You’ve decided to bake your famous banana bread. You make a beeline to the produce section, only to find the thickest, biggest bananas you’ve ever seen. Before you add them to your cart, let us fill you in: They’re plantains. For the uninitiated, plantains are related to bananas, yet very different from them due to their starchy texture and almost potato-y flavor. They can be eaten underripe or ripe and are cooked in a multitude of ways across many cuisines, most commonly Latin and African. To get acquainted with the underrated fruit, here are 25 plantain recipes to cook at home, from sweet and spicy plantain salad to plantain pancakes to halibut ceviche with plantain chips.
25 Plantain Recipes That Prove You Should Always Have the Fruit on Hand
Tostones, anyone?
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Published Jan 15, 2024
Peter O’Sullivan & Simon Smith/Plants-Only Kitchen
Oscar Giraldo/Getty Images
How to Choose Ripe Plantains
First things first: Decide if you need unripe or ripe plantains. If you want them to be sticky and caramelized when cooked—like maduros, which are sweet, ripe plantains fried in oil—you’ll need to buy them ripe or wait for them to ripen at home. If you want them savory and starchy (like tostones, which are twice-fried green plantains), go with an unripe plantain.
Here’s how to spot the difference between unripe and ripe plantains. Unripe plantains have green peels. As they mature, the peels turn yellow and eventually dark brown or black once they’re overripe. Unlike bananas, which seem to rot in a flash, plantains can be used before, while and after they’re perfectly ripe. They also take longer to mature than bananas, so it’s unlikely that they’ll go bad before you use them.
Also called cooking bananas or green bananas, plantains are generally used more like a vegetable than a fruit. They can be boiled, fried, baked or sauteed, but not eaten raw. If you don’t want to wait days for your green plantains to ripen, you can resort to using frozen ones instead (although we should note that plantains are in season year-round). You’ll mostly find maduro (meaning matured) plantains in the frozen aisle; most frozen green plantains are already smashed, fried and labeled as tostones. You can also find frozen green plantain dough to make dishes like plantain empanadas or plantain dumplings.
25 Plantain Recipes
1. Plantain Subs with Quick Pickles
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: dairy free, beginner-friendly, make ahead
These sammies may seem meager, but plantains are actually pretty filling, since they’re so starchy. Use plant-based mayo on the subs to make them vegan and prepare the pickled veggies ahead to save time.
2. Sweet and Spicy Plantain Salad
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: one pan, <30 minutes, vegan
Caramelized plantains + fresh produce + lime-maple dressing = an unexpected salad your guests will definitely want the recipe for. Black-eyed peas give the app a boost of plant-based protein.
3. Cauliflower and Plantain Tacos with Lemony Pesto Dressing
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, gluten free, special occasion-worthy
The bright, herbaceous dressing cuts right through the sweetness and spice of the cauliflower and plantains. Might we suggest crowning each taco with pickled onions?
4. Roasted Plantain and Sweet Potato Rice Bowls
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, gluten free, special occasion-worthy
Bring on the coconut-lime rice, fresh guacamole and tart-sweet pineapple. This tropical mélange calls for dusting the plantains and sweet spuds in salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin, and roasting them to tender perfection.
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
These start with very ripe plantains, so the final product is sweet and caramelized. If you prefer your fried plantains savory, start with unripe plantains, slice them on a bias, fry them in oil, smash them flat and fry them a second time to make tostones.
6. Jerk-Inspired Fish Tacos with Plantain Fried Rice and Pineapple Salsa
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, make ahead
These handhelds star chili-spiced salmon, but you can substitute cod, tilapia or halibut if you’d prefer. Prepare the sweet-and-spicy salsa ahead to save time before dinner.
7. Black Bean and Plantain Arepa Sandwiches
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, vegan, gluten free
Sweet plantains, seasoned black beans, fresh guac and hot sauce—these arepa sandwiches have it all. Finish them with a vinegar- or mayo-based cabbage slaw to cut through the heat.
8. Chile- and Cocoa-Spiced Snack Mix
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, vegan
Chex has nothing on this one-of-a-kind treat that’s equal parts spicy and sweet. Use store-bought plantain chips if you want a shortcut, but know that making your own is a total breeze.
9. Sweet and Spicy Bacon-Wrapped Plantains
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly,
Smoky, crunchy and downright mouthwatering, this app will vanish in seconds at your next cocktail party. The bacon is baked instead of pan-fried, resulting in a shatteringly crisp texture.
10. Roasted Plantain & Black Bean Vegan Bowl
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, gluten free, beginner-friendly
The plate is as gorgeous as it is nutritious, plus it’s full of plant-based protein and fiber. The topping options are endless, but we’re partial to sliced avocado, pico de gallo and a spritz of lime.
11. Pomegranate Guacamole with Fried Plantain Chips
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Tangy feta, pretty pomegranate arils and chili-dusted plantain chips transform this run-of-the-mill appetizer into something spectacular. Make the guac ahead and drizzle it with lime juice to keep it from browning.
12. Tatale (Plantain Pancakes)
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, one pan
You’ll fall for this Ghanaian dish at first bite. It’s best to use the darkest, ripest plantains you can find for this recipe, since they need to be soft enough to mash and turn into batter.
13. Halibut Ceviche with Mango and Avocado
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, high protein, make ahead
It calls for tender, flaky white fish, but you can also add scallops or shrimp to the mix if you’d like. The recipe will be totally no-cook if you use store-bought plantain chips (tortilla chips work, too.)
14. Jerk-Inspired Chicken, Fried Plantain and Coconut Macadamia Fried Quinoa
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, dairy free
The plantain rounds are pan-fried in coconut oil, so they add pleasant tropical flavor to every bite. Toast the coconut flakes and macadamia nuts for maximum crunch.
15. Black Bean Plantain Enchilada Bake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, gluten free, vegan
This stunner is packed with vegan cheese sauce. Raw cashews ensure that its texture turns out creamy and rich, while nutritional yeast and chipotles in adobo infuse it with plenty of queso-inspired flavor.
16. Vegetarian Plantain & Black Bean Taco Cups
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, beginner-friendly
For a savory application like this, underripe plantains are your best bet. Here, they’re sauteed alongside garlic and diced jalapeños, then mixed with saucy canned beans to create vegetarian chili.
17. Fried Plantains with Hot Pepper Sauce
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, dairy free
Don’t let the tomato base fool you: This pepper sauce packs a serious punch, courtesy of Scotch bonnets and fresh ginger. Sweet plantains are the ultimate foil.
18. Island Bowls
19. Plantain and Black Bean Tacos with Chimichurri Sauce
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, vegetarian
All that’s missing from these tacos is a generous drizzle of crema, sour cream or Greek yogurt. If you’re not feeling black beans, you can swap in pinto beans or canned refried beans.
20. 3-Ingredient Plantain Tortillas
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, gluten free, vegan
Speaking of tacos, you can make a batch of these wheat-free tortillas and turn them into quesadillas, tacos, chips and tostadas for up to four days. Yup, you can thank us later.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, dairy free, gluten free
Never tried mofongo? It’s a Puerto Rican dish that uses mashed plantains as a base. For extra flavor and crunch, mix crushed pork rinds (or better yet, fresh chicharrones) into the mash.
22. Spicy Plantain Burrito Bowls
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, beginner-friendly
Tomatoey rice, spiced black beans and cilantro slaw turn this plantain bowl into a bonafide masterpiece. The beans come together in a flash, since the recipe uses the canned kind instead of homemade. Score.
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, vegan
Wanna indulge in drool-worthy plantains without the fuss (and extra calories) of frying? Bake them to golden brown perfection instead. Serve them with mayoketchup, chipotle sauce or garlicky mojo.
24. Fried Plantains with Cinnamon and Sea Salt
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
This four-ingredient treat is just right for sweet-and-salty stans. The snack cooks up with minimal effort and ingredients to boot. Pair the plantains with vanilla ice cream, if you feel so inclined.
25. Coconut Sugar Caramelized Plantains
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
Think of this as a tropical, booze-free twist on bananas foster. We’d serve them with a heaping scoop of ice cream, a drizzle of dulce de leche or a glug of condensed milk.
Should You Soak Plantains Before Frying?
You don't need to, but a brief soak can help maximize the crunch of underripe plantains—especially if you're frying or grilling them. Allowing green plantains to sit in salt water for 15 to 20 minutes will help them retain their moisture when cooked, resulting in both a crispier exterior and a more tender interior.
