Fried Plantains

Fried plantains are a 2 ingredient recipe that are naturally sweet and ready in minutes. They are a tasty element in many Latin American, African and Caribbean recipes and today, I am adding them to my recalentado bowls with leftover vaca frita, white rice and black beans.

They are such a delicious addition to so many dishes!

Let’s get started…

This recipe only requires 2 ingredients… very ripe plantains and neutral oil. Thats it! Most grocery stores carry ripened plantains, but if you can only find the green ones, simply place them in a paper bag at room temperature for 8-9 days or until the peels are very dark.

Once they are extra ripe, peel them and slice into pieces that are about 3/4-1″ thick.

Now that your plantains are sliced up, place a large skillet over medium heat and add about 1/2″ of a neutral oil.

Let the oil get nice and warm and then carefully place the plantain slices cut side down leaving some space in between each slice.

Let them cook until golden brown on the bottom (this should take about 2 minutes) and then carefully flip and cook until the other side is golden brown. Keep a close eye on them, because they can start to burn very quickly.

I love that plantains take on this shiny, caramelized appearance without anything actually on them. They have a great natural subtle sweetness that adds a great layer of flavor to so many dishes.

Whether you enjoy them with eggs for breakfast, alongside meat and rice for lunch or dinner or even under a scoop of ice cream as a lovely dessert, one thing is for sure… this 2 ingredient recipe is a keeper for sure.

Print Recipe

Fried Plantains

Extra ripe plantains shallow fried until tender, caramelized and naturally sweet.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Garnish, Side Dish

Cuisine: Caribbean, Cuban, Latin

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 3 overly ripe plantains
• neutral oil

Instructions

• Peel and slice overly ripe plantains into slices that are 3/4-1" thick
• Place a large skillet over medium heat and add 1/2" of a neutral oil
• Once the oil is very warm, place the plantains cut side down and fry until golden brown on the underside and then carefully flip and fry until golden brown on the other side
• Serve with fried eggs, in a rice bowl or with vanilla ice cream