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23 Sweet and Savory Plantain Recipes

Plantain recipes have long been a staple in regions around the world, but they’ve recently become popular in the U.S. But what are plantains? They look like a banana but are closer in texture and flavor to potatoes. They’re starchy, slightly sweet, and very mild in flavor.

Plantain Recipes

Plantain dishes can be sweet or savory, or a little bit of both. You don’t want to eat them raw, and most recipes call for boiling or frying them. Once they’re cooked to the right consistency, there are endless ways you can use this unique fruit.

Are you ready to add plantains to your meal plan? Here are 23 recipes with plantains that will make dinnertime fun and tasty.

1. Fried Ripe Plantains

If you’re new to cooking with plantains, frying them is a great place to start. The key to this recipe is choosing nice ripe plantains, as that will ensure you get a sweet treat that’s crisp and caramelized on the outside.

You just need the plantains and some oil for this recipe, but you can top them with a bit of sea salt to complement the sweetness.

Keep a close eye on them while they’re in the fryer, as they cook quickly and will burn and stick if left unattended.

2. Sweet Plantains

Use ripe green plantains for this simple and sweet recipe. Wait until your plantains have dark skin, and then slice and fry them. These plantains make a delicious side to almost any Cuban dish.

It takes about 10 days for a green plantain to become sweet enough for Maduros. You can speed along the process by cooking unpeeled plantains in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Once you have your ripe green plantains sliced, you fry each side for 2-3 minutes. Top with some salt, and they’re ready to serve!

3. Pastelón

Are you ready to mix up your Lasagna night? Try this delicious Puerto Rican dish that features layers of plantains and meat. Yes, that’s right – you use fried ripe plantains instead of noodles!

There are several steps to this recipe since you have to cook the plantains and meat before assembling, but it’s worth it for this delicious dish that’s filling and fun.

You may choose to omit the cheese or add green beans or raisins to play around with different versions of this recipe.

We love modern spins on traditional plantain recipes, and this recipe is a great one to try out this week.

4. Baked Plantain Chips

These homemade snacks are tasty and easy to make. They are also Paleo-friendly and gluten-free, so you can enjoy this recipe without any alterations.

Have you seen plantain chips at the grocery store lately? They’re becoming more popular, but you still can’t beat homemade ones, both for the price, taste, and ability to control your ingredients.

Choose light green plantains, slice them, and then toss in oil. Then you bake them. This is a tasty plantain snack that you don’t have to fry.

5. Easy and Delicious Plantain Bread

You are probably familiar with banana bread, but have you ever tried Plantain bread? It’s very similar and is a great treat if you’re wondering what to do with plantains in your pantry.

The key is to include sour cream or yogurt to keep the bread from hardening after baking it. Plantains aren’t as sweet as bananas, so you’ll end up with a slightly different flavor than you’re used to in your typical banana bread.

Add in nuts or mix with some ripe bananas to make this recipe your own.

6. Plantain Pancake

Add some sweetness and creativity to breakfast with these plantain pancakes. You’ll want to blend or mash your plantains and mix the other ingredients. Once you have everything combined, pour about a half cup of batter into a skillet.

Cook the pancakes for about a minute on each side, and then serve with your favorite pancake topping.

Coconut syrup goes great with these plantain pancakes, and you can also serve them for dessert instead of breakfast.

7. Jamaican Plantain Tarts

If you’re looking for delicious Jamaican recipes, these plantain tarts are a great choice. Make a basic pastry, and then fill it with a flavorful plantain mix.

Use very ripe black plantains for this recipe – that will give them the best texture and flavor. Serve them for dessert with ice cream or as an appetizer at your next party.

This is another great plantains recipe that is baked instead of fried.

8. Plantain Egg Rolls

This delicious Filipino dish features soft plantains inside a sugary fried wrap. Follow the directions carefully to make sure you wrap these up just right – you want to make sure they hold up well when you fry them.

The best part about this recipe is that you can cook them straight from frozen, so make a lot all at once and save any extras for later.

Serve these for dessert or as a side dish.

