This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Savory Fried Plantains are a delicious and easy, must-make recipe to serve alongside our Filipino Picadillo that we shared with you earlier this week. In the Philippines, fried plantains are a commonly served dish – sometimes sweet and sometimes savory (like today’s recipe).
The general rule of thumb is that if you are making Savory Fried Plantains – you’ll want to use green, un-ripened plantains which have a flavor similar to a thick, rustic potato. Use ripe, yellow plantains if you are making sweet fried plantains – the ripe plantains have a flavor similar to a mild banana.
Here are the basic steps: Peel, slice and fry the plantains until golden and tender.
Drain the plantains on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil, then flatten each slice between two pieces of parchment paper (a meat tenderizer like this works well.)
Then – quickly dip each flattened plantain slice into a mixture of hot water and garlic.
Finally, fry once again until crispy and golden brown.
A final sprinkle of kosher salt and these Savory Fried Plantains are ready to be served alongside Filipino Picadillo.
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Savory Fried Plantains
Ingredients
- 3 large green plantains, not the ripe yellow plantains
- Peanut oil to fry them in
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- More salt, for sprinkling over cooked plantains
Instructions
- Cut the ends off all three plantains.
- Run a sharp knife down one side, then the other of each plantain without letting the knife pierce the fruit under the skin.
- Use you thumb to pry the skin off on one side then the other. Do this for all three.
- Cut each peeled plantain into one inch thick slices.
- Place the boiling water, garlic and the teaspoon of salt in a bowl or right in the measuring cup and set aside.
- Fill a cast iron pan or a heavy bottomed sauté pan with half an inch of the oil and heat over medium high.
- Cut a small piece of plantain and drop it in the hot oil. Once it starts to sizzle and fry, you can add the rest of the slices.
- Do this with a pair of tongs and place cut side down into the hot oil.
- Fry for about two minutes or until the bottom is golden. Turn each one over with the tongs and again cook for about two minutes or until golden.
- Remove to a rack that is sitting over a pan to collect the drippings.
- Lay out a piece of waxed paper and place one or more plantains onto the paper cut side down and place a second piece of waxed paper over them.
- Using a heavy object (we used a meat press), press each one down so they burst out from the sides and flatten to about one quarter inch.
- If you turned off the heat to the oil, reheat as before.
- Once the oil is hot, with tongs, dip each plantain in the water, shake off excess and place in the hot oil. It may splatter a little. (VERY IMPORTANT: When you dip them into the water, do it quickly or they will fall apart.)
- Fry for about a minute to a minute and a half on each side until deep brown in color but not too brown.
- Remove to paper towels and sprinkle with salt while they are hot.
- Serve immediately or seal in an air tight container until ready to serve.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Leave a Comment