How to Fry Plantains

Fried plantains are a delicious side dish or dessert traditional to many Latin American countries. Fried green plantains - tostones - are crispy and savory, often served in place of fried potatoes. Fried sweet plantains topped with cinnamon and sugar make a wonderful dessert. See Step 1 and beyond to learn how to make fried plantains both ways.

Ingredients

Fried Green Plantains

  • 2 pounds unripe plantains
  • 2 cups vegetable oil
  • Salt to taste

Fried Sweet Plantains

  • 2 pounds ripe plantains
  • 2 cups vegetable oil
  • Sugar and cinnamon to taste
Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Making Fried Green Plantains

  1. Image titled Fry Plantains Step 1
    1
    Pick out fresh green plantains. Fried green plantains are made with fresh unripe plantains. If you're new to plantains, look for large banana-shaped fruits with green skins. Green plantains are perfect for making a savory fried side dish. If you want the sweet version of fried plantains, you'll need to wait until the plantains are fully ripe.
    • Green plantains should be firm with green skins that have minimal bruising.
    • If you want, buy a bunch of plantains and use some while they're unripe and save some to make sweet plantains after a week or two.
  2. Image titled Fry Plantains Step 2
    2
    Peel the plantains. The skin of green plantains is too stiff to be peeled away like that of a banana. Use a paring knife to chop the ends of the plantains. Run the knife along the plantain to slit the skin from one end to the other. Use your fingers to peel the skin from the fruit inside and completely remove the skin, then discard it.
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  3. Image titled Fry Plantains Step 3
    3
    Slice the plantains into bite-sized pieces. Lay a plantain on a cutting board and slice it on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces. This is the customary way to slice tostones.
    • Alternatively, slice the plantain lengthwise into long, flat strips that will curl when they fry.
  4. Image titled Fry Plantains Step 4
    4
    Heat the oil. Pour the oil into a dutch oven or stockpot so that it rises up about 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm). Heat it thoroughly, until it's hot enough to sizzle when you add a bit of plantain. It should reach about 340 °F (171 °C).
  5. Image titled Fry Plantains Step 5
    5
    Fry the plantains.[1] Lay the plantain pieces in the hot oil and fry them until they're tender and golden, which takes about 5 minutes. Flip the plantain pieces halfway through the frying process. When they're golden, transfer them to paper towel-lined plates to drain.
    • Be sure to fry the plantains in a single layer, so that they cook evenly. Don't overcrowd the pot. If you need to, you can fry them in two batches.
    • Leave the oil on the heat, since you'll be frying the plantains once more.
  6. Image titled Fry Plantains Step 6
    6
    Dip the plantain pieces in saltwater. Fill a small bowl with water and a few shakes of salt. One by one, dip the plantain pieces in the saltwater. This process softens the plantain pieces a bit so that they end up creamy on the inside.
    • You can skip this step if you'd like, but the plantains will be a little on the dry side.
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    Smash the plantain pieces. Lay them on a plate and use the back of a spatula to smash them a bit. This will flatten the plantain pieces so they fry up crispy and thin.
  8. Image titled Fry Plantains Step 8
    8
    Fry them again. After dipping the plantain pieces in water, put them back in the hot oil to fry a second time. Fry them until they turn deep gold, about 3 more minutes, turning them as needed. When the plantains are golden brown, transfer them to a paper-towel lined plate to serve.
  9. Image titled Fry Plantains Step 9
    9
    Serve them hot with sauce. Sprinkle the plantains with a bit of salt and serve them up. Fried green plantains are delicious with aioli, spicy mayonnaise, cilantro sauce, and sweet pepper sauce.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Making Fried Sweet Plantains