9. Spicy Plantain Black Bean Tacos

It’s dinnertime, and you’re wondering what to make with plantains. Try these Spicy Plantain Black Bean Tacos. It’s a savory main dish that’s quick and easy to make. These flavorful tacos are vegetarian and are ready in just 20 minutes.

This recipe calls for sweet, ripe plantains. You sautee them to get them caramelized and then place them in a taco shell. Top with your favorite taco toppings, and you’ve got a weeknight meal that’s perfect for summer.

You can customize this recipe to make it more or less spicy. Try adding avocado for a vibrant and delicious dinner.

10. Plantain Fufu

This Plantain Fufu is a West African dish that’s super easy to make. All you need are green plantains. That’s it! Just cut it, blend it, and then boil it.

Keep stirring to make sure there aren’t lumps in your fufu. Let it cool some before you eat it so it reaches the right texture.

You can also use store-bought plantain flour to create your fufu, but making from scratch is more fun, and you know that there aren’t any preservatives in your recipe. This dish goes great with soup and stews.

11. Sopa De Platano (Plantain Soup)

This delicious soup features green plantains for a fun and flavorful dinner. It’s a vegetarian dish that is hearty and unique, and it’s a great way to experiment with Cuban cuisine.

This soup is ready in about an hour but requires just a few minutes of prep work. Most of the cooking time comes from leaving the soup on the stove while the plantains get soft.

You can process the soup smooth with an immersion blender or leave it chunky for a different texture. Top it with plantain chips to add a bit of crispness.

12. Plantain Cake/Plantain Bread

Here is another yummy quick bread recipe that features plantains. Use overripe plantains and include yogurt to keep this dense bread soft after baking.

Like all the best quick slices of bread, resist eating it hot out of the oven. You’ll want it to cool completely before slicing in. Once it’s cooled and ready to eat, it makes an excellent snack for kids or a coffee-time treat.

Add walnuts or different seasonings, like cinnamon and nutmeg. You can also freeze the baked bread to serve later.

13. Sweet and Spicy Plantain Salad

If you love salads, then you’ll love this recipe. Have you ever thought of putting plantains on a salad? This dish elevates a typical salad by adding filling plantains and other unique toppings.

Fry the plantains to prepare them for the salad. From there, all you need to do is toss the ingredients together.

You don’t even need to worry about creating a separate dressing, as it all comes together as you mix the ingredients.

This fantastic plant-based recipe can be eaten as a main dish or side.

14. 3-Ingredient Plantain Tortillas

Have you ever made your tortillas? Whether you’ve made wraps from scratch or not, these plantain tortillas are a great recipe to try. They’re simple, sturdy, and way better than any store-bought variety.

Simply boil your plantains into a nice dough, roll them out, and then cook them in a skillet. To ensure these tortillas are completely gluten-free, flour your rolling surface with tapiocas starch or gluten-free flour.

You can also bake them if you prefer. Once they’re ready, you can store in the fridge or freezer or go on and fill them for dinner tonight.

15. Sweet Plantain Pie

Are you wondering what can you make with plantains? How about a savory pie?

This version of Puertorican Piononos is baked instead of fried. You’ll prepare some boiled and mashed plantains and layer them with a delicious seasoned pork mixture.

This dinner is flavorful, filling, and pretty easy to make. You can prepare an extra meat mixture to use for future recipes.

This savory plantain recipe is a must-try, whether you love Puertorican food or are new to this region’s delicious flavors.

16. Mashed Sweet Plantains

While plantains look like bananas, their taste is closer to potatoes. That’s why these mashed sweet plantains are such a great idea.

Use yellow plantains for this recipe, but you can choose their exact ripeness. The more dark spots on the peeling of your plantain, the sweeter it will be.

Boil the plantains and then mash them with a potato masher or fork. Then customize it with your toppings, like herbs, garlic, and butter.

Serve it as a side dish for your favorite Caribbean recipe.

17. Sweet & Smoky Plantain Stew

This vegetarian recipe is filling and easy. Use ripe yellow plantains to get the flavor and texture right. Fry them first while your stew begins simmering. Don’t add the plantains until the final five minutes of cooking.

