Here’s a quick tip: If you’re ever a hungover culinary student roaming the school walk-in cooler for a quick recovery snack: Make sure that banana you grab isn’t a plantain, or you’re going to have a really bad time. Fry them up and make Tostones on the other hand, and you’re good to go.
Plantains are a very close relative to the common banana and are a staple in Latin and Caribbean cuisine. While physically larger, the biggest difference is in the flesh of the fruit itself. Slightly less sweet and considerably higher in starch, plantains are rarely eaten raw.
There are two main ways that they’re typically prepared. The first, and most common, is using a ripened plantain that is slowly roasted which softens the flesh and brings the sweetness forward. This version is usually found alongside Gallo pinto throughout Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
The second method uses slightly less ripened fruit that is flattened and fried into a delicious snack – and a great alternative to French fries! Tostones are found on street corners all over Latin America and much like fries, they’re typically served alongside several dipping sauces.
Below is the traditional double-fried method for cooking tostones, as well as recipes for an avocado crema and a spicy garlic-tomato sauce.
Tostones Recipe
Tostones (Fried Plantains)
Ingredients
For the Tostones
- 3 green plantains
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- Salt and Pepper
For the Avocado Crema
- 1 Avocado
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 lime juiced
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
- Salt and Pepper to taste
For the Tomato and Garlic Salsa
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tomato, diced small
- 1/4 cup oilive oil
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 small red chile, finely chopped (adjust for heat)
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Tostones
- If you have a deep fryer at home, it’ll be the easiest way to cook these. If not, no problem, just heat oil in saucepan on medium high until a meat thermometer reads 350F. Adjust heat accordingly to maintain temperature.*
- Unlike a banana, a plantain is a little trickier to peel. Cut ends off and slice the skin lengthwise from end to end. Peel the skin off.
- Cut plantain into approx. 1 inch thick pieces.
- Slowly add pieces into the hot oil. Fry the plantains in small batches of 5 or 6 at a time. Overfilling will drop the temperature of the oil too quickly and the plantains will absorb oil.
- Cook for around 3 minutes per side.
- Remove from oil with a slotted spoon onto paper towel, wait for temperature to return to 350F before adding more.
- Using a can or jar to flatten each piece into roughly a 1/3” disc.
- Return to oil and fry for another 2 minutes each batch. Remove from oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Serve warm with dipping sauces of your choice. These are the two we decided to make for the recipe, as we already had the ingredients on hand.
For the Crema
- Mash avocado, mix in sour cream and lime juice until smooth.
- Stir in garlic and cilantro, season to taste.
- Make at least 1 hour ahead of time to allow flavours to meld.
- Store in refrigerator for up to a week.
For the Salsa
- Mix together all ingredients and season to taste.
- Refrigerate for at least an hour prior to serving.
- Store in refrigerator for up to a week.
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Comments 22
The avocado crema sounds fantastic! I love anything with avocado. I also like the idea of bringing plantains into my kitchen since that’s not something I would normally cook. This was very detailed and thank you for sharing.
Author
Thanks! The crema is pretty awesome; the nice things about those dips is that they can be used with all kinds of food!
hi
not a foodie though like the clarity and the detailed article with some crisp pics
Author
Thanks! Let us know if you try it out!
I LOVE these recipes! I’ve never known how to cook plantains myself but I always order them. Now I can’t wait to try to make them! I enjoy cooking things that remind me of travel I’ve been on. Thanks for sharing!
Author
Thanks! We’ve got a ton to put up in the future, we just need time to actually make them!
We’ve always loved taking recipes we’ve picked up on our travels and cooking them at home. Like you said, it’s a great way to be taken back to the place you first enjoyed it!
Hahahha! Hangover culinary student. That speaks a lot. I wonder who is better culinary or chemistry student in overcoming hangover?
Author
Hahaha! I’m willing to bet that while the chemist may be able to treat the hangover properly, the culinary student will get more creative!
Love this. I’m always wary of buying plantains at the store because I’m not sure how to prepare them myself, so this is helpful. The avocado crema sounds like it’s right down my alley!
Author
Thanks! We’re hoping to do just that, encourage people to step out of their comfort zone and try new things, especially when it comes to food!
We’ve got another recipe coming out shortly that also involves plantains. That one using an entirely different cooking method.
The tomato-garlic relish looks so yum, although the fried plantains remind me a bit of pisang goreng, a traditional Indonesian snack. So even I’ve never tried the plantains, I feel like the way how it’s made and maybe how it tastes will be no different with the one that I always have every morning. 😛
Author
Thanks for reading! The relish is great because it can be used with many different dishes. As for the plantains, I may be wrong, but aren’t the fried bananas of pisang goreng sweet? These plantains are the unripe kind with very little sugar. They’re more like french fries!
But now that you’ve mentioned pisang goreng, I’m craving them!
I love plantains. It seems that every time we have traveled in the Caribbean or Central America that we have had a dish with plantains. I think the Mediterranean Tomato-Garlic Relish sounds fantastic — something I could eat every day.
Author
Yeah, they’re definitely a staple in these parts! The relish is awesome and can be used with almost anything. Even dipping warm bread into!
Oh. My. God! I loooooooove plantain ever since I discovered it in Brazil! I need to try this recipe it looks so good!
Author
Hahaha, thanks! I hope you enjoy it! Let us know how it turns out!
My sister is off to Costa rica soon so I might try and make these for her! Such a good recipe and so detailed
Author
Awesome! Let us know how it turns out!
I ate tostones in Ecuador and miss them dearly! This is a perfect recipe because once I tried to cook for my family and it went terribly wrong. Time to try again …
Author
Oh, we’ve had that kind of thing happen too many times! I hope this helps you next time!
Warm summer’s day, a glass of vino or two and these. Oh hello taste bud paradise. These look fantastic guys, I am going to have to give them a go.
Author
Fantastic! They’re such a great alternative to regular chips. A little more effort is required, but it’s totally worth it. Let us know how they turn out!