Ask Amelia Recipes

Fried Plantains

recipe plantains

Question: I always walk by the plantains at the grocery store, and I love foods with plantains when I eat out.  Unfortunately, I have no idea how to use them or how to incorporate them into a meal and the last time I attempted to cook a plantain ended in failure.  How should plantains be prepared?

Answer: I too love plantains, and they’re easy to prepare if you know how to shop for them.  If you pick out firm green-ish plantains like these:

recipe plantains

you can use them as a starch in stews and soups, much like you would a potato.  If you pick out soft, yellow and black plantains like these:

recipe plantains

you can make fried or sweet plantains (as seen in the top picture), which is the kind you’ve probably had at restaurants, and the kind I find most delicious.

Fried Plantains
 
Ingredients
  • 2 large yellow/black plantains, medium-soft to the touch
  • 2 Tbsp canola oil
  • Kosher salt
Instructions
  1. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Peel plantains by scoring the peel with a small knife and cutting all the way down, then remove the plantain and slice into thick diagonal slices.
  2. Gently place plantain slices in skillet in a single layer and sprinkle generously with salt (may have to cook in 2 batches, so save remaining Tbsp oil in case). Let cook for 2-3 minutes (until light brown crust forms) then flip, sprinkle again with salt, and cook another 2-3 minutes.
  3. Remove to a paper-towel to drain, then serve as a side dish. Delicious alongside beans, rice, and salad; or, drizzle with honey and serve as dessert.

*Images taken from http://www.toomanychefs.net/archives/001777.php and http://lenaskitchen.wordpress.com/2008/05/27/plantain/

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6 Comments

  • Rebecca
    September 2, 2010 at 1:29 pm

    I love tostadas! Plaintains are great 🙂 i didn’t know they could be so goood until my sister made them!

  • EManuel Alvarez-Sandoval
    July 18, 2011 at 5:34 pm

    I prepare “los plátanos maduros” as follows: First I peal them, second I put butter all over them, third I wrap them with paper foil, and finally I bake them in the oven for about 40 minutes. I prefer not to fry them as my mother used to do.

  • jibberino
    November 19, 2012 at 3:06 pm

    Just made fried plaintain for a bedtime snack/dessert, with honey & yogurt. Yum yum. Thanks for the super easy recipe.

  • Amelia
    November 19, 2012 at 4:48 pm

    Adding honey & yogurt sounds amazing!

  • Enrique
    October 9, 2013 at 5:14 pm

    I recommend using a decent pan when cooking those nanas. Most likely a cast iron pan coated in salted butta. Mmm! Yeah. The non-stick comes off in your food.

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