The 3 Best Ways to Cook Plantains

The 3 best ways to cook plantains show how simple it is to cook up these starchy fruits, turning them into the perfect side dish or snack.

Whether frying or steaming, you’ll soon be able to whip up these easy plantain recipes any time you feel like it.

They can be both savory or sweet so you can use them in a lot of different dishes.

Plus they’re cheap and have lots of health benefits.

Plantains are one of my favorite foods and hopefully by the time you try these recipes, they’ll be one of yours, too.

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What are plantains?

Plantains look like large bananas so it’s no surprise that they’re a type of banana.

They’re popular in Central and West Africa, the Caribbean, Central and parts of South America and Southeast Asia. This is why you’ll often find them used in a lot of Nigerian, Jamaican, Puerto Rican and Cuban recipes, among many other cuisines.

They have more starch and less sugar than the typical banana so they work well as a side dish in savory meals or as a snack. You can think of them as an alternative to potatoes or sweet potatoes.

They’re also a good source of potassium, vitamin C, iron and more. Plus they contain both soluble and insoluble fiber which gives them a low glycemic index score.

As they ripen, they go from green to yellow to black. The more yellow/black they get, the softer and sweeter they get.

How to cook plantains

While there are many ways to cook plantains, these 3 methods are the fastest, easiest and most versatile ways I know.

All the recipes require just a few ingredients, and if you use ingredients like avocado oil, these can be healthy plantain recipes, too, not to mention vegan, gluten-free, Paleo and Whole30 friendly.

Pan-Fried Plantains

This is the easiest and most straightforward method: just peel, slice and fry the plantains!

Ingredients:

• 2 -4 plantains, mostly yellow (some black is fine, they just shouldn’t be all black)
• 1/4 cup oil, such as avocado oil, coconut oil or any other preferred fat
• fine sea salt

Equipment:

• cutting board
• paring knife
• medium skillet
• measuring cup or measuring glass
• 2 spatulas (or 1 spatula and another tool, such as a wooden spoon, to help flip the plantain slices)

Instructions:

Step 1: Trim off the ends of the plantains.

Then cut down the plantain lengthwise, pressing the blade just deep enough to cut open the peel without piercing the flesh underneath too much.

Pull off the peel and discard. Slice the plantain into approx. 1/4″ coins.

Step 2: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the plantains and sprinkle with salt. Cook for about 3-5 minutes. When you see the bottoms getting brown around the edges, lift one up to check. If it’s a dark golden brown, they’re ready to flip.

Step 3: Flip the slices, sprinkle with salt and cook for another 3-5 minutes, again looking for the bottom edges to get brown. Remove from the pan and sprinkle with salt.

You might have to do this in batches, depending on how many plantains you have and how big your skillet is.

Serving ideas:

• They go great next to a grilled steak.
• Pile them next to salmon with crispy skin.
• I love them with this pulled pork.
• They’d also be great with this grilled pork tenderloin.

 

Steamed Plantains

I know, this might sound like an unusual plantain recipe but trust me! It’s a great option if you want an oil-free way to cook plantains. Plus they’re fantastic served with things like chili, stews and other dishes where you want a starchy side dish to soak up all the flavorful liquid. Think of these like an alternative to potatoes.

Ingredients

• 2-4 plantains, green to yellow-ish
• fine sea salt or flaky sea salt

Equipment:

• a cutting board
• a paring knife
• a large saucepan with a lid
• a steamer basket
• cooking tongs

Instructions:

Step 1: Trim off the ends of the plantains. Cut the plantains in half crosswise.

Step 2: Make an incision lengthwise through just the peel of the plantain without pressing into the flesh. Make sure the incision doesn’t run the whole length of the plantain. Leave the peel attached at the ends.

Step 3: Now also cut a very small incision through just the skin crosswise in the middle of the plantain.

Step 4: Fill a saucepan with about an inch of water and place over medium heat. Add the steamer basket.

Step 5: Arrange the plantains in the basket, stacking them where necessary. Cover the pan and cook for about 20-25 minutes. The plantains should have expanded in the heat (some might have even burst through the peel, which is fine).

Step 6: Remove with tongs and let cool slightly. Snip away the peels, slice the plantains into coins and season with salt.

Serving ideas:

I love these with either this Smoky Bacon Chili or this Creamy White Chicken Chili.

They’d make a great base with this Spiced Coconut Chicken.

And I share 5 different ways to make leftover chicken vegetable soup – steamed plantains would be great in the Jamaican version.

Twice-Fried Plantains (Tostones)

These might just be the best plantain recipe. Plantains are cut into chunks, fried once, smashed into discs and then fried again. They get all crispy on the outside with just a bit of a fluffy interior. They’re perfect as a snack or appetizer, especially with a dipping sauce (which I include below).

Ingredients:

• 2 plantains, anywhere from green to yellow with some black (just not too much black as they’ll be too soft)
• 1/2 cup avocado oil, coconut oil or other cooking fat
• fine sea salt or flaky sea salt

Equipment:

• cutting board
• paring knife
• large skillet
• 2 spatulas (or 1 spatula and another tool, such as a wooden spoon, to help flip the plantain slices)

Instructions:

Step 1: Trim off the ends of the plantains. Then cut down the plantain lengthwise, pressing the blade just deep enough to cut open the skin without piercing the flesh underneath too much. (See above pictures for pan-fried plantains for reference.)

Pull off the peel and discard. Slice the plantain crosswise into 1″ segments.

Step 2: Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat (not too hot, we still have to cook them a second time).

Step 3: Add the plantains and cook until lightly golden, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove the plantains to a cutting board.

Step 4: Increase the heat under the skillet to medium high.

Step 5: Use a spatula or the bottom of a glass to press down on the plantains until they’re about 1/4″ thick. Add the plantains back to the oil and cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Step 6: Remove to a cutting board or plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

You’ll probably have to do the second round of frying in batches.

Serving ideas:

Twice-fried plantains are great with so many sauces. One of my particular favorite plantain dipping sauces is to mix together:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Frank’s original hot sauce
• 1 minced garlic clove

But they’d also be good dipped into chimichurri (find a recipe here). They work well with sauces that are some combination of creamy, acidic and/or garlicky.

They’re also a great breakfast topped with fried eggs, especially the kind with runny yolks.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How to cook plantains

Like I said, there are many different ways to cook and serve plantains. But the above methods are three of the easiest, most straightforward and most versatile. Whether using green plantains or sweet plantains, I hope they become a regular part of your cooking life.

 

Other recipes you might like:

1. The 4 Best Ways to Cook Plantains
2. Plantain Cornbread
3. Crunchy Plantain Chip Chicken
4. Whole Roasted Butternut Squash

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