Tostones (Fried Green Plantains)
January 5, 2021 | By Jeremy Scheck | 1 Comment
Tostones (also known as patacones) are a popular Latin American food made with green plantains. They are commonly eaten as an appetizer or on the side of a main dish. In Puerto Rico, they are often served with mayoketchup, which, you guessed it, is a sauce made from mayonnaise and ketchup. I particularly like eating tostones with fried cheese.
Tostones (Fried Green Plantains)
Ingredients
- 2-4 cups oil to deep fry (you want enough for 2-3 inches in your pan - pick an oil with a high smoke point)
- 3 green plantains
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2-3 cloves chopped garlic (optional)
- Garlic powder to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Add your oil to a large pan with high sides (I use a cast iron). Begin heating over a low flame as you prepare the plantains.
- To peel the plantains, simply cut off the tips at the top and bottom, and make a slit all the way down the long way, so you can pry the skin off.
- Cut into several 1-2" pieces, preferably cutting on a diagonal to get longer pieces.
- With your full attention back on the oil, raise the temperature and heat until bubbles form around the back of a wooden spoon placed inside to test (around 350° F if you have a thermometer).
- Working in batches if the pan is small, add the sliced plantain pieces in the oil. It should bubbly eagerly without it feeling like it's going to burn anytime soon - and cook 3-5 minutes, until they are lightly golden on the exterior. (They won't change too drastically in color other than looking a bit more yellow).
- When the plantain pieces are lightly golden, remove from the oil and place onto a paper towel-lined plate, and let cool slightly. Turn off the heat on the oil, but do not discard.
- When the plantains have cooled enough to handle (shouldn't take too long), use the bottom of a plate on a cutting board flatten them down to a 1/2"-1/4" thickness. Once they are all flat, heat up the oil again to the same temperature.
- While you are waiting for the oil to heat back up again (since it was already hot it will not take long), mix together the cup of water, salt, garlic, and garlic powder in a small bowl.
- When the oil is hot again, dip the flattened plantains in the garlic-salt water before adding back to the oil. Because of the water, they might spatter a bit at first, so watch out!
- Let them fry 3-5 more minutes, or until they are bit more golden and crispy looking. Remove from the oil and place again on an paper towel-lined plate, sprinkle with more salt, if desired, and serve as desired 🙂
Jeremy Scheck spent high school perfecting his signature cupcakes, making quiches and coffee cake by the dozen at a local bakery, and teaching cooking demonstrations at Williams-Sonoma. As a 10th grader in 2016, he began documenting his favorite recipes on a blog called The After School Bakery. In college, Jeremy learned to make 50 gallons of ice cream in the food science lab, how to prune grape vines in the teaching vineyard, the best way to milk a cow in Northern Italy, and why film photography is an art worth saving. As a sophomore in 2020, he traded blog photos for video and became a TikTok culinary sensation. Jeremy has been featured on the Today show, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, BBC Radio, People, and Access Hollywood, among others. Jeremy is a graduate of Cornell University with a double major in Spanish and Italian, and significant coursework in food science. He lives in Brooklyn, NY. Learn more about Jeremy.
Love this recipe! It tasted so good. I put cheese, onion, jalapeño and other toppings. I had it for breakfast and I’m ready to have it for lunch :). Also love Scheck’s TikToks. 100% would recommend!
I also really appreciate how Scheck doesn’t have a large paragraph before the recipe, just a quick description so it is easy to find.