Tostones: Plantains, pan-fried to perfection, are the perfect vehicle for any dip or salsa! These Tostones are perfect for your next party, Meatless Monday dinner, or afternoon snack.
Ooh, tostones. Once you try these savory, delicious, crispy wonders you’ll never settle for plain old chips again! Tostones are made from plantains, a plant that looks just like a banana but is instead savory and starchier. The result is the potato chip’s healthier cousin, the absolutely magnificent Tostones! We love to dip our tostones in any kind of savory sauce and enjoy them as an appetizer or a side dish.
What are Tostones?
Tostones are basically twice-fried plantains chips that are a staple in Latin and Carribean cuisine. They are made with green plantains, not ripe ones, and they don’t have a banana taste despite looking like sliced bananas! Tostones are more of a savory side dish and can be dipped in fry sauce, guacamole, or garlic mojo sauce.
What are Plantains?
They look like bananas, but they’re actually quite different! Plantains are a plant found mostly in Central America. They’re bigger, tougher, and heavier than bananas and have a much starchier taste. The best plantains for tostones are mostly green. Like bananas, they sweeten as they ripen, so if your plantains are now yellow with black spots, you can still cook them, but you will be making fried sweet plantains instead of savory and starchy tostones. Plantains are high in fiber and vitamins A and C as well as magnesium and potassium.
How to Peel a Plantain
Since they look just like bananas you might be thinking it’s the same to peel them! Plantains are quite different to peel thanks to their tough skin, though. To peel a plantain, slice both ends off and then wiggle your knife between the skin and the flesh and separate the two.
How to Make Tostones
It’s as simple as frying the sliced plantains! We like to cut the plantains nice and thick, fry them in coconut oil, and then use a heavy-bottomed glass to press them slightly on each side. This gives them the perfect texture and thickness for dipping! We toss them in the same cooking oil for a few minutes after smashing to make sure they’re deliciously crispy and browned. Just like that, you have perfect Tostones!
How Do You Use Tostones?
Tostones are totally versatile, but we usually describe them as being most like a chip. You can sprinkle them with salt and snack on them plain, though they’re best when dipped in salsa, guacamole, garlic sauce, vegan queso, or even ketchup like a french fry!
More Latin Recipes
- Black Beans & Rice with Plantains
- Fresh Summer Corn Salsa
- Yellow Rice Burrito Bowl with Tostones & Tomatillo Salsa
- Corn Salad
- Jicama Mango Salsa
- Yuca Cups with Guacamole
- Tacos Al Pastor
- Tostones & Bean Salsa
3-ingredient Tostones Recipe
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 24 tostones 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Ingredients
- 2 plantains, slightly green
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Peel and cut the plantains ( see step by step images above on the post). Start by cutting the ends. Run a pairing knife through the length of the plantain, separate the skin and remove the plantain. Cut it into 1-inch slices
- Heat the coconut oil in a pan.When hot, fry the plantain slices over medium-high heat, 2-3 minutes per side or until, golden. Make sure you watch them carefully, so they don't burn
- Remove from heat and set them aside until they're cool enough to handle
- Place the plantain slices on a cutting board. With a heavy-bottomed glass, press slightly on each slice to smash them
- Cook the plantains again on the same frying pan for another 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
- Season with salt to taste. You may also season with chili-lime seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, or cayenne pepper
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 5
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: pan-fry
- Cuisine: Latin
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 Tostones
- Calories: 50
- Sugar: 3.7
- Sodium: 50
- Fat: 2.4
- Saturated Fat: .3
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.9
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 7.9
- Fiber: .6
- Protein: .3
- Cholesterol: 0
Did you enjoy our tostones recipe?
warren
Tostones, called patacones in Colombia, can be made from green or somewhat yellow (not deep yellow or brown!) plátanos. The flavor and texture will be different and people seem to have a pretty much singular preference. I prefer them green, which is to say *GREEN* with no hint of fading or yellowing. I can't eat patacones made from more mature plátanos. The ones you are pictured cutting here are way too ripe for me 😀 Made to your taste, they are delicious and can be eaten plain or with any number of dipping sauces.
Vicky and Ruth
Hi Warren, thank you so much for your comment. We agree with you, tostones or patacones are made with green plantains, we personally like them when they start to just turn a little lighter green, but we didn't grow up eating them, so your opinion counts more ! The plantain we used was on the green side, the images, don't really reflect the true color, but we had a little trouble with the editing and we ran out of green plantains! We are also planning on posting Plátanos Fritos or Maduros, do they use any other name in Colombia for them? We would love to know.