Have you ever had Tostones? These are like the best plantain chips you could ever have and they are super easy to make! I first tried them when a Venezuelan friend showed me how to make them. And ever since then, I serve them when there is a good party happening. They are the ultimate celebration food!
To make these, you have to start with green plantains, or slightly yellow ones, as they should be starchy and not sweet at all. In all my years of making tostones, I had never encountered green plantains that would ripen overnight, but it happened to me when I made these. The ones I used were a bit more ripe than I would like, but they still turned out delicious. Ripe plantains, you see, are a different thing altogether. They are soft and sweet, and won’t fry up crispy like these, rather they stay soft and squishy, though absolutely delicious as well. So make sure you have green plantains and you’re good to go.
To serve your tostones, you can make an easy chipotle mayonnaise (or use a commercial brand) or you can make a runny Ají Valluno, resembling more a pico de gallo with a Colombian twist. Either way, these are made for dipping.
I am giving you two ways of cooking them: traditionally, they are fried twice - the first time, to soften them enough so they can be pressed, then the second time is to make them crispy. In my efforts to eat a bit healthier, I started to bake these. Granted, they are not 100% the same as fried, but still they are delicious. And if you have an airfryer, then it’s even easier to cook these without so much added oil.
TOSTONES
Crispy Twice Fried (or baked) Plantains
Tostones:
2 large unripe (green) or barely ripe (slightly yellow) plantains
Canola or vegetable oil
Salt to taste
Chipotle Mayonnaise:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2-3 tsp minced chipotle chiles in adobo, or more to taste
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Salt to taste
For the Tostones - Baked Method:
With a sharp small knife cut ends from each plantain and cut a shallow lengthwise slit through skin. Peel skin off. Cut plantains crosswise into 1” thick pieces.
Place plantain chunks in large bowl and toss with enough oil to coat evenly. Sprinkle with salt and place on parchment covered sheet pan.
Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from oven and with the bottom of a glass or a wide solid metal spatula flatten plantains to ¼” thick (about 3 inches in diameter).
Brush plantains on both sides with oil and place back on the sheet pan. Return to the oven and bake until crispy, about 15-20 minutes.
Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.
For the Tostones - Fried Method:
With a sharp small knife cut ends from each plantain and cut a lengthwise slit through skin. Peel skin off. Cut plantains crosswise into 1” thick pieces.
In a medium frying pan heat ¼” oil over moderate heat until just hot enough to sizzle when a plantain piece is added. Fry plantains in batches, without crowding, until tender and just golden, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. With tongs transfer plantains as fried to paper towels to drain.
Remove skillet from heat and reserve oil. With the bottom of a sturdy glass or a wide solid metal spatula flatten plantains to ¼” thick (about 3 inches in diameter).
Heat reserved oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and fry flattened plantains in batches, without crowding, until golden, about 3 minutes.
Transfer fried tostones to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.
Chipotle Mayonnaise:
In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, chipotle, lime juice and salt to taste.
Serve tostones with chipotle mayo.
Makes 18-24 tostones.