• Recipes
  • Private Chefs
  • About
  • Work With Me
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Fare Isle

Seasonal Recipes and Nantucket Private Chefs

  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Breads + Rolls
    • Breakfast/Brunch
    • Salads
    • Dinner
    • Desserts
    • Edible Flowers
    • Everyday Basics
    • Fermentation
  • Private Chefs
  • About
    • Contact
  • Work With Kaity
Fare Isle » Paleo » Fried Sweet Plantains

Fried Sweet Plantains

published: January 12, 2020 / updated: June 25, 2022by Kaity Farrell
Fried ripe plantains are a quick and easy delicious breakfast or snack.
Jump to RecipePrint Recipe

Fare Isle | Fried Plantains - Step by Step

Plantains are a versatile fruit that can be eaten many ways. Plantains are the starchier cousins to bananas. When plantains are unripe and green they can be boiled, baked and fried into savory starchy dishes. They ripen as their skin turns yellow with black spotting and become sweeter and softer. If they are ripe enough you can even eat them raw like bananas.

Fare Isle | Fried Plantains - Step by Step

You can fry plantains when they are green or ripe. You may have heard of or had tostones, which are a popular treat made by twice frying green unripe plantains. After the first fry they are smushed flat and fried again. Very tasty.

Fare Isle | Fried Plantains - Step by Step
Fare Isle | Fried Plantains - Step by Step

This recipe is how we most often eat plantains at home… pan fried sweet plantains. I personally like to use plantains that are yellow but not too ripe yet. They are still firm but give a little and don’t have many black spots yet. You can use half-ripe or fully ripe plantains for this recipe though. My husband and son like when they are very ripe and sweet.

Fare Isle | Fried Plantains - Step by Step

Fried sweet plantains aren’t crispy but get super caramelized from the natural sugars. If you use halfway ripe plantains they will crisp up a little. This is how I love them best. The ones I shot for this post were more on the riper side and stayed soft after they fried. You can see how caramelized they got in the photos.

Fare Isle | Fried Plantains - Step by Step

I like to eat them with just a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, but for a sweet treat you can drizzle maple syrup or honey over them. They are a great gluten free alternative to pancakes at breakfast or served as a starchy side with dinner.

Fare Isle | Fried Plantains - Step by Step

Tips for success

  • A cast iron skillet is the best for pan-frying anything really. A well seasoned cast iron skillet has a naturally non-stick surface and a heavy bottom that heats up evenly and retains heat well.
  • To peel a ripe plantain, score the skin from end to end with a paring or utility knife. The peel should come away easily and there’s no need to trim the ends.
  • Use a neutral oil that doesn’t smoke like extra-light olive oil, avocado oil, grape-seed oil, canola oil, etc.
  • Place a cooling rack over a sheet pan to cool plantains on so air can circulate around them and they won’t get soggy.

Fare Isle | Fried Plantains - Step by Step

These Fried Sweet Plantains are

Hot

Sweet

Caramelized

Salty

Starchy

Very Snack-able

Gluten Free

Satisfying


fried sweet plantains on a brown plate with a ripe yellow plantain and fork next to the plate.

Fried Sweet Plantains

Author: Kaity Farrell
Fried ripe plantains are a quick and easy delicious breakfast or snack.
print recipe pin recipe

Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 ripe plantain
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil for frying
  • 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt optional

Instructions

  • Heat up a cast iron skillet on medium-low heat.
  • Place a cooling rack over a sheet pan and set aside.
  • Peel plantain and slice into roughly 1 cm or 3/8" thick slices on a slight bias.
  • When skillet is hot add oil to coat its surface.
  • Add plantain slices to skillet and use a fork to spread them into 1 layer.
  • Cook plantains on one side until they caramelize, about 2-4 minutes. Adjust heat as needed.
  • Flip plantains and cook other side until caramelized, again 2-4 minutes. After the flip gently press them with the back of a fork, especially if they are on the less ripe side. Plantains may cook at different times if there are hot spots in the skillet, so keep checking each piece as it cooks.
  • When plantains are done frying, transfer them to the cooling rack setup to cool slightly.
  • Sprinkle them with flaky sea salt and serve immediately.


Notes

  • To peel a ripe plantain, score the skin from end to end with a paring knife or utility knife. The peel should come away easily and there’s no need to trim the ends.
  • Use a neutral oil that doesn’t smoke like extra-light olive oil, avocado oil, grape-seed oil, canola oil, etc.
  • Fried plantains are best eaten straightaway and hot from the pan. I don't suggest keeping them as leftovers.

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: West Indian
Keyword: fried sweet plantains, fried ripe plantains, maduros, pan friend plantains, fried plantains, vegan fried plantains, sweet fried plantains

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5plantain | Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 295mg | Potassium: 436mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 1009IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg

Did you make it?

Leave a comment and rating below!

On Instagram? Share and tag @fareisle #fareisle


 

Join the conversation Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Kaity Farrell

    5 stars
    test

    Reply

Welcome to Fare Isle! I'm Kaity.


a private chef and content creator based on the island of Nantucket....read more here.

private chef services

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Popular Recipes

Irish Guinness bread that has been sliced into with three slices fanned out from the loaf on a bread board.

Guinness Brown Bread

Lilac Gin Fizz Cocktail

Lilac Syrup

Large gallon-size glass mason jar of fire cider in the infusion stage with raw apple cider vinegar and medicinal plant materials.

Fire Cider Recipe for Immune Support

a variety of vegan sourdough donuts on a table.

Vegan Sourdough Donuts

In Season Now

A loaf of vegan Irish soda bread with raisins and caraways seeds on a wood board with a wedge slice cut out of it.

Vegan Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Lilac panna cotta in glass cups garnished with lilac flowers.

Dairy-Free Lilac Panna Cotta Recipe

Sugared purple violets drying on a wire rack over parchment paper.

Candied Violets Recipe

Closeup shot of 5 small quilted mason jars with metal screw top lids filled with purple/pink colored wild violet jelly stacked on top of each other.

Violet Jelly Recipe

Sign up for emails and get my new e-book!

Cover of Fare Isle's Cozy Dinner Party Menu e-book.

Get the latest recipes in your inbox

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

pages

  • Contact
  • About
  • Press
  • Work With Kaity
  • Nantucket Private Chefs
  • Affiliate Policy

recipes

  • All Recipes
  • Breakfast/Brunch
  • Dinner
  • Desserts
  • Sourdough
  • Edible Flowers

© 2023 Fare Isle · Terms · Privacy Policy · Accessibility Statement · Site Credits

Site by Meyne X