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A plate of twice fried green plantains.

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Twice-Fried Green Plantains (Tostones)

Recipe by Kelli Avila

Crispy, crunchy and salty, these Tostones, or twice-fried green plantains, make for the perfect snack or side dish.

  • Total Time35 minutes
  • YieldServes 4-6 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3 green plantains (see note)
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil or other high-heat oil
  • Coarse salt, for garnish
  • Sauces, for serving (optional, see note)

Instructions

  1. Set up a workstation near the stove with a heatproof flat surface (like a cutting board) and another flat surface to smash the plantains (I used two cutting boards, one small and one big, see note). Line a large plate with paper towels and set to the side. 
  2. Slice off both hard ends of each plantain. Carefully make a shallow slit along the length of each plantain, cutting through the peel but not into the flesh. Lightly oil your hand and work an oiled finger underneath the edge of the peel. Continue to slide your finger underneath the peel and pull the peel off of each plantain.
  3. Slice the peeled plantains into pieces about 1-1/2-inches thick.
  4. In a large, heavy-duty skillet, heat the oil until it’s shimmering. Gently add the plantains to the hot oil. Fry the plantains on each side until they have a very light golden color, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
  5. Working one at a time, remove a plantain and place it on the smashing station. Use the second cutting board (or whatever object you use) to firmly and evenly smash the plantain down. If the plantain sticks to the object, use a spatula to lift it off. Return the plantain to the oil and fry again on both sides until a light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining plantains.
  6. Drain the fried plantains on the paper towel-lined plate.
  7. Serve the tostones immediately with a generous sprinkle of coarse salt and sauces, if desired.

Notes

Plantains are starchy fruits that belong to the banana family and can be consumed at different stages of ripeness. For this recipe, look for fully green plantains. They should feel firm, like barely ripe bananas, but not rock hard.

You can use any number of objects to smash the plantains that you have on hand. You certainly don’t need any special tools, but if you had a tortilla press (I don’t), you could use that. I like to use a medium or small cutting board because it gives me good, even leverage to smash the plantains.

Serve the plantains with Aji or Guacamole!

Find it online: https://everydayfamilyeats.com/tostones/