Fried Green Plantains are a very popular snack or side dish in the Latin American and Caribbean cuisine. Also known as tostones or patacones, the unripe plantain chips are twice fried until golden and crispy, and seasoned with salt for a delicious savoury dish that everyone loves.
Plantains have been a massive revelation to me. Being an exotic ingredient, I was a bit unsure about them to begin with, but once I realised how delicious they were, there was no coming back.
I now make the Sweet Plantains in Coconut Milk more often than I can remember, they are incredible! I also experimented with Plantain Bread, which is a great alternative to Banana Bread.
But these savoury plantain chips have blown my mind! They are incredibly crispy and golden and delicious, perfect for snacking on whenever hunger strikes. And although they are twice fried, I would still call them a much better snack than any other shop-bought ones.
The secret to getting perfectly golden and cripsy tostones is frying the plantain slices, smashing them, then frying them again to crisp up to perfection. Season them lightly with coarse sea salt, and they perfect snack is here!
They can also be enjoyed as a side dish, but that's a matter of preference. I think I like them more as a snack that keeps me going through the day, they have the perfect consistency to make me want one too many.
A good plantain chips recipe only requires 3 ingredients: green plantains, sea salt and oil for frying. And nothing else. You can enjoy them as it is or you can serve them with your favourite dip.
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Ingredients used
- green plantains - they are really starchy and hard to peel, I prefer using plantains that are still green, but not the greenest and at their most unripe. I personally think they taste a lot better fried
- sea salt - the coarse sea salt adds a nice texture and taste
- oil - for frying, I like the vegetable oil as it is odourless
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- use a sharp knife to slice the green plantains
- use the tip of the knife to remove the peel of the slices
- heat up the oil in a deep frying pan set over a medium heat
- add the plantain slices and fry until golden
- remove them onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil
- use a glass to smash the fried plantains, then fry them again until golden and crispy
- season them with sea salt and serve immediately
Expert tips
The plantains fry really quickly the second time they go in, it is crucial therefore to have all the chips smashed and ready to fry, so you can work quickly.
Work in batches, even if the frying pan is large enough, if you fry them all at the same time, chances are you won't be able to remove them all quickly enough and they might burn or turn brown rather than a lovely golden colour.
Recipe FAQs
Tostones are a savoury dish made with unripe green plantains, while maduros are made with ripe sweet plantains.
Frying the plantains twice helps get a golden and crispy texture that cannot be achieved when you fry it only once.
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Fried Green Plantains
Ingredients
- 1 green plantain
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1 cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Slice the plantain with a sharp knife.
- Use the tip of the knife to remove the peel off the plantain slices.
- Heat up the oil in a deep frying pan set over a medium heat, and fry the plantain slices until golden.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the chips onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil.
- Use a glass to smash each fried plantain chip, then fry them again until crispy.
- Remove them from the pan, season with sea salt and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- The plantains fry really quickly the second time they go in, it is crucial therefore to have all the chips smashed and ready to fry, so you can work quickly.
- Work in batches, even if the frying pan is large enough, if you fry them all at the same time, chances are you won't be able to remove them all quickly enough and they might burn or turn brown rather than a lovely golden colour.
Nutrition
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