Add cayenne pepper to make the stew spicier, and bake the plantains instead of frying them if you want to cut down on the fat.

You’ll love the flavors of this delicious stew, and it makes a great weeknight meal for families wanting more plant-based dinners.

18. Smashed Plantain Sandwich (Jibarito)

Have you ever thought about using plantains as sandwich bread? It’s a great gluten-free option that’s fun to make.

The key to the perfect plantain texture is to fry them, flatten them, and fry them again. This way, you get a great crispy crust that will support the weight of the sandwich.

You also need to use green plantains to make sure they fry up nicely and hold your sandwich together. Follow this recipe for a great roast beef Jibarito, or use any other proteins to fill your sandwich.

19. Vegan Plantain Brownies

You may be surprised to see brownies on a list of plantain meals, but this recipe is a must-try. The plantains bind together the vegan ingredients, add fiber to the brownies, and are very mild in flavor.

Are you convinced yet that you can put plantains in brownies?

Be sure to use super ripe, dark plantains – they’ll have the sweetest flavor and softest texture for these brownies.

Bananas are common in a lot of vegan baking recipes. This time mix things up with yummy plantain brownies. This may be the best plantain recipe for vegan brownies!

20. Fried Plantain Salad

Plantains make salads more filling and exciting. This salad recipe features sweet, crispy plantains, avocado, pistachios, and a simple homemade dressing.

If you’re experienced cooking with plantains, you can follow the typical process of frying them into a delicious sweet treat. You’ll also sautee the onions and peppers to bring out their fantastic flavor and top it with your freshly made dressing.

Are you ready to try a plantain salad yet? Try adding different ingredients to make this salad a regular addition to your meal plans.

21. Baked ripe plantains with cheese

Isn’t everything better when you add cheese? These cheese-filled plantains make a delicious appetizer, or you can serve them at your next brunch.

This Ecuadorian-inspired recipe is baked instead of fried. Serve it as soon as the cheese is melted for a warm and addicting treat.

Want to kick things up even more? Top these Plantanos with Aji criollo or cilantro hot sauce. It’s an interesting mix of sweet, savory, and spicy, making this dish extra unique.

22. Baked Plantain Frittata

If you love making Frittatas, you must try this Baked Plantain Frittata. If you’ve never made this egg-based breakfast dish before, why not start with this unique recipe?

This is a lighter version of many frittatas. It features egg whites and fiber-packed plantains, which means you get a filling meal that won’t weigh you down.
It’s also a fun take on fried plantain and egg, a popular breakfast in West Africa.

Start your day with yummy plantains and wow any guests with this surprisingly delicious dish.

23. Spicy Chicken

Are you looking for a unique recipe with great Jamaican flavor? Try this Spicy Chicken with Plantains and Ginger Pineapple sauce. Your family will love the mix of flavors, and you’ll love that this meal comes together in less than 45 minutes.

Remove the seeds from the Scotch bonnet chile pepper for less heat, or leave the pepper out to make the dish really mild.

This dinner is vibrant, tasty, and easy to make. It’s a weeknight meal with restaurant-quality taste. You can’t get better than that!

Plantain Recipes

23 Sweet and Savory Plantain Recipes

Yield: 2 dozen
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 large ripe plantains or bananas, peeled
  • 1 c self-rising flour
  • 1 small onion, cut into wedges
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Dash pepper
  • Oil for deep-fat frying

Instructions

  1. Peel your bananas and run them in a blender or food processor to make them smooth.
  2. Add self-rising flour, onion wedges, salt, and pepper to the food processor or blender. This will create a slightly wet batter that you’ll be able to drop in a fryer.
  3. Heat ¼ inch of oil in an electric skillet or fryer
    Cook the fritters by dropping spoonfuls (1-2 tablespoons) into the hot oil. You can also use small ice cream or cookie scoop to drop the batter.
  4. Cook until the fritter is golden brown, about 1 minute on each side. Fry multiple fritters at once if they fit in your skillet or fryer.
  5. Once they’re cooked, set the fritters on a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
  6. Serve warm with butter.

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