  1. Image titled Fry Plantains Step 10
    1
    Pick out ripe, sweet plantains. Sweet plantains give a little when you press them. Their skins are mottled yellow and brown. If you find green plantains, give them several days to ripe before you make your sweet dessert dish.
  2. Image titled Fry Plantains Step 11
    2
    Peel the plantains. Use a paring knife to chop the ends off the plantains. Use your fingers to pull back the peel and remove it from the fruit inside. Discard the peel.
  3. Image titled Fry Plantains Step 12
    3
    Slice them on the diagonal. Lay the plantains on a cutting board and slice them into 1/2-inch pieces. If you like thicker plantains, slice them into 1-inch pieces. For thin, crispy plantains, slice them into 1/4-inch pieces.
  4. Image titled Fry Plantains Step 13
    4
    Heat the oil. Pour the oil into a stockpot or frying pan so that it rises up the sides 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm). Heat the oil until a deep frying thermometer reads 340 degrees.
    • For a less oil-heavy dish, add just a bit of oil to a frying pan and heat it until it sizzles when you add a bit of plantain to the pan.
  5. Image titled Fry Plantains Step 14
    5
    Fry the plantains.[2] Lay them in the hot oil and fry them until they're brown and crispy on one side, which should take about 2 minutes. Flip them over and fry them on the other side until both sides are golden brown. The longer they fry, the sweeter they'll taste.[3]
  6. Image titled Fry Plantains Step 15
    6
    Drain the plantains. Remove them from the hot oil and place them on a paper-towel-lined plate to drain completely.
  7. Image titled Fry Plantains Step 16
    7
    Serve them hot with sugar. Sprinkle them with sugar and cinnamon to taste.[4] For a truly delectable dish, make a fresh batch of whipped cream to top the fried sweet plantains.
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Expert Q&A

  • Question
    What can I do with lots of plantains?
    Randall Chambers
    Randall Chambers
    Personal Chef
    Randall (Randy) Chambers is a Personal Chef and the Owner of Luxury Meals From Home based in Arvada, Colorado. He has more than 16 years of commercial kitchen experience, five years of sous chef experience, and two years of experience as an executive chef. Chef Randy draws inspiration from his half Bolivian background and his forte is South American cuisine. He holds an Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts from The Art Institute.
    Randall Chambers
    Randall Chambers
    Personal Chef
    Expert Answer
    Make a sweet appetizer with them! Just bake the plantains in honey and cinnamon or something similar.
  • Question
    Do plantains turn into bananas?
    Randall Chambers
    Randall Chambers
    Personal Chef
    Randall (Randy) Chambers is a Personal Chef and the Owner of Luxury Meals From Home based in Arvada, Colorado. He has more than 16 years of commercial kitchen experience, five years of sous chef experience, and two years of experience as an executive chef. Chef Randy draws inspiration from his half Bolivian background and his forte is South American cuisine. He holds an Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts from The Art Institute.
    Randall Chambers
    Randall Chambers
    Personal Chef
    Expert Answer
    Nope! While similar, plantains and bananas are different overall. For instance, you can't use a plantain in a smoothie like you would a banana.
  • Question
    Why does frying not work as well with bananas?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Plantains and bananas have different textures. Bananas are softer than plantains, which is why they do not fry as well.
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Warnings

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References

  1. ↑ Randall Chambers. Personal Chef. Expert Interview. 26 October 2021.
  2. ↑ Randall Chambers. Personal Chef. Expert Interview. 26 October 2021.
  3. ↑ http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/sweet-fried-plantains-recipe.html
  4. ↑ Randall Chambers. Personal Chef. Expert Interview. 26 October 2021.

About This Article

Randall Chambers
Co-authored by:
Randall Chambers
Personal Chef
This article was co-authored by Randall Chambers. Randall (Randy) Chambers is a Personal Chef and the Owner of Luxury Meals From Home based in Arvada, Colorado. He has more than 16 years of commercial kitchen experience, five years of sous chef experience, and two years of experience as an executive chef. Chef Randy draws inspiration from his half Bolivian background and his forte is South American cuisine. He holds an Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts from The Art Institute. This article has been viewed 233,095 times.
4 votes - 95%
Co-authors: 17
Updated: November 15, 2021
Views: 233,095
Categories: Basic Cooking Skills
Article SummaryX

Before frying green plantains, peel and slice them into bite-sized pieces. As you're cutting the plantains, heat 1/2 inch of oil in a dutch oven or stockpot. Then, fry the plantain pieces until they're tender and golden, which takes about 5 minutes. Next, take the plantains out of the oil and dip them in saltwater to soften them. After you dip them in the saltwater, use the back of the spatula to flatten the pieces. Finally, fry them again for 3 minutes or until they’re a deep golden brown. To learn how to fry sweet plantains, keep reading!

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