- Plantains are starchy and often used as a vegetable the same way we would use a potatoes. It is usually fried or baked. They are very popular in West Africa and Caribbean countries.
- A regular banana is ready to eat when the peel is yellow, however a plantain is considered ready to eat when the peel is black or almost black
- Plantains are a good source of potassium, vitamin A & C. They are also high in fiber and used as an energy booster!
So after talking the ears off of MsJaMayka (hey girl!!!) she gave me tons of tips on how to cook some good, authentic Jamaican fried plantains!!! I owe you one girl cause I was ready to throw these things in some batter first LOLLL!
They turned out so sweet, crisp on the outside & so delish …but I confess….after I ate a few of them I started getting curious…I tried some with powdered sugar (so freakin good) then I tried one with cinnamon-sugar (good as well) and then I just had to try it with some peanut butter (that was just ok but my toddler liked it) Next I think I will try baking them to see how they compare.
Overall I will definitely be cooking these again soon. I hear they go great with soups! They are such a easy and tasty snack. Thanks to everyone who gave me tips and advice on how to prepare the best plantains.
- Plantains (The skin should be mottled with yellow & black)
- dash of salt
- Canola Oil or Coconut oil
- Cut off the ends of the
- plantains
- Remove the skin by running a knife down the middle and peeling back the skin.
- Dice the plantains at a diagonal.
- Place them in a bowl and sprinkle on a few dashes of salt. Toss the plantains and let them sit while the oil heats.
- In a skillet (cast iron works best) heat your oil on medium high heat. Just enough to halfway cover the plantains is fine.
- When the oil is really hot, place the plantain in the oil in a single layer. *Mine started to stick to the bottom of the pan so you may want to move them around a bit when you first put them in the oil.*
- Let them cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Reduce the heat if they are cooking to fast or starting to burn.
- When done, drain on paper towels.
Excited to try!
Lisa Walker
After reading about plantains I am definitely going try making them. Can you try with vanilla ice cream?
Just made it for the first time. Simple and easy. Tastes amazing. Thanks for the recipe.
I toohave been waiting to cok this for a long time . Your comments are very clear and helpful
.
the smell of plantains cooking is one of my favorite childhood memories. I was born in Ghana then (Gold Coast) in 1948 and left after independence in 1957, so I was too young to have learned how to cook much, but just have some wonderful smells and tastes to go by. I have learned so much already from just reading this, and have a fairly black plantain waitning to be cooked so I am so glad I came across this.
Love plaintains! Cook in coconut oil for best flavor, they are a common side dish served in Latin America, the Islands, South Indian & Sri Lanka cuisines. Sweetest flavor when skins are fully black, will taste like sautéed sweet bananas but have a even more banana-y flavor. Unlike bananas, plantains need no sugar added when sautéed, they become carmalized & are very sweet all on their own.
Do not buy plaintains that have been refrigerated, they will never ripen to sweetness, but will remain very starchy & will not have the lovely banana flavor that ripened plaintains have.
Hi! I am not sure if you are still into fried plantain, but here in south america it is very common to put shredded cheese on top of them and let it melt a bit. If you can find white shredded cheese its much better, with cheddar or american I am not sure it will fit. It is really delicious and it gives the salty twist to the sweet taste of the plantain.
I’m from the Ivory Coast, West of Africa, and I grew up with fried plantains as my #1 obsession. In the country we call it Aloco. Like A Loco. And it’s best serve with hot chili on its side. You should try it. 🙂
We love plantain! We fry them up in butter then add brown sugar and cinnamon for a tasty treat.
This was easy and they were better than the restaurant!
I love plantain!! I grew up eating them. I am from Puerto Rico and we always had Plantains. I never wait for them to get black I like them when they are yellow and black. When they are black they are too sweet for my taste. I think that you should Google on how to make pastelon. its made with sweet plantains and its soooooo delicioso
Here is an alternative to making fried plantains Ghanaian style, called Kelewele. I’m Ghanaian and this is my favorite snack, so I make it all of the time. It incorporates cayenne pepper, lemon juice, ginger and onion. Mix these ingredients with the lemon juice and marinate the sliced, diced, or rounded plantains for 5-10 mins. Then just fry it in canola or vegetable oil until golden brown (omit using olive oil…very bad after taste in my opinion). Enjoy!
-P.S. I love your site!
>This blog post shows a pretty accurate, but version of the Kelewele (spicy/tangy/sweet fried plantains),
http://betumiblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/king-of-kelewele-recipe-53.html
Forgot to mention to add salt to the mixture as well 😉
We like to fry them when the skin is yellow, and the plantain is firm, because it’s too mushy when it gets black (unless it still feels firm and has a bit of yellow in it), but yeah, fried plantains are a staple here in the Caribbean, lol. BTW, I love this entire website!
Can I just give you a way Puerto Ricans make fried plantains, called “tostones”. I’m not Puerto Rican, my husband is. And if I’m wrong about any of this recipe, please tell me. Diva you are free to try this out. You don’t use the black plantains, you use green ones. Cut the tips of the plantain and run a knife down the sides to get the peel off, making sure not to pull the banana along with it. Cut the banana on a slant like Diva did above. Heat enough cooking oil to cover the banana slices with. DO NOT OVERCROWD!!! Be careful of splashing hot oil!!! You may get burned (who has a platano burn?) so keep children and pets out of the kitchen (or far enough away). Fry both sides until brown, I want to say 4 minutes. Take them out and put them on a plate. Use the bottom of a heavy glass or pan to smash the plantain flatter, like a latka (Jewish potato pancakes). Put them back into the hot oil (yeah I forgot to tell you – don’t tun the oil off) about 2 minutes (probably shorter) on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle w/salt while hot. Serve w/a garlic oil (OMG it’s so good). Heat up some oil oil in a small pan with crushed garlic. I don’t use measurements, I use what I think I will like. Heat it up a little bit and then run it through a blender (one of those small bullet blenders are good). Serve w/the tostones – dip them in the oil or drizzle the oil over them. The oil will last so refrigerate when done and microwave for a little to break up the oil.The oil gets better w/the garlic over time.
oh yes! I have heard of this recipe! I wanted to try it, and i think i will! Thanks a lot!!!
Do you also make fried bakes? (flour, salt, baking powder, yeast, kneaded into a dough, rolled into little balls, flattened and fried in oil) Tastes soooo good, and is a breakfast must have in the Caribbean!
PS I like to save my left over oil (provided i haven’t fried chicken or fish, lol) and add some crushed garlic to it 🙂
Just finished downing my plantains, they are so good. My oldest son wasn’t too fond of them. But, me and my baby boy tore them up. So good is what my two-year old said.
Great recipe, I think the Haitian way is better. We add a few steps and use something called a 'Tostonera' to flatten the plaintain, we also submerge the plaintains in salt water an hr before frying
I'm so glad you posted this. I looked twice at the plantains in the grocery store yesterday and said to myself nah…I don't know the first thing about frying them. I would have definitly just went home and cut them up as they are but now I know they have to be nice and black. I will definitly being trying this in the coming weeks.
I'm so glad you posted this. I looked twice at the plantains in the grocery store yesterday and said to myself nah…I don't know the first thing about frying them. I would have definitly just went home and cut them up as they are but now I know they have to be nice and black. I will definitly being trying this in the coming weeks.
my fam is from liberia, west africa and barbados so plantains are a staple in our household!
something else to try: plantain fritters. my mom would make them for me as a kid. can't go wrong!
I also love plantains, but I don't add salt, everyone is different.
Honey, this and some jerked chicken or curry chicken w/ peas and rice and a salad!
I think I know what I'm going to eat for dinner!
You can also fry them green a little then sqoosh them then refry then add salt. I love plantains ripe or green.Love it as a part of breakfast, or for a snack.
Gurl try eating those fried plantains with some eggs for breakfast or with some steak and gravy you will be in HEAVEN!!!
Plaintains can be fried & boiled when they're green as well. They don't have to be almost black. If they're too dark they will be too soft and when they're fried they'll be way too soft. For a good fried sweet plaintain fry them when they're yellow with some black on the peel. Boiled & fried plaintains are a staple in my house whether they're green or yellow. Even the regular bananas when they're green!!! Enjoy!
Dwana yes I was so surprised at how easy they are to prepare!
Shauniie I had no idea you could microwave them!! Do you put anything on yours or do you eat it plain?
You're so welcomed Anonn!
Natacha girl yes I would LOVE to know of some new things to do with plantains!
I LOVE plantains!!!!!! Being from Puerto Rico this is one of the most popular ingredients in our foods and it is definitely my favorite! You can do so many things with them too!! I make tons of things with them so let me know if you ever wanna try something new with plantains 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this! I've been wanting to try plantains for the longest time.
the blacker the plaintain the sweeter it is. You can try frying them wen they arent as black for a firmer and crispier alternative. Also you can try putting them in the microwave for anywhere from 2-4 minutes (depending on how firm the are). Its a great filling and superfast breakfast alternative. Just be sure to cut a slit down the plaintain put it on a plate and microwave for the desired time and thats it your done! Microwaving it would give you the same exact outcome as boiling it. Also try baking them mmm mmm mmmm!
This is exactly how I cook my plantains. Easy right? I was wondering why my sister said hers wouldn't come out like mine.
I failed to mention, the more ripe (blacker) the sweeter. Go figure! Awesome blog.