Fried Sweet Plantains
Making fried sweet plantains, AKA “maduros”, is so easy that it feels strange to even write a recipe. As long as you have very ripe plantains, this dish can be put together in under 10 minutes. Here I serve them with a little bit of Salvadorean-style crema, but they can be eaten with sour cream, creme fraiche, or completely unadorned. Fried sweet plantains work very well as a side dish, a snack, and also make a great breakfast with beans, hot sauce, and a fried egg.
Choosing the right plantains
Make sure that you are using ripe plantains to make this dish. The riper the better. Look for yellow plantains that have plenty of black spots on them. The more black spots they have, the sweeter they will be. Do not use the unripe green plantains that are also widely available. They are starchy, not sweet, and better suited to making Tostones (fried green plantains).
Goes well with:
Related recipes:
Fried Sweet Plantains
Equipment
- Thermometer
Ingredients
Fried Sweet Plantains
- 2 very ripe plantains ( or more, 1 per person)
- neutral-flavored cooking oil
- salt
To serve:
- sour cream, creme fraiche or Mexican/Salvadorean crema
- black pepper and salt
Instructions
- Heat a generous amount of oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high. There should be about 1/4 inch of oil in the pan.
- Peel the plantains and cut in half lengthwise or in slices, depending on your preference.
- Place plantains into the hot oil and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Oil should sizzle as soon as you add the plantains. Adjust the temperature as needed so that the plantains don't burn immediately. Plantains should get deep brown and even a bit blackened in spots.
- Remove the plantains from oil and lay on a plate lined with paper towels. Season lightly with salt.
- Serve plantains with a side of crema/sour cream/creme fraiche that has been seasoned with a little salt and pepper (some cremas may not need any salt